Palms Casino Resort is set to open on April 27.
While guests can eat, drink and gamble on opening night, the hotel at Palms is taking reservations the next night, April 28.
The re-opening of the popular off-strip casino comes more than two years after Station Casinos closed the property in March 2020. The property never reopened under Station Casinos operations after closing in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Since the closure in 2020, Palms has been sold to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. San Manuel operates Yaamava Casino in California. Palms will be San Manuel’s first casino in Las Vegas.
“April 27, 2022, is another milestone date for Palms, for Las Vegas and the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority,” adds Cynthia Kiser Murphey, General Manager for Palms Casino Resort.
“We are thrilled to welcome guests back to this spectacular resort, and our entire Palms team looks forward to creating a lively and fun environment throughout the property.”
When Palms reopens it will mostly look similar to what guests remember from the property prior to closing. Station Casinos spent $690 million to renovate the property after purchasing it in 2016.
Coincidentally, or not, April 28 is also the first night of the NFL Draft.
What to expect at Palms
The current version of Palms was only open to guests for less than a year. There isn’t too much for the new operators to update.
The casino floor will mostly look the same as the previous iteration of Palms. The major change will be to the sportsbook.
The new operators of Palms are being tight-lipped about the changes. One thing that is public is that William Hill is on its way to continue operating the Palms sportsbook. This should be approved shortly.
Visitors won’t notice many of the changes at Palms. Many of the upgrades will take place in the back-of-house for employees. Some other changes will simply be bringing the property up to 2022 standards.
The hotel rooms and suites at Palms will remain similar to when the property closed. Palms will still have a wide variety of traditional and themed suites, villas and regular hotel rooms for the majority of visitors.
Scotch 80 Prime, Tim Ho Wan and Mabel’s BBQ by Chef Michael Symon will all return to Palms. These restaurants were standouts of the Station Casinos era of the property.
Palms also announced that Send Noodles will return and Serrano Vista Cafe will replace Lucky Penny Cafe from the days of Station Casinos.
Unknown Bar (AKA “Shark Bar”) and Ghost Bar will both be part of the new Palms. More bars and restaurants will be announced closer to the opening date.
New owners, similar operations
Going back to when Palms opened, the property always catered to locals.
Sure, it was a celebrity hot spot for a while when Britney Spears would perform at Rain Nightclub. However, the “locals entrance” by the parking garage always made it so that Las Vegas residents never had to experience the party atmosphere at the nightclub.
Anecdotally, Station Casinos looked at Palms as a way to bridge the gap between its locals properties and the tourists visiting who want to be near the Vegas Strip. The new operators are also welcoming to all — especially visitors from California. The property will still keep the local bend Palms has always offered.
Murphey says, “From our locals