Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog

Posted by mike_ch

It's really hard to say. They're working on landscaping and such out front (trees, etc) and it seems to me that if they were really in a crunch mode they'd scuttle the landscaping until later and put all their efforts into getting the public interior spaces ready.

Some areas are looking more ready than others but without a map it's hard to know what. Obviously the extension of the Grand Canal Shoppes is a large part of the resort and if those are going to be off limits and incomplete the place is going to feel unfinished no matter how nice the rest of it is.

I'm probably not going to be able to be there opening day, but we'll see.

*Hey everyone, long time no comment. Things have been hectic lately, but it's nice to be back and commenting again*

God only knows.

I'll be staying there with the family after New Years and I can only hope to God the resort is actually open (I really won't feel like being moved to the Venetian because they haven't passed their fire safety tests, etc.). However, that doesn't mean that I'm not a tiny bit excited. I mean, I know I'm not going to go into the resort and hold it to Wynn's and Bellagio's standards, but I do think LVS is striving for a higher level of luxury than they have over at the V.

Aside from that, I'm wondering what the Palazzo is going to have in the way of dining options when, and if it opens. Will it open with all of its listed dining outlets on Dec. 20? Will it open with just a twenty-four hour cafe on Dec. 20? Will it even have a twenty-four hour cafe or just direct people to Grand Lux at the Venetian? That has to be the one aspect that I'm sort of excited about.

In addition to that, I'm getting almost giddy over what their going to do with the casino space. Will they have learned their lesson and actually design a well layed-out space, or will they just throw a bunch of tables and slot machines out on an open floor and call it a luxury casino? There are a lot of questions that I'll, hopefully, have answered in January. However, again, I'm not really getting my hopes up. I know LVS and I know that, even with the hype, it will probably just be a let down.

Glad to have you back John! You've been missed, no doubt.

I'm trying to plan my December and January trip or trips - I need to see Palazzo so I'm trying to figure out if I will go out for the opening or what...

Actually dear readers, I'm interested to hear about other folks that may be in town in late December or anytime in January.

(from another recent absentee)
We're planning on Jan. for sure. Not sure if right after CES (John, hope you won't have to fight that crowd ;-) or following Macworld a couple weeks later.

Hunter, I've been trying to sort some pics and vids from a last-minute trip in early Oct. Palazzo still looked like a construction site, but geez, you'd think Adelson would want some of that CES action....

I've noticed Palazzo has kept the opening hype to a minimum most likely to minimize the inevitable waves of disappointment.

But then again, maybe a soft opening will work. Exactly four years before Palazzo opens its doors, THEhotel opened with little hype or fanfare and with only 20 or so floors completed. I was there and the place was DEAD, but you'd never know it was unfinished and the reviews from guests were phenomenal.

I'm fairly certain I'll be there the first week of January, probably arriving New Year's Day.

We will be in Vegas for Christmas this year and I've been so excited to check out the Palazzo. We shall see, I guess.

Posted by DavidF

I agree with Mike, as of right now, It looks to my eyes as if lesson learned from the Venetian opening and 12/20 will just see the new rooms available and maybe some casino/retail space.

Lets be Honest, unless you keep up with all that is Vegas, or are on the LVS Mailing List, would you necessarily even know that the place is opening ????

As far as I can tell the only way you can book a room right now is directly through the Palazzo site, none of the big on-line booking agencies (Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity) are listing it, even for a 2008 reservation. Even if you go to Venetian.com, there is just a single link on the main page, and even then its not exactly jumping out at you.

I was considering a solo trip in January, (still need to do my TR from my Skylofts Visit earlier this month!!!), waiting on how work is going to look, I may be in FL then, but If it works out than that I am looking the weekend/week after CES.

Hi everyone! I just got back from a quick getaway to vegas. I was walking by the Palazzo last night and a construction worker for Taylor International laughed when I mentioned that the opening date is Dec. 20th. He told me that of all the 50+ floors only three have carpet. No furniture has been put into rooms yet! And everything else is just sheet rock! I wanted to be optimistic but I have my doubts. Maybe spring of 2008.

Posted by detroit1051

"...three have carpet. No furniture has been put into rooms yet! And everything else is just sheet rock!"
Very interesting. It's amazing what we can learn from construction workers, bartenders, waiters and others working in the real world.

Very interesting.

Honestly, I've been thinking about planning a trip for the opening but maybe I'll reconsider if it is going to slip.

"Very interesting. It's amazing what we can learn from construction workers, bartenders, waiters and others working in the real world."

Oh yes. Much more than from the professional spin doctors and publicity types.

Yeah, I just got a fantastic offer from WLV, and I'm really considering it. I mean, I really don't feel like staying on only one of three floors with carpet, when I can have a fabulous room with a nice little resort credit.

Posted by detroit1051

Palazzo's website is still offering reservations for December 20:
https://reservations.venetian.com/resnet/lansaweb?procfun+rn+resnet+net+funcparms+UP(A2560):;PNET;;01;01;00;000;;;;;;;;;;;;?

Does the Palazzo not have a poker room? I would assume that they will have one, based on the size and fairly large success of the Venetian poker room, but I have yet to hear anything about it. They dont mention it on the palazzos website, nor do they have a listing on their employment site for poker room staff. Any ideas? I couldnt imagine a new casino without a poker room these days.

Posted by DavidF

Rob C,

I wouldn�t say a poker room was a no-brainer for any new casino now, with on-line gambling now illegal in the US, the interest in poker has declined � the entry numbers in this years World Series were down and the LV Hilton just shut their poker room.

On top of that with the Venetian having one of (if not the) biggest poker room in the city, they may think that is enough for now.

Posted by mike_ch

I'd guess a no to Palazzo poker, they're immediately between two popular rooms at Ventian and Wynn. Why bother when the best that can happen is they cannibalize a little from Wynn and the worst that can happen is they invest in a room and cannibalize from themselves?

I wouldn't say poker is dead, though. Luxor has moved their offering around lately to something less temporary looking and seems insistent on keeping it. It's also still very popular among locals.

My Palazzo dream? A buffet. Venetian missed the boat with that one, deciding that it was low-class or something (but then so's peeling wallpaper.) I don't see how you can have so many rooms and convention space without a big all you can eat room, and it'd be interesting to see LVS wade into the buffet wars. Then again, with the health inspector ratings they've been racking up lately, I guess I'd wait a few weeks after opening before I try it.

Well, I find it quite interesting that LVS went with a cheap, mall-style food court over a potentially "nice" buffet. More to the point, LVS went with two cheap, mall-style food courts and didn't think to opt in for a buffet. I mean, for the love of God each and every resort that is worth calling "luxurious" has a buffet that would make some gourmet restaurants blush, but LVS just thought it was low class. I don't get it and I hope, like Mike said, that they include one with Palazzo (which is obviously wishful thinking).

My other wishlist item, while were on that topic, is an LVS-run restaurant. The Venetian, from what I have looked at, doesn't actually run one restaurant on its own. I think Noodle Asia may be the one restaurant that they might actually run, but I'm not quite sure. However, back to the point, I would just like to see an LVS-run twenty-four hour cafe, or anything. Just something that isn't run by the folks at the Cheesecake Factory, or Emeril Lagasse. I just want to see something that doesn't have a celebrity name attached to it (which, as a matter of fact, is one aspect of Wynn that I really love, and we all know why...).

Posted by detroit1051

"Flush Times For Poker Fading"
http://www.lvbusinesspress.com/articles/2007/10/27/news/iq_17494004.txt