Rehab

Rehab was a pool party event held from 2004 to 2018, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada, near the Las Vegas Strip. Rehab popularized the pool party concept in Las Vegas, leading other resorts to begin offering their own versions. Its success also spawned a reality television series, Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel, which aired from 2008 to 2010. Description Rehab was similar to a spring break party, and each event featured DJ music. Rehab also featured live performances throughout its history, from musicians such as Akon, Snoop Dogg, Drake, Lil Wayne, Lady Gaga, Deadmau5, Pauly D, and Psy. Aside from the cost of admission, alcohol and cabanas were offered for additional costs. Rehab parties were held on Sundays. The event operated during warm seasons, usually starting in April. It would typically end each year in October, depending on the weather. History Before Rehab was launched, the Hard Rock Hotel pool was not open to the public and was only accessible to resort guests. In 2004, Chad Pallas, the director of nightlife for the Hard Rock, was looking for ways to keep the resort popular. He focused on improving the pool area and got the idea for Rehab after having one of his weekly boat parties on Lake Mead. Pallas later said, "It was the greatest time ever to get out there in that cheap pontoon boat and party during the day. I had just come home and was relaxing one day when I got a call from a girl who wanted to get a group of her friends into the resort pool. She said she couldn't just walk in, that they had grown more strict, yet I was going to meetings where we were complaining that pool business was down." The pool area had sometimes hosted private concerts and special events. Pallas had seen Nikki Beach in Miami, but he was not certain that such an idea could work in Las Vegas, so adjustments were made to the concept to suit the locale. Pallas said about Rehab, "At first we made the mistake of thinking it was more of the electronic [music] scene, but the crowd that came showed us it was more of a Spring Break party scene." Rehab opened to the public on May 2, 2004, and Pallas hoped that the event could bring in revenue of $20,000 on its opening day. The first party proved to be successful, bringing in $90,000, and the event brought in profits of $1.5 million by the end of its first season in 2004. Following its initial success, the event returned the following year.