POOL PARTY SEASON

There is no other place in this world where so many people display such a complete and enthusiastic disdain for time and temperature as do locals and visitors to Las Vegas. Take hotel pools for example. Pools used to be a place to go, catch some sun, splash around a little, then change for dinner. A flower shirt, flip-flops, a trashy novel and an air mattress pretty much completed the look.

Not here. Pools are nightclubs. Pools are ultra lounges. Pools are even recovery rooms after you wake up from a tour of the nightclubs and ultra lounges. But only a handful have the design, music and secret sauce to qualify as true Vegas party pools. Check out our picks for the top pool parties in Vegas.

Rehab at the Hard Rock Hotel: This is the new king of the pool party scene in Vegas and it is the biggest weekly gathering of hard bodies, beautiful people and skin this town has ever seen in the daylight. Hard Rock realized what we had envisioned for summer Vegas... after a hard weekend of nightlife and entertainment, there's nothing better than the healing powers of the sun. Music, creative libations and lots of sun to bake out the hangovers from the weekend before everyone has to go home and begin the new work week. From noon to 9 p.m. every Sunday anyone can party at the renovated Hard Rock pool. The center island has been removed creating a great view from any angle in this three-acre lagoon. Cabanas are the best deal here, offering better drink service, misting systems and a place to escape the desert sun for a few minutes. Massages from the Rock Spa or munchies cooked up over an open flame from Pink Taco round out the menu. Swim up blackjack is a favorite diversion, but a soundtrack of jungle beats, rock and hip hop keep the hotties moving in and out of the water. You don't have to be a hotel guest to enjoy this party. Non-guests can pay a cover ($30 men, $20 for out-of-state women, $15 for local ladies) and partake. The Pool at the Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, 800.HRD.ROCK; info@hrhvegas.com.

Skinny Dip Tuesdays at Skin at the Palms: The crew at the N9NE Group has outdone themselves again this year making the pool at the ultra-hip Palms Casino the place to be on Tuesdays from 9-11 p.m. Celebrities, exotic dancers, conventioneers and Vegas scene-sters converge on this 75,000-square foot pool zone to see and be seen. And there is plenty to see. Go-go dancers in bikinis shake it under rain showers in the middle of the pool, while dancers in knee-high boots perform a 70s retro show inside huge inflated plastic bubbles. And if that wasn't enough, make time with the mermaids in the glass bottom pool. Dress shirts and slacks mingle with clubwear and flip flops here. A roving cameraman may capture you grooving to residents DJ R.O.B. and DJ Hollywood, broadcasting your image live on a 30 foot wall above the action, while lasers criss-cross just above the crowd. This party makes a great warm up before you hit the late night dance clubs like ICE meta-club for "RICH"...Skin at the Palms Casino, 4321 W. Flamingo Road; 702.938.999; info@n9negroup.com.

Moorea Ultra Beach Lounge at Mandalay Bay: South Beach meets Vegas ultra lounge at this hipper-than-hip action at the Mandalay Bay pool. Already one of the coolest pools in town for its wave machine, this is the part of the Mandalay Bay pool that is topless during the day. That energy continues into the evening as this European-style pool converts to a tropical paradise with scented candles floating in the pool. The action takes place on two tiers, with a handful of cabanas, red chaise lounges and luxurious daybeds to create a sumptuous lounge feel. The party starts at 10 p.m. and goes to the wee hours. Dance and drink under the stars. Moorea Ultra Beach Lounge at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd., So.; 877.632.7800.