Although it shares a name with the Los Angeles club, the Las Vegas LAX is a whole different beast, one fit to do battle in the city’s ever-evolving nightclub scene.

Entering LAX is a spectacle unto itself, with two gothic-style gates on either side of another secretive hotspot (we’ll let you find out the secrets of that one on your own) leading to dark, blue-lit stairwells that evoke visions of a landing strip at night. Seriously. That wasn’t an attempt at wit, take a look for yourself and try to describe it better.

Once you’re up the stairs, LAX takes its sweet time unfolding. There’s a giant, round, red-leather-padded thing in the center of that first room, hiding Noir Bar (all right, fine, secret’s out) below. Then it’s a little bit more of a walk (watch out for low ceilings – there’s only so much architectural creativity that can take place inside a building shaped like a pyramid) and LAX is laid out in all its glory. Normally that would sound like a load of hyperbole, but LAX lives up to the hype.

The club is two levels, colored in dark reds and accented with more gothic-style touches, much like the entrance gates. It’s something out of a dark, sexy castle or a cathedral where maybe mass is still given in Latin and always sounds a little dangerous.

On the first level, a dance floor winds its way through VIP seating, while a DJ booth sits slightly elevated, centered against a wall. The second level houses more VIP seating (in just about any flavor you want – table, loft, room, etc.) and it’s pretty clear that no expense was spared in the club’s creation. Heavy, red drapes fall over the entrances to certain VIP areas and black, leather couches look more inviting than any pew ever did. Most of these areas come equipped with a fridge and locking cabinet for beverage and purse storage, respectively.

A giant, sweeping staircase connects the two levels and makes it pretty effortless to make a great entrance. There are four bars for easy-access imbibing and a top-of-the-line sound and lighting system, the likes of which hasn’t been seen before in the states, or so we’re told.

At 26,000 square feet, LAX is a little smaller than its sister club, Pure, at Caesars Palace (which measures 40,000 square feet), but there’s plenty of room for everyone – including a whole slew of celebrity investors (like Christina Aguilera and DJ AM).

There’s a lot more that could be said about LAX, but there are only so many ways to say “awesome” and before this devolves into a pun-filled mess, it’s easier to just wrap things up and implore you not to miss your boarding call. (Who could resist? It’s so easy.)