Vegas is a fickle beast. We spent years cultivating themes up and down Las Vegas Boulevard – a pirate ship here, a pyramid there – and then, all of the sudden, themes were old news. Every hot spot became just another mish-mash of shiny technology and sleek lines.

That is, until Tao opened in September 2005. Located near the Strip-side entrance of The Grand Canal Shoppes in the Venetian, Tao was most certainly themed – it was an Asian-influenced nightclub in the heart of Sin City.

Since Tao's opening, there's been a rotating door of clubs trying to out-Tao Tao, but it never works. Tao always attracts some of the biggest celebrities, throws some of the most outlandish parties and continues to build their name in Vegas, opening up Tao Beach in 2007, which serves as a poolside extension of the nightclub.

But what is it about Tao that keeps it on top?

First, there's that whole theme thing. By unabashedly going for it as far as décor was concerned, Tao is able to present a setting that looks nothing like most of the other clubs you've ever been in.

The front entrance is lined with bathtubs filled with rose petals and women and the lights are immediately changed from garish casino mall lighting to subdued reddish mood lighting.

The first floor (which is where you enter) serves as Tao's lounge and restaurant area. Before it converts over into a nightclub, Tao spends its days serving up Kobe beef and giant fortune cookies under a giant Buddha statue to celebrities like Kelly Clarkson and Sarah Michelle Gellar (and hundreds of others – just about every weekend someone you've heard of is seen eating at Tao).

The lounge area also brings in the crowds, as it opens its doors on nights when the club isn't going (it's open on clubs days, too, though).

Together, the dining area and lounge take up a sizable space that you could almost mistake for the club itself, but there's actually a lot more to Tao. A staircase off to the side of the lounge's bar takes you up to the club area, which is a whole different (and massive space).

In fact, one of the coolest features in Tao is the number of ways you can experience it.

Kara Lewis, director of marketing for Tao Bistro, Nightclub and Beach, sums it up – "Versatility is the advantage," Lewis said. "We have the ability to provide an intimate dinner for two in our restaurant, cocktails in the lounge, VIP table service in the nightclub for larger groups, or use of the entire venue for private events for up to 3,000 people."

And within the different sections, there's versatility, too. The nightclub has different rooms and areas that play distinct music styles and create several different vibes all under the umbrella of Tao Nightclub. Even the different bars in the venue have separate themes – including one of the most unique bars in Sin City, complete with hundreds of Buddhas and candles.

Depending on where you are, you can watch a go-go dancer on an elevated platform, watch the dance floor pulsate with a mass of bodies or shut it all out and hole up in a VIP booth.

It's admittedly a little intimidating, with so much going on and so many people, but if you remind yourself that, like you, everyone's there to have a good time. And if it gets too scary? Just have a look at the space you're in – it's all very Zen and you should be, too.

– Review by Jamie Helmick