Adam BauerI sat there past midnight in the sunken living space, feet up, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos crumbs scattered on my shirt with red dyed fingertips, watching a YouTuber running an imaginable amount of money through slot machines, and I thought, “perfection”.
Out of ignorance or a perplexing lack of curiosity, this was my first stay at either Palazzo or Venetian. I’ve been going to Vegas as a gambling adult for almost 20 years now. There’s no reason I should have ignored these behemoths on the north end of the Strip. Venetian and Palazzo share a collection of shops, restaurants, and bars, and both have bustling casinos, although Palazzo’s is much more intimate.
What finally drew me to Palazzo were the rooms. The standard rooms are some of the largest in Vegas. The basic suites at The W, formerly Delano, rival Palazzo in size, but Palazzo makes much better use of the space. Instead of partitioning the room, which would offer more privacy, the Palazzo rooms feature an open floor plan, with a small step down to the living area. It feels less cramped than others with similarly sized footprints. And you get to soak in Vegas from bed thanks to a full view of the large windows.
The bathrooms, while dated, still hold up. They’re spacious and show only mild signs of wear. Taupe tiles, black marble, and cream paint aren’t modern design motifs, nor are they particularly bold choices, but it doesn’t feel antiquated. There’s a private toilet room, double vanity, and powder station, making it perfect for couples.
My only minor gripe about the room is that the TVs are far too small for the room’s size. However, I don’t tend to watch TV on vacation anyway, and it seems to be an issue that was addressed with the recent Venetian renovations that should carry over to Palazzo soon.
Much of my time in the casino was spent in the high limit bar, where they make and comp fantastic cocktails with consistent play. The oddity that is the high-limit bar is that not every seat has a machine to play, but instead they’re placed in front of every other seat. It makes it hard for two players to chat and engage with each other’s hands, which is one of my favorite things to do when playing next to friends. While the bar just outside the high limit room has lower minimums and far more machines, it can get crowded and lacks the quality found just steps away.
I had a few craps sessions ($25 minimum) go my way. The dealers were friendly and competent, the two qualities necessary for fun, engaging play. On my final night, after yet another round of high limit video poker, I tried my hand unsuccessfully at a smattering of slots. Despite my late-night slot run, I left the casino floor an overall winner for my stay. I try not to let this obvious bias cloud my judgment; nevertheless, I now have a fondness for Palazzo’s casino. It’s more intimate than I anticipated.
My dining experiences were limited to breakfast. Boring Jack joined me at Grand Lux Cafe, one of the more sensibly priced restaurants. It’s standard breakfast fare, but the service was painfully slow despite the restaurant not being near capacity. I think service feels slower when you can see and hear a casino in your periphery. For my final meal, I ordered room service, which is comically overpriced yet remarkably convenient. With a room as nice and big as this, it’s worth eating in.
You don’t have to be a high roller to benefit from Palazzo’s hospitality. Despite the luxury status, I found the table minimums to be approachable for anyone with a bankroll that handles $25 minimums. After a smattering of gambling sessions, none of which were quite long, I’m not receiving multiple night room offers.
I’ve been looking for a new home base outside of the MGM portfolio. Palazzo is may just fit the bill.
