Press & Media

Nick Karel
Featured in Las Vegas

Television interviews and independent editorial coverage recognizing Nick Karel as a lead master barber at The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

News 3 Las Vegas

The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails at The Cosmopolitan

On July 11, 2023, News 3 Las Vegas invited Nick Karel into the studio as the venue's lead barber to discuss this hidden Las Vegas Strip destination.

Aired July 11, 2023 · 3 minutes 22 seconds

Interview summary

News 3 introduces Nick Karel from The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Nick explains that he has worked there since the venue opened and describes its concept: a working barbershop paired with an evening cocktail lounge and nightly entertainment.

Nick also shares how he began cutting hair at age ten in Eastlake, Ohio, after his mother gave him and his brother a set of clippers. By the time of this interview, he had been cutting hair professionally in Las Vegas for nine years. He tells News 3 that helping clients feel better about themselves is what makes the work meaningful to him.

Nick KarelLas Vegas barberMaster barberThe CosmopolitanMen's haircutsStraight-razor shaves
View the original News 3 story →

Watch the interview here →
Read the full video transcript

Editorial note: This transcript is reproduced verbatim from the supplied transcription file. Its opening line renders Nick Karel's surname as “Carroll.” The guest featured in the segment is Nick Karel.

00:00:00:07 - 00:00:11:05
Speaker 1
Nick Carroll, everybody from barbershop cuts and cocktails over the cosmopolitan on the beautiful Las Vegas Strip. You guys have been around for four years. Have you been there at Cuts and Cocktails the whole time?

00:00:11:06 - 00:00:12:01
Speaker 2
Yes, I have.

00:00:12:02 - 00:00:14:24
Speaker 1
So were you one of the inventors of this thing?

00:00:14:25 - 00:00:18:02
Speaker 2
I wouldn't call it the inventor, but I've definitely been there since the beginning.

00:00:18:03 - 00:00:28:17
Speaker 1
So what was the concept? The bunch of guys sitting in a room going, what were we going to do? Is have a barbershop in the front and a cocktail lounge in the back. Is that the genesis of the whole thing?

00:00:28:18 - 00:00:33:11
Speaker 2
Yeah, we really wanted to provide a nice atmosphere for not just a cut, but also entertainment.

00:00:33:12 - 00:00:40:00
Speaker 1
Okay, so people are coming in and in the barbershops open from like 10 a.m. until when? Into the early evening? Yes.

00:00:40:02 - 00:00:42:04
Speaker 2
We'll actually go all the way until about 10 p.m..

00:00:42:05 - 00:00:48:00
Speaker 1
So you go 10 to 10 on the barbershop side of it. But the cocktail lounge is not open all day, right?

00:00:48:06 - 00:00:50:21
Speaker 2
No, we don't open up the lounge until 6 p.m..

00:00:50:23 - 00:00:52:27
Speaker 1
6 p.m.. And you have live music there too, right?

00:00:52:28 - 00:01:07:19
Speaker 2
Yes. Correct. So at about 10 p.m., we'll have a live band that goes on nightly. We do things from our all request Sundays. We have our faded karaoke on Tuesdays, and we even do Wild West Wednesdays to try to offer a nice options for people, you.

00:01:07:19 - 00:01:11:06
Speaker 1
Know, is anybody getting their hair cut right before they go into the lounge?

00:01:11:12 - 00:01:19:21
Speaker 2
Yeah, we actually have people that specifically will try to book their appointments just before the lounge opens, so they could directly go from the barbershop to the lounge.

00:01:19:28 - 00:01:21:06
Speaker 1
They want to look good.

00:01:21:07 - 00:01:21:14
Speaker 2
Yeah.

00:01:21:17 - 00:01:22:28
Speaker 1
There's going to be girls in the lounge.

00:01:23:00 - 00:01:24:04
Speaker 2
Enjoy a craft.

00:01:24:07 - 00:01:36:11
Speaker 1
Craft cocktail, and now you got a good, fresh haircut. So you've been cutting hair professionally in Las Vegas for nine years. Correct. But you got your start cutting hair when you were ten years old. How did this happen?

00:01:36:12 - 00:01:47:26
Speaker 2
Well, my mother got us a set of clippers for me and my brother, and she said, hey, you know, figure it out. You guys are going to cut your own hair. I'm not taking you to the to the shops anymore. And, you know, it's time for you guys to learn how to do it yourself.

00:01:47:27 - 00:01:50:22
Speaker 1
You got to be kidding me. So where did you grow up? What city was this?

00:01:50:23 - 00:01:52:15
Speaker 2
I grew up in East Lake, Ohio.

