How The Palms Casino Is Leading The Way Towards The New Las Vegas



It's been almost twenty years since the Palms Casino and Resort opened in Las Vegas and, before the iconic attraction can reach the two-decade milestone, it's already up for a major update.

It's been almost twenty years since the Palms Casino and Resort opened in Las Vegas and, before the iconic attraction can reach the two-decade milestone, it's already up for a major update. When the ionic hotel first opened in 2001, the colossal property with over 1,300 rooms (one of which contains an entire bowling alley), it quickly became a fixture in pop culture's depiction of the entertainment capital of the world. When hoteliers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta acquired the resort for $312.5M in 2016, the new owners set out to accommodate the city's cultural second wind. Undergoing a $690M renovation, the most expensive renovation in the city's history is updating the hotel with outrageous new accommodations, a slew of five-star culinary offerings and an enviable art collection valued in the multi-millions.

When it comes to commemorating the new burst of energy in sin city, few statements are as fitting as contemporary artist, Damien Hirst's 60-foot bronze sculpture aptly titled, “Demon with Bowl.” While the statue's debut was part of a 2017 Venice show called "Treasures From The Wreck Of The Unbelievable,"  the headless demon holding a bowl is the towering centerpiece to the Palms Casino's sprawling 73,000 square foot day club and 29,000 square foot nightclub called KAOS.

Adding the sculpture to a considerable group of works from Hirst in the historic casino, the grandeur is most definitely characteristic of a city known for its embrace of excess.  The 9,000 square foot sky villa designed by Hirst is called "Empathy Suite" is complete in his design and decorated with his art and furniture. As the world's most expensive suite, a weekend package goes for $1M and includes around-the-clock butler service, a chauffeured car, access to a recording studio and a $10,000 credit for on-site spending. Featuring the artist's works throughout the entire breath-taking suite, the lavish spread is just one of the many places where his work is on display. In the resort lobby's "Unknown" bar, a  13-foot-long tiger shark is suspended in formaldehyde as the centerpiece of the stunning layout.

 
Unveiling the new Palms Resort and Casino this weekend, the property boasted appearances from a musical line-up including Alicia Keys, Cardi B, G-EAZY, J-Balvin, Kaskade, Skrillex, Hozier, and Zac Brown Band. With opening events ranging a  At such a massive scale of renovations, the new Palms Casino and resort also features "the most pools at a resort in North America" as well as the largest LED screen in the entire city at a whopping 270 feet tall. 

As part of the resort's star-studded "Unstatus Quo" campaign preceding the iconic hotel's reintroduction to the landscape of nightlife, hotels, dining, and entertainment, the Palms' impressive rebranding extends to the city at large. With some of pop culture's biggest figures like Drake and Cardi B slated to join the likes of Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez for residencies, the new Palms is adapting to a new era for the entertainment capital of the world.

This article is a reprint from Forbes.com.   To view the original story and comment, click here


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