Kevin Vanderet is a big fan of downtown Las Vegas. It’s where he lives and it’s where he works—as a bartender at the Golden Nugget’s 21-and-over pool club, The Hideout.

“It’s more laid-back downtown. It’s more old-school Las Vegas,” said the Illinois native.

“The environment we have here, at Golden Nugget, I feel, is valuable,” he said. “(It) has every amenity that you need, you don’t really need to leave the property to enjoy what Vegas has to offer.” One standout in those amenities would be The Hideout, where Vanderet bartends. The pool club is an intimate escape, with some of the “best bottle prices around,” said Vanderet. “It won’t cost you a car payment to buy and enjoy a bottle of alcohol here.”

One of the main reasons Vanderet became a bartender was interacting with guests. “I enjoy being around people, meeting new people,” he said. That enthusiasm makes him a good source for visitors—he’s always able to suggest places to go and give advice on vacationing in the city

Vanderet has high praise for the bartending and server team that he’s worked alongside for the past five years. “We have the best staff,” he said. “We’ve all worked here a long time—the whole team works so hard to provide good service to the guests.

Rum Punch

Rum Punch

“For what I do as a career, and bartending at the Nugget and the type of lifestyle living in downtown Vegas provides me—I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Rum Punch

The Hideout offers quite an expansive menu for a poolside bar, Vanderet said, with frozen drinks, mixed cocktails, bottle service and various beers. “We offer some great pool cocktails,” said Vanderet. “We also offer a nice beer selection, more than 20 labels, in pint size and reasonably priced. We offer a summer shandy, flavored beers and great IPAs.” Also on the cocktail menu are skinny drinks, various-flavored mojitos, sangria and even cases of beer and bottle service. A fan favorite is the Rum Punch—Bacardi Pineapple Fusion rum, pineapple and orange juices, a splash of grenadine and a squeeze of lime.