00:01:52:15 - 00:01:59:21
Speaker 1
So was this. Was this something that you had an interest in, or was your mom going, I'm tired of paying for haircuts. I'm going to have you kids figure it out.

00:01:59:22 - 00:02:09:10
Speaker 2
I would say a little bit of both. It probably started out with her saying, I'm tired of paying for haircuts. And then it kind of took from there me taking on the interest of having the Clippers and really kind of fine tune in that.

00:02:09:11 - 00:02:28:07
Speaker 1
That's a lot of trust, because I have a brother who's five years older, and if he was to cut my hair, I have no doubt he would have tried to make it look as bad as possible. But your 13 year old brother, when you were ten was also cutting your hair? Yes. So he knew that if he was going to cut your hair bad, you were going to do the same to him.

00:02:28:07 - 00:02:30:11
Speaker 1
So you guys try to do your best work on each other?

00:02:30:14 - 00:02:33:27
Speaker 2
Yes. We had a couple of times we might have went to school with a bald head, you know.

00:02:33:29 - 00:02:34:28
Speaker 3
Oh no way.

00:02:34:29 - 00:02:40:05
Speaker 2
But, you know, over time, we definitely learned how to perfect and make each other happy with the cuts we did.

00:02:40:07 - 00:02:44:10
Speaker 1
So you got to actually perfect your craft a little bit when you were just a young boy.

00:02:44:11 - 00:02:46:16
Speaker 2
Yes. I definitely picked up an interest for it. Young.

00:02:46:18 - 00:02:56:05
Speaker 1
Okay. And where does this interest in is followed you. You'd think maybe you were forced into it by your mom. Maybe you'd hate cutting hair, but it turned out to be the opposite. You really enjoy it?

00:02:56:07 - 00:03:09:17
Speaker 2
Yes, yes, I do, actually. I go to work. I make people feel good about themselves daily, and it really actually makes me feel good to see somebody changing themselves from the moment they come to the to the shop, sit in the chair to the moment they get out the chair and.

00:03:09:19 - 00:03:14:29
Speaker 1
Barbershop cuts and cocktails. You can't have a cocktail though before you go to work. That would be bad.

00:03:15:01 - 00:03:15:29
Speaker 2
Yeah, that might not.

00:03:15:29 - 00:03:18:03
Speaker 3
Be that. Not over.

00:03:18:03 - 00:03:20:21
Speaker 1
At the cosmopolitan open daily. Right? Seven days a week.

00:03:20:22 - 00:03:22:01
Speaker 2
Correct. Seven days a week.

The summary is original editorial copy. The transcript is supplied verbatim. The video and its copyright belong to News 3 Las Vegas / KSNV.

Independent Coverage

Selected as a voice on barbering in Las Vegas.

These publications have interviewed or featured Nick for his craft, training, industry perspective, and work at The Cosmopolitan.

Modern Barber

Speakeasy Style Barbershop Interior

August 22, 2023

Modern Barber interviewed Nick about learning his trade at Masterpiece Barber College, apprenticing at Cutting Edge, keeping pace with changing styles, and serving clients from around the world on the Las Vegas Strip. Nick also discusses why he sees barbering as both a craft and a form of art.

Read at Modern Barber →

Las Vegas Magazine

Vegas at Home: Nick Karel

April 15, 2020

Las Vegas Magazine featured Nick as the master barber at The Cosmopolitan's Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails. In the accompanying video, he demonstrates practical beard-trimming techniques for readers caring for their beards at home.

View at Las Vegas Magazine →

Las Vegas Magazine

A unique night out at The Cosmopolitan

September 30, 2022

In a profile of The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails, Las Vegas Magazine quotes Nick Karel as head barber and manager. He describes the friendly shop experience and the barbershop's connection to the concealed speakeasy beyond it.

Read at Las Vegas Magazine →

News 3 Las Vegas

Stylish trims and more

September 15, 2023

News 3 returned to The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails for a follow-up feature on the destination's stylish trims and hidden nightlife experience, again featuring Nick Karel in his role as lead barber.

Visit News 3 video coverage →

1883 Magazine

5 Best Barbers in Las Vegas

July 23, 2026

1883 Magazine placed Nick Karel at #1 in its 2026 roundup of the five best barbers in Las Vegas, highlighting his precision cuts, custom shaves, attention to detail, and loyal clientele.

Read at 1883 Magazine →
Book the experience

Take Nick's chair at The Cosmopolitan.

Check Nick Karel's live availability for a precision haircut, fade, beard service, or straight-razor shave in Las Vegas.

Book an appointment