Background of the Palms Casino Resort
The Palms Casino Resort, near the Las Vegas Strip, opened in November 2001. It has more than 700 rooms, a concert theater, and a Michelin star restaurant.?
Station Casinos bought the Palms in May 2016 for $313m (￡240m) and immediately began a $690 m (￡529m) renovation. The third and final phase of the project is scheduled to finish by the end of the year.
New pricey package for ultra-wealthy
The luxurious Empathy Suite, which has amazing views and great amenities, was added as part of the renovation. The Palms is offering a $1m (￡770,000) package that includes?three nights in the Empathy Suite
Designed by Damien Hirst, the suite contains 9,000 square feet. Guest staying there will be waited on hand and foot with private butlers and will have access to rare bottles of champagne and wine.
This includes five bottles of Clase Azul Ultra Magnum, 100 bottles of Dom Perignon Brut Luminous, 100 bottles of Dom Perignon Rose Luminous, an Ace of Spades brut 30-liter bottle, and an Ace of Spades rosé 30-liter bottle.
The new package is part of the resort’s launch of a new nightclub called Kaos. The theme includes art pieces from Hirst himself. Among them is his 60-foot-tall statue, “Demon with Bowl.”
Reasoning behind this redevelopment
Some wonder why the owners of Station Casinos, the Fertitta brothers, would spend over $1bn on buying and renovating the casino.
There are rumors that a Major League Baseball (MLB) team could be coming to Las Vegas and that the stadium might be built on the site of the Rio Casino, which would have to be demolished.
That would put the Palms Casino Resort in an advantageous position. It would be very close to the stadium and it is just over a mile away from the Las Vegas National Football?League (NFL) stadium that is currently under construction. It is likely that the Oakland Raiders will move to the NFL stadium in 2020.
Caesars Entertainment, which owns the Rio, has made no comment on these rumors. The Rio will host the 50th World Series of Poker in May.
Las Vegas extravagance
Las Vegas has always been a city for big spenders. Money talks in the city. You can operate the foundations at the Bellagio by pressing a button, but it will cost you $250,000 to do. Bottle service costs many thousands of dollars for run-of-the-mill liquor.
The Palms is not the only casino to offer extravagant packages to its visitors.
The Venetian now has a “Want the World” package that costs $450,000. The description for this package says it all: “a luxurious over-the-top suite” which “provides an experience where no whim is too wild and every desire is anticipated.”
A guest who buys this package will be flown to Las Vegas by private jet and will then get a ride in a Mercedes Maybach from the airport to the hotel. The package also includes a four-night stay in the 6,500-square-foot presidential suite and a private butler.