Disneyland is not the happiest place on earth, at least according to Jessica Buckmaster. “Me and a girlfriend came out here during spring break our senior year of college,” she recalls. “We fell in love with Las Vegas and thought ‘Wow, this is the happiest place on earth!’” About a month after graduation, they moved to town. That was eight years ago. Today, Buckmaster says, “working and living in Las Vegas has literally given me everything in every possible way. It’s given me a career all these years. I’ve made my best friends. I love it here.”
Careerwise, Buckmaster is enjoying her eighth season with The Venetian and The Palazzo. She started out as a cocktail server on the casino floor, graveyard shift, but as soon as summer rolled around she moved outdoors to The Palazzo’s upscale pool club—this year, the pool club was rebranded as The Aquatic Club—where she’s the lead cocktail server.
“There’s a lot of great things about this particular venue that makes me proud to work here,” says the Ohio native. “Our job is to befriend our guests. We don’t have huge DJs; people don’t come here for that. We have repeat customers because of the experience that we’re able to give them. Some guests feel like family.”
For Buckmaster, it’s not just a job—it’s a pleasure working in a position that, year after year, she has cherished. “You can make a wonderful living and when the expiration happens for walking around in a bikini, you know that it was beneficial that you were able to do it all these years. I didn’t come from much, so this is amazing. It’s given me everything I have.” The happiest place on earth, indeed. –Kiko Miyasato
Tee Time
Tee Time
As part of The Aquatic Club’s new feel, a specialty cocktail menu was created, too. The ambience and décor of the pool club’s image is a throwback to the popularity of posh country clubs, where guests played tennis and rounds of golf … and of course, imbibed delicious cocktails, like the Tee Time. All eyes will turn your way when you sip this cocktail, which is served inside a hollowed-out watermelon. The fresh and lightly sweetened treat is mixed with Absolut Lime vodka, Pok Pok Som ginger vinegar, fresh watermelon juice, fresh lime and mint.
