The Palms Casino Resort

Jul 19, 20243 min read

SERVICE & TRANSITIONS -- 👍 great

Luxurious, lively, & lavish vibes. Attention to detail was impressive, emphasized by cute paneling on doors.

Upkeep & cleanliness was impeccable.

The reception floor was reminiscent of Virgin Hotel, just brighter & MUCH larger. Customer service & Hospitality were on equal footing 👌 -- excellent staff, excellent training, excellent management.

Fast (& reliable!) bell services was the icing on the cake 😌.

Valet services were top-notch on departure too; engaging and speedy.

MVP employees: Michael

ROOM (Ivory King) -- 👍 great

Dreamy amount of space, comfortable for 2 (possibly 3).

It looked clean, FELT clean, & delightfully engaged all the senses.

Floor to ceiling windows lording over the puny neighboring casinos, was an experience 🎩.

Subtle details that also stood out were the aroma, color palette, & uniquely textured furnishings.

Things that weren't so great:

Workspace is very thin & impractical
Nifty-looking phone didn't work (reboot loop)
Flimsy, dirty, loose paper DnD signs
Ice bucket with leftover water 😕

BED (king) -- 👍 great

Mind-blowing softness... 🫠.

The Serta perfect sleeper was a brilliant mattress choice.

Adorned with:

Fresh AND sustainable linens, custom-made
Extra fluffy duvet
& thiccc pillows w/a firm snuggly fill

All very VERY nice.

I didn't expect to love the overhead mirror much, but that grew on me <3.

Overall an unforgettable sleep experience.

BATH -- 👎 poor

Chic, contemporary, & sexy aesthetic.

Design-wise it's a hit. Light fixtures and wash basin installation stand out beautifully.

But turnover really killed the mood 💔 .

Cleaning standards were... shocking? The faucet in particular was lined with a mildew/paste/green muck 🤢.

Mineral buildup on the shower head was off-putting & grout lines were unsightly.

It's a shame to see such a pretty design wasting away prematurely.

Adding insult to injury with the zero-entry shower that we all hate & the worn-down towels.

House-brand bath products + toiletries are provided & they're quite good IMO.

TV/ENT./ACTIVITIES -- 👍 Good

48" HD TV w/the same dated TV solution as BOYD hotels. This system was better in terms of the programming + features.

Flexibility of the mount installation was excellent too.

Gaming: SUPER strong reward program with extremely competitive bonuses for new members. These were better than Cesar's, MGM, & BOYD.

The mobile app for this is a disaster-NIGHTMARE tho... Don't waste time installing it.

An entire suite of spa services are offered & there's a pool (free for guests). Hours are also limited (10-5pm).

WI-FI & CELL RECEPTION -- 👍 Good

Unencrypted, free, & tolerable basic offering. It was sufficient for work, not so much if over-employed.

Premium offering is 9.99 @ 40 Mbps, one of the less-offensive markups compared to other casino hotels.

--Performance--

Video streaming - Great

Online gaming - Great

Video chatting - Great

--Nerd Stats--

13-18 Mbps download

16-19 Mbps upload

0% packet loss

7 ms latency

3 ms jitter

FOOD & DRINK -- 👍 good

Not DoorDash friendly.

Allergen friendly room service was a win 😄.

The actual cuisines tho... were not 😞.

"In-room dining" is inaccurate here; it's takeout, delivered by a runner, in to-go containers.

I tried the fire cracker chicken & regretted it: good cook on the protein, but the flavors were bland/missing. The "fire" didn't meet the bar for spicy asian cuisine. Portions were hefty, but unbalanced; the vat of sauce turned this meal into a messy 'soup' & was entirely too sweet. #SadLunch

Bottomless mimosas & limitless lobster were a good-enough palette cleanser ($33).

There are also chain restaurants on-site if that's more your forte.

Similar mini-bar/mini-fridge shenanigans as Virgin Hotel ☹️.

in-room:

❌ microwave (mini)

❌ mini-fridge (small)

❌ coffee/tea

❌ wet-bar

✅ mini-bar

⚠️restaurants will not provide free (tap) water with meals. Shameful considering 110 temps⚠️