Planet Hollywood’s Pleasure Pool boosts attendance with weekly bikini contest

Looking for a way to stand out in the Vegas pool party scene, managers at Planet Hollywood's Pleasure Pool decided to try a weekly bikini contest.

Sure, other pool venues host them but few do it once a week, offering cash prizes to the winner and runner-up. And few lead up to a final event with a grand prize of $5,000 cash, a cocktail waitressing job and a professional photo shoot.

But the contest, at 4 p.m. Saturdays, has taken on a life of its own, says pool manager Rocky Bloss. Turnout has been bigger than expected. And now, there's a Pleasure Pool calendar in the works featuring all of the winners.

"We thought it would be big," Bloss says. "And we thought it would be good but this is beyond our expectations. It has become huge. We have an enormous amount of people show up around 3:30 p.m. just for the contest."

On weekends, average attendance is between 1,500 and 1,700. The venue's capacity is 1,700, Bloss says.

"We know that it's really hard to compete with the Rehabs, the Wet Republics out there," Bloss says. "But we think we've found our niche, with our focus on Harrah's Entertainment guests and trying to get the locals in here."

Bloss says they try to appeal to locals by keeping costs low.

Cover charge is waived for local women and guests of Harrah's properties. Local men get in free during the week and pay $10 for admission Fridays through Sundays. Cover charge for everyone else is $10 for women and $20 for men.

Cabanas, which can cost thousands of dollars at other venues, start at $350 at Pleasure Pool, Bloss says. And that includes a bottle of liquor.

Even the misting daybeds come with free drinks. The double bed, for two, costs $100 and includes two drinks. The single misting chair costs $25 and includes one cocktail.

If you attend, you'll find all the typical pool party trappings at Pleasure Pool, including guest and celebrity DJs on the weekends, special events and contests.

Reservations for cabanas and misting beds and chairs are recommended, Bloss says, but there's plenty of free seating, available on a first come, first served basis.

The pool is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For information and reservations, call 785-9106.

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@review
journal.com or 702-380-4564.