Have You Seen This Hotel Upgrade in Las Vegas? It’ll Make Your Jaw Drop
Written By: Erik Hale Palms in Las Vegas
One property in Las Vegas is currently the pound-for-pound leader in well-deserved hype but also possesses the most potential, Palms Casino Resort. No, not the Palms of your youth, not the one with the “the hot tub scene” in MTV’s “The Real World.” Not the Palms where you brought some “randoms” for drinks at Ghostbar all while sporting your sick new True Religions.
This Palms is all new, but even the word “New” doesn’t give justice to what is happening here. The word “new” is used all too often in Las Vegas and makes it seem like some new conglomerate has purchased the casino, slopped on a new coat of paint and replaced the carpet. Even better, “all new” usually comes with a name change. They kept the name, but everything else you remember has been blown up, ground into ashes and swept into the history bin. Discussing the “old” Palms in the same breath as the newest iteration is like discussing your high school girlfriend in front of your new bride’s parents. It probably won’t go over well and, unless they have met her, they probably won’t understand the reference.
When a resort property is revamped from the ground up, much like a new home, everything is new and shiny, and you get the keys to everything all at once. When you decide to build a new property inside the shell of the current one, it is more like trying to remodel every room in your house, while living there, cooking in the garage and 15 of your cousins staying in the guest bedrooms.
This past Memorial Day weekend, we were invited to tour the Palm’s latest additions and while the place is far from complete, you can see change everywhere. There is a dissected and suspended Tiger shark by Damien Hirst dominating the center bar and signs for Bobby Flay’s first-ever seafood and sushi concept on the wall. We decided that we were not seeing an incomplete project when we visited; we were seeing beautifully crafted portions of a six-course meal that was sure to satisfy.
Palms in Las Vegas
Aperitivo: The Art
The first course is the most important because this impression sets the tone for the entire meal. The healthy-sized portion of art delivered by the Palms only whets the appetite for everything else that will follow. There are so many valuable pieces of artwork at the Palms you could see that someday they may eclipse the combined value of the property. Creative Director Tal Cooperman has been instrumental in outfitting every corner of the resort in a wide variety of art. His talents of networking, taste and knowledge of street art seemed to coalesce into the perfect way to showcase his abilities, which transformed the Palm’s lobby, restaurants and rooms into an actual museum.
“We have curated an incredible collection of blue chip, contemporary and street art, which pop-up in every detail of the hotel,” Cooperman said. “Nowhere else can you have this type of experience while surrounded by this type of artwork. Every piece is a highly visual moment to capture and cause for conversation, which will continue to evolve as we rotate pieces and new works pop up.”
Pieces include those from the Frank and Lorenzo’s personal art collection such as Damien Hirst, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol alongside contemporary artists such as Adam Parker Smith, Jason REVOK, Eric Haze, Scott Hove, Felipe Pantone, James Jean, Timothy Curtis, Dustin Yellin, Takashi Murakami and KAWS.
Palms in Las Vegas
The Antipasto: The Lounges
Every person, every associated group, every vendor and seemingly every cocktail has been curated. The meal that will just make you hungrier for more are the stunningly beautiful lounges of Camden (lobby) and Apex (rooftop). Clique Hospitality has long been a nightlife force in Las Vegas and most recently in San Diego. The management team of Ryan Labbe and Jason “JRoc” Craig have experience creating spaces and it shows again here. “Where atmosphere and taste buds align” is how Labbe describes Camden. Their tableside cocktail program is memorable and the view of the Las Vegas strip from Apex is unforgettable; it fits what JRoc told us, “A good view never goes out of style.” Even paired during our weekend with the stylings of Nas and Rick Ross the lounges appear to fight for a starring role as the main course of this property.
The Primo: The Food
If you day drink, night drink, dance and gamble you are quite likely to get hungry. The Palms already has opened up the initial offerings and they are gorgeous. Lucky Penny is their traditional 24 hour Vegas coffee shop but elevated. They have a pho shop called Send Noodles and the incredibly gorgeous Scotch 80 Prime steakhouse replete with Basquiat art and a mouth-watering steak tartare. The restaurant also served recently as the post Stanley Cup Finals dinner for the Las Vegas Knights. Off-menu items not yet constructed but on the way include restaurants by Michael Symon and Marc Vetri, New York’s Vandal by Chef Chris Santos and a highly anticipated seafood concept by Bobby Flay.
The Secondo: The Night Club
The yet un-named “Mega Club” is coming soon and it is going to be a really big deal. Emphasis on the word “big.” The former home of Rain will become Tao Group’s Vandal and will clock in at 29,000 square feet inside and expand do a day/pool club totaling 73,000 square feet. Expect nightlife kings Jesse and Cy Waits to bring their impeccable vibe to the soon to be largest club in Las Vegas.
The Dolce: The Music
In the one weekend we visited, we were mere feet away from Nas, Rick Ross and for the opening residency show at The Pearl (an intimate 1,500-seat venue) of anthem band Blink 182. Already booked for the rest of the year are Halsey, Leon Bridges, Alanis Morissette and The Zac Brown Band.
Digestivo: The Rooms
The Palms were making rooms Instagrammable long before Instagram existed. There were rooms with bowling alleys, basketball courts and in-room pools that hung precariously off the edge of the hotel. “We’ve teamed with the very best partners, from our celebrity chefs, nightlife operators, artists, musicians and more, to provide our guests with an unparalleled entertainment experience,” said Jon Gray, General Manager of Palms Casino Resort. “We recently debuted the first phase of our $620M renovation and will soon be revealing our much anticipated remodeled Sky Villas and Suites which will provide an experience unlike anything else in Las Vegas.” The Fantasy Tower and Sky Villas are under a complete renovation by Bentel & Bentel to provide guests with some of the most luxurious accommodations in the world. The rooms will showcase artwork from acclaimed artists Thrush Holmes, Gary Stranger, Cody Hudson, Sandra Chevrier and Carlos Rolon. This transformation will be fully completed by fall of this year.
In an age where we all need to be everywhere and cool at once, the Palms is creating a resort where that can be accomplished without ever leaving their property. I can guarantee one thing, there will be no leftovers from this meal; you will want to eat everything they serve you.
Erik Hale is the visionary and publisher behind LOCALE Magazine. He launched the magazine in 2010, wanting to give the community of OC a premiere lifestyle magazine that knew all the native knowledge behind OC. “Six years ago Ashley and I sat at a table scratching the name LOCALE (among some other names) onto a sheet of paper,” says Erik, “coming up with story ideas and basically dreaming. Everything we imagined has happened and we have been blessed with so much more. I am so grateful as we start another year for my family, my two wonderful children, my health, our amazing writers, designers and photographers, our advertising partners and you.”
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Erik Halehttps://localemagazine.com/author/erik-hale/
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Erik Halehttps://localemagazine.com/author/erik-hale/
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Erik Halehttps://localemagazine.com/author/erik-hale/
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Erik Halehttps://localemagazine.com/author/erik-hale/