By Jacquelynn D Powers, Photographs: Francis George

ife is one big party for Rande Gerber, a post-high school bacchanalia in which he married the homecoming queen (Cindy Crawford) and still pals around with the cool crowd (Brad Pitt and George Clooney). It has been four years since Gerber (a nightlife player with 20-plus watering holes under his belt) transported this hip lifestyle to Las Vegas with The Whiskey at Green Valley Ranch. Further proof that he is still living the dream is the not-quite-verified hotel casino- condo combo that Rande, 43, and his friends (including Pitt, as architect, and Clooney, as suave host) plan to erect somewhere in Sin City. Despite my best attempts, Rande would not divulge many details about this new project— even after the story was broken in "Page Six" of the New York Post. Perhaps it is that clique mentality coming through, but this soon-to-be-hotelier is intent on keeping the plans as secret as possible.

However, it is known that Pitt and Clooney (Vegas regulars themselves and the co-stars of Ocean's Elevenand Twelve) intend to create an upscale, hip, exclusive hotel, casino, spa and condo tower (perhaps towers?) in the next year with Gerber. Insiders describe it as a five-star, 25-acre, $3 billion project that may also include Matt Damon. "My friends and I have talked about it for two years," Rande reluctantly explains. "We want to do a great hotel, something more discreet than what typically happens. It's going to be very different from anything that currently exists in Vegas." Okay, we're finally making some progress. Different how, I press on? No dice: "If it got out sooner than we wanted there would be a lot of interest. Not everyone is prepared to answer all the questions right now." So that's it–his celebrity friends are just too busy to discuss this project. After all, Brad has been coping with viral meningitis and a torrid love affair with Angelina Jolie.

"My interest is in building something comfortable," Gerber continues, "a place I want to be. We did that at Green Valley Ranch, which is why I'm always there with my friends. It gives everyone what they want from Vegas without having to deal with the big, themed glitz. It's so chaotic on the Strip with those huge hotels." The Whiskey, located seven miles away, in Henderson, is anything but formulaic. Instead, it is an oasis for black-clad, hipster locals who adore cutting-edge music and an authentic nightlife experience. Rande, who has a frat boy's enthusiasm despite being a father of two kids, amazingly still taps into that indie spirit at Green Valley Ranch–as well as at his other hotspots in New York, Boston, L.A., Chicago, New Orleans, Houston and Mexico City.

At The Whiskey complex, guests can sprawl out poolside and chain-smoke, dance with wild abandon inside or even attend an outdoor concert. "People don't stop," Gerber notes. "They are up until 7 a.m., whether they are at the casinos or the clubs. People come to Vegas for one reason: Some people gamble, but it's mostly about the nightlife. It's a perfect place to let loose. You can do things that you can't in most other cities without getting arrested. No one wants to sleep; they're up for 48 hours. I know a few people who never see their hotel rooms. I'm happy if people dance on the furniture. They get up on the bar and dance, too. Las Vegas is like no other place in the world."

Yes, but all that couch-gyrating can't be too good for the décor, which is why Gerber recently renovated the joint with the help of über design firm Yabu Pushelberg. Originally spruced up by Michael Czysz (Lenny Kravitz's frequent collaborator), the redesign features an enhanced dance floor and sexy outdoor nooks, which are perfect for conversation and canoodling. "The hotel added another 300 rooms and pool area. While they were going through the renovation, I thought, Why not give back? It would be nice to change my place around, too. We brought the dance floor and its energy into the bar area. And we made the DJ booth more prominent. The DJ is the maestro. He overlooks the entire crowd and keeps them dancing all night. It's not your typical Top 40, hip-hop music. People seem to love it."

So what is a good night at The Whiskey, then? "The greatest time is when 300 people are here," he answers. "Yeah, we've packed them in with 800, but I like it with half that number. It's not overcrowded. It has really turned into a great locals' place. It's the same crowd every weekend. We get a few people from the Strip, people who know my places. The right local people come here. Celebrities, too." Even Clooney celebrated his 44th birthday at The Whiskey four months ago. "We had a good time," Rande recalls. "He spent the weekend. We spend a lot of time here. Everybody knows that they are going to be taken care of when they come to my place. Celebrities always come back because we don't talk about them. You're not going to read about them the next day–at least not from my employees. They feel protected."

Gerber, who lives with his wife and children in L.A., enjoys the scene so much that he visits Vegas a few times a month ...

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