Labor Day Weekend In Vegas

By alantvuong on September 9, 2017

Labor (Labour) Day is an annual holiday that is held the first Monday of September in Canada and the US. It is usually considered the unofficial end to summer as people go back to school or back to work right after the holiday. I wanted to visit Las Vegas for the long weekend to see what it would be like to celebrate the holiday in a busy city. I researched what was going on during that weekend and thanks to Surrender Nightclub, Encore Beach Club, Wet Republic, and Hakkasan I got to see Major Lazer, The Chainsmokers, Calvin Harris, Martin Garrix, and Tiesto. I have seen every one of these DJs before but wanted to see them again. So I found a buddy to take me to Vegas from Friday morning to late Monday night and booked a hotel at Circus Circus.

Circus Circus Hotel

at the entrance of Circus Circus Hotel

nice big ramp that leads to free Circus viewing area

Circus Circus was not exactly my first choice for a hotel but I switched to this hotel about a week before my trip because it was close to the last show I was seeing on the Monday, and that it had a roll-in shower and was at a decent price. The hotel itself was pretty accessible and had it’s own amusement park and free daily circus acts. There is even a ramp that led up to the viewing area to watch the circus stage. This trip was really unique since I had my armrests broken during the flight and my battery not charging for my powerchair. I had to have my travel companion push me in my heavy powerchair around the city. Even the manual chair that was lent to me from a wheelchair company did not fit my needs. The hotel was located almost at the end of the North part of the strip and was easily accessible to the train system.

The Monorail

love the accessibility and convenience of the Monorail

Lucky the Monorail was wheelchair accessible and we relied on that to move long distances. There are 7 stations and from North to South, there are at: SLS, Westgate, Convention Center, Harrah’s & The Linq, Flamingo & Caesar’s Palace, Bally’s & Paris and MGM Grand. Our hotel was closest to the SLS station and we used the Monorail quite often. Doors automatically open for you at every stop and there is even a space for a wheelchair at every car. Prices were reasonable and are $5 per single ride, $12 for unlimited rides for 24 hours, $22 for 48 hours and so on. Hours of operations are not too bad either. They start at 7am all 7 days of the week and closes at midnight on Mondays, 2AM Tuesdays to Thursdays, and 3AM Fridays to Sundays. They arrive every 4 to 8 minutes which is quite handy.

inside the monorail

Surrender Nightclub/ Encore Beach Club

checking out Major Lazer at Surrender Nightclub

Surrender Nightclub and Encore Beach Club are located at the same place at Encore Hotel. The only difference is that in the day time, it is called Encore Beach Club and at night it is called Surrender Nightclub. The pools were nice even though I did not get in. The whole area had a great layout. It was quite big and getting around was quite easy except when it gets really busy when the DJs come on. We looked around and was impressed to see there was a nice big accessible washroom.

Encore Beach Club

We saw Major Lazer at the night party here and The Chainsmokers during the Monday day party. Staff here were really nice and even allowed us to hang out backstage at the VIP lounge. Too bad we had to catch a flight and had to leave just before The Chainsmokers finished their set and couldn’t stay to meet them.

backstage VIP lounge at Encore Beach Club

Wet Republic

Wet Republic is another pool party club similar to Encore Beach Club. They are located inside The MGM Grand Hotel and also offers daybeds, party cabanas, and bottle service for a great place to dance, dine and socialize. The area again is quite accessible with ramps leading to the upper back bars and 2 family accessible washrooms. I was surprised to see 2 of them because most places only have 1 or just an accessible stall in a regular bathroom. This year was my 3rd time visiting this venue and we saw Martin Garrix perform on stage.

fun times at Wet Republic

Hakkasan

Hakkasan Nightclub is also located inside The MGM Grand Hotel. It has 5 levels and is one the most popular nightclubs in Las Vegas. Lots of top DJs perform here and we got to visit it twice this trip. We saw Tiesto the Saturday night here and Calvin Harris the Sunday night. I have now visited this nightclub 4 times and everytime, the staff gives us great service. There are several large elevators to take you to any of the levels and are always supervised by staff members. The venue itself is quite tight on nights when there is a DJ performing. Not every floor is available for these nights because there are lounges etc. It is very hard to get around because the club is so packed and it is hard for a wheelchair to move around. If I did need to move around, staff is quite helpful with their mini flashlights and getting people to move out of the way for me. I like hanging out at the upper balcony by the sound booth because I can look down at the stage.

watching Calvin Harris from the upper balcony at Hakkasan

I have been to Las Vegas many times and this trip was definitely one of the fun ones. Besides having wheelchair problems and thanks to Surrender Nightclub, Encore Beach Club, Wet Republic, and Hakkasan, and all the people who made this such a memorable experience, I might have to come back every Labor Day long weekend. Was short and sweet and jam packed with excitement.