Las Vegas Hotel Dumps Beige, Adds Bling

Hit the pool

Not as large or rowdy as the main Palms pool space, the private hotel's resort area is composed of a free-form swimming pool divided by Cabo-style tanning ledge with submerged lounge furnishings where tanning hotel guests flaunt and pose. Those looking for a bit more privacy can book one of the private cube-shaped cabanas for around $350 or simply grab one of the lounge chairs and enjoy the live weekend DJs and poolside swimsuit show free of charge.

New restaurant and lounge

Some of the new perks of Palms Place include a poolside eatery, Simon Kitchen and Bar, by Simon Kerry, formerly of his signature eatery at Hard Rock Café. A bright and airy dining room offers a playful American menu loaded with comfort-food staples and head-on views of the pool and all its swimming creatures that are a natural appetite suppressant. For night spirits, a red-theme lounge space known as Rojo offers a sleek and sophisticated lounge free of door hassles and having to beg or pay $500 just to sit in a booth. It has yet to lure the A-list clientele of Moon or the Playboy Club, but luckily those clubs are also just a concierge-call away.

Drift away at Vegas's only Hammam

Catering to a luxury market, Palms Place is home to the all-new Drift Spa. A staggering two-story Turkish-theme bathhouse offers the city's first Hammam with temperature-controlled soaking pools and state-of-the-art fitness center. Chlorine got the best of your roots? There's an on-site hair salon operated by celebrity colorist Michael Boychuck. And for all the tanorexics, there's also an outpost of Sunset Tan for anyone looking to freshen up their tan and maybe even land a spot on the E-Channel reality show while getting their bronze-on before hitting the pool.

What's the real deal?

Wow. A beleaguered economy means great deals for glutinous luxury. Midweek room rates start under $200 for entry-level studios and around $300 for one-bedroom suites with endless seasonal specials that combine spa and cabana packages. If you're looking for a weekend getaway, expect to pay around 20% more and don't forget the reservations are all prepaid at most Las Vegas hotels.