Victor Drai

This is a photograph of Victor Drai.

Victor Drai - Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times Magazine

Victor Drai (born July 25, 1947) is known as a businessman, club owner, and film producer.

Drai is owner of Drai's Hollywood in Hollywood, Ca. and Drai's After Hours inside Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon (formerly Barbary Coast) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Drai is co-owner of XS nightclub at Encore, Tryst nightclub inside Wynn Las Vegas and Botero restaurant inside Encore Las Vegas.

Drai has been dubbled the “father of the Las Vegas after-hours scene” by Las Vegas Review-Journal celebrity columnist Norm Clarke.

Drai delivered several hit movies as a premier movie producer, including “The Woman in Red” – the 1984 romantic comedy starring Gene Wilder, Kelly LeBrock, Gilda Radner and Charles Grodin. Drai followed that with such popular films as “The Man with One Red Shoe,” “Folks!,” “The Bride” and the “Weekend at Bernie’s” blockbuster movies.

Drai was born in Casablanca, Morocco, before moving to Paris, France at a young age. Drai later immigrated to the United States from Paris to begin his business career and ventures.

During one of his trips from the U.S. to Paris, Drai had a chance meeting with legendary actress Jacqueline Bisset, igniting a long friendship and paving his way for a new career in the entertainment industry.

Concurrent with his success in film he opened several successful restaurants, including his flagship, Drai’s, in 1993 in California, setting the stage for a new beginning.

In 1997, Drai left Hollywood for Las Vegas and opened one of the hottest restaurants in town. It was appropriately called Drai’s on the Strip.

Two years later, Drai would add a nightclub element to his restaurant, transforming it into Drai’s After Hours. The club’s 1 a.m. to early morning schedule helped make it the first after-hours venue in Sin City. The venue celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2010.

Drai added XS nightclub and Botero restaurant - both at Encore - to his stable in December 2008. And both have become international hits, particularly XS. The 40,000-square foot mega-club was named Mega-Club of the Year and New Club of the year in February 2010 in the Nightclub & Bar magazine's awards competition.

XS was also named the No. 1 nightclub in the country in Nightclub & Bar magazine's annual Top 100 ranking in 2010. Sister club Tryst was fifth after finishing second in 2009, while Drai's After Hours jumped six spots from 22nd in 2009 to No. 16 this year.

Drai, who along with managing parterns Jesse Waits and Cy Waits were named Operators of the Year at the Nightclub & Bar Magazine Convention & Trade Show in 2009, said his secret to success in the nightclub world is simple - "do it right, do it brilliant and the sky is the limit."

Drai's latest venture - Drai's Hollywood - opened in March 2010 and is located at the new W Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, Ca.