As the first decade of the new millennium passes, it is clear that the global nightlife scene has realigned itself to be leaner and meaner than ever before. Many doors were shuttered over the past 18 months, leaving only the strong standing. This list includes the hottest, newest and best clubs for the year 2010. Some of them have just opened their doors and others are icons set to be revived, but one thing is for sure: These are the top 10 clubs for 2010, and if you're lucky enough to get into any of them, you can be sure that you’re in for a good night.
No.10 - Rex Club
Paris
A Parisian party scene landmark, Rex Club was the first mega dance club in France to bring in major techno and electronica DJs. Now approaching its 20th year, Rex Club has one of the most impressive lineups of acts coming through its doors for the next 12 months of any club in the world. There is a reason this club has stayed at the top: it’s all about the music.
No.9 - Juliet Supperclub
New York City
The kind of place you only hear about, Juliet Supperclub opened in October of 2009 with the help of super-chef Todd English and the minds behind two of New York City’s hottest clubs of the last decade, Lotus and Greenhouse. Located behind a black door on a barren stretch of West 21st Street in Chelsea, the Juliet Supperclub is fast becoming the playground for Eastern European billionaires, wafer-thin models and everyone else you wish you could party with. The scene is described as “the same crowd as Pink Elephant three years ago,” and if you know what that means, you know how good it is.
No.8 - Guzel
Athens
The party scene in Athens has really picked up in the past few years -- but not without the help of Guzel. Guzel is a massively chic club with a massively chic door policy, so only the pretty ones are allowed in to their now-epic Sunday night hip-hop parties. The club is all about luxury and decadence, and don’t be surprised to see the Greek girl of your dreams dancing on a table (things have been known to get pretty wild inside Guzel).
No.7 - Wall at the W Hotel
Miami
It's a town known for its nightlife, so you have to do something big to get noticed in Miami. Wall at the W in South Beach did just that: It brought together more than a few legendary Miami club owners and set out to build the hottest dance club on the strip. Mission accomplished. Since its opening, the Wall has risen to the pinnacle of the Miami social scene, and this dark and sexy locale is on a meteoric rise to clubland-legend status. Don’t expect to get in there cheap, though: the emphasis is placed squarely on the table-holders.
No.6 - Razzmattazz
Barcelona
What would Barcelona be without a new, epic club? Located in the heart of one of Europe’s greatest cities, Razzmattazz is everything to everyone. It is a true mega-club with five different rooms playing five types of music -- it can be luxurious and lounge-like in one room and have a full-on rave going on in another. This Barcelona hot spot can be only be described as “authentic freedom.”
No.5 - Collage
Stockholm
Collage is Stockholm's greatest entrant into luxury dining and partying of the past 10 years. A full-fledged luxury club sitting atop a five-star restaurant in the heart of downtown Stockholm is something you have to see to believe. The club boasts two independent DJ booths, which at times play with each other and at other times battle, and can set totally different moods for their respective sections of the dance floor. Collage’s biggest claim to fame is its amazing outdoor garden, which -- during the summer months -- is filled with Sweden’s most beautiful people.
No.4 - Playhouse
Los Angeles
L.A. has almost as many clubs as it has cars on the road, so when a new one opens, there is little fanfare -- unless, of course, you are talking about Playhouse. Launched just six months ago, Playhouse has quickly become an uber-hot spot for celebrities and trustafarians alike. The club provides dozens of nooks and crannies where VIPs can drink in privacy, hook up or do anything they like without worrying about the prying eyes of the public. 2010 will be Playhouse's coming out party, and this L.A. club isn’t trying to overextend itself, either: it’s only open three days a week (Thursday, Friday and Saturday), with Thursday and Saturday being the biggest nights if you’re looking to land Lindsay Lohan on your lap.
No.3 - Merah
London
Just opened in October of 2009, Merah is set to be London’s hottest club in years. The tone for Merah is extreme decadence, and Vanity Fair asked if Merah was helping London to usher in a new era in clubbing. We think it is, with limousine service for those who purchase tables, door pickers straight from the legendary St. Tropez hot spot Les Caves du Roy, and what are touted as the best-looking patrons in town. Merah operates on a membership basis, but the public may enter for a fee, of course.
No.2 - LIV at the Fontainebleau Hotel
Miami
Set inside the legendary Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, LIV is 30,000 square feet of unadulterated fun. Fusing the concept of a luxurious lounge with a high-energy dance club, LIV is rumored to be the highest-grossing club in the world, and not because it is big, but because people there spend big. LIV is the definitive Miami nightlife experience -- there is nothing like it.
No.1 - The Boom Boom Room
New York City
Sitting atop the brand new Standard Hotel in New York City’s Meat Packing District, The Boom Boom Room opened in September 2009 and was instantly a favorite with models, designers and celebrities. Hailed as the rebirth of Studio 54, this 18th-floor penthouse club is all about mischief. While the main floor is where the party is, the second floor boasts a triangular hot tub right smack in the middle of it, and with regulars like Bar Refaeli, Penelope Cruz and Beyonce, we think that’s a very good thing. Unlike at Studio 54, the decision about who gains entry isn’t up to the doormen; with The Boom Boom Room, you need to be somebody and have a reservation. Either way, there is no hotter place to be in 2010 than The Boom Boom Room atop the Standard Hotel in NYC.