Vinyl Room: Las Vegas Gets a Listening-Lounge Nightclub on the 63rd Floor of Mandalay Bay

The Foundation Room closes after 26 years and this summer a 1970s Japanese listening-lounge concept takes its place, with thousands of vinyl albums, panoramic Strip views, and a completely different philosophy about what a Las Vegas nightclub can be.

A Storied Space Reimagined: From Foundation Room to Vinyl Room

The 63rd floor of Mandalay Bay has been one of the most coveted nightlife locations on the Las Vegas Strip since the Foundation Room opened in March 1999. For more than 26 years the venue held private concerts, exclusive member events, and Strip-view gatherings that remained largely inaccessible to most Las Vegas visitors. When Foundation Room closed in fall 2025, it left behind a space with sweeping sightlines over the entire southern Strip and a legacy of hosting artists and guests who appreciated a quieter, more intimate kind of Las Vegas evening.

The replacement concept is called Vinyl Room, and it represents a genuine departure from the room's recent identity. Where Foundation Room was a private club defined by exclusivity and an eclectic, somewhat theatrical aesthetic, Vinyl Room is being built around a 1970s Japanese listening-lounge sensibility: warm lighting, soft furnishings, vinyl music as the organizing principle, and an atmosphere that is intimate without being restrictive. The venue is operated by Live Nation in partnership with MGM Resorts International, a pairing that brings serious music-industry resources to the concept.

The walls of Vinyl Room pay homage to artists with 40 or more years of Las Vegas performance history, including an Aerosmith montage connected to the band's Park MGM residency history. The design includes low-slung serpentine banquettes and sculptural lounge chairs in warm tones, an overall atmosphere closer to a serious record collector's living room than a traditional Strip nightclub. A sister venue under the same name opened in 2026 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, giving the concept two anchor locations on the West Coast.

The Experience: Albums, Turntables, and a Different Kind of Sound

The premise at Vinyl Room is straightforward: thousands of vinyl albums spanning the 1970s through the 2000s are displayed throughout the venue, and the music played in the room is drawn from that collection using turntables and vinyl decks. This is not a digital playlist piped through a PA system. It is a format that asks guests to engage with music as something more than atmospheric noise, to notice what is playing, to have a reason to talk about it.

The listening-lounge concept traces its roots to Japanese kissa culture of the mid-20th century, where dedicated listening bars were built around carefully curated record collections and high-quality speaker systems. The idea was that music deserved to be heard properly, with attention and intention. Vinyl Room is translating that concept into a Las Vegas nightlife setting, which is genuinely unusual territory for a city whose club culture has historically been defined by high-decibel EDM and festival-scale production values.

The panoramic Strip views from the 63rd-floor terrace remain one of Vinyl Room's most compelling features. Looking north from Mandalay Bay on a clear night, the view takes in the Luxor pyramid and its beam, the towers of CityCenter, the Bellagio fountains, and the Spring Mountains behind the valley. It is one of the few vantage points in Las Vegas where you can see the full geography of the Strip laid out at once, and the terrace design takes full advantage of that perspective.

What to Drink and What to Eat

The cocktail program at Vinyl Room is built around music-inspired names and well-considered flavor profiles. The Golden Years, named after the David Bowie track, and House of the Rising Sun, referencing the Animals classic, are among the signature drinks on the opening menu. The food program leans into playful fusion with a Japanese-American influence: Sushi Tots, Chili Crunch Chicken Wings, and Taiyaki, the Japanese fish-shaped cake dessert, are among the items being prepared.

The menu is designed for the listening-lounge format, which means shareable, easy to eat while seated in low lounge chairs, and flavorful enough to complement a long evening of conversation and music without requiring the full attention of a restaurant meal. This is food in service of an experience rather than the centerpiece of the visit.

Custom cocktail programs and private bars can be arranged for events, and the venue operates seven days a week with late-night entertainment programming extending through the early hours of the morning. That schedule makes Vinyl Room workable for a range of occasions: a date night, a small group celebration, or a different kind of evening out in a city that sometimes makes it hard to have an actual conversation without competing with a DJ at full volume.

Membership, Access, and Getting on the List

Like the Foundation Room before it, Vinyl Room offers an annual membership option that provides consistent access and a set of perks for regular visitors. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, memberships start at $2,000 per year and include unlimited guest visits, a dedicated private entrance, included food service, and a reserved lounge within the venue that is exclusive to members. Former Foundation Room members may have the option to transfer to Vinyl Room membership at a grandfathered rate.

Membership is not required to visit. The venue accepts walk-ins and reservations, making it accessible to tourists and locals who want to experience the concept without a long-term commitment. Given the venue's positioning as a listening lounge rather than a high-demand VIP nightclub, the door experience is expected to be considerably more relaxed than the guest-list-only environments that define the biggest Strip clubs on peak weekend nights.

Vinyl Room is expected to open this summer 2026. For anyone who has been looking for a different kind of Las Vegas nightlife experience, one that prioritizes music, atmosphere, and conversation over spectacle, this venue is worth getting on the list for. Get on the guest list and experience the Strip from 63 floors up.

Seven Things to Know Before Your First Visit to Vinyl Room

This is not a standard Las Vegas nightclub. Here is what makes the experience different and what to expect when you walk through the door.

1. It Opens This Summer: Vinyl Room is expected to open at Mandalay Bay in summer 2026. Check the venue's official calendar before planning your visit to confirm the exact date and any opening programming.
2. No Membership Required: Annual memberships are available starting at $2,000, but walk-ins and reservations are both welcome. You do not need to commit to anything long-term to visit.
3. The Music Is the Point: Unlike most Las Vegas venues where music is a backdrop, at Vinyl Room the vinyl collection and turntable playback are central to the experience. Come ready to actually engage with what is playing.
4. The Views Are Genuinely Remarkable: The 63rd-floor terrace at Mandalay Bay offers one of the most comprehensive views of the Las Vegas Strip available to the public, stretching from the southern end of the Strip to the northern casinos and the mountains beyond.
5. The Food Leans Japanese Fusion: Sushi Tots, Chili Crunch Chicken Wings, and Taiyaki are among the menu items. The food is designed for sharing and grazing in a lounge setting rather than as a formal meal.
6. Cocktails Are Music-Named: The Golden Years and House of the Rising Sun are among the signature drinks, named after classic songs from the era that inspired the venue's aesthetic.
7. Open Seven Days: Vinyl Room operates with late-night programming every day of the week, making it viable whether you are in Las Vegas on a Tuesday or a Saturday night.

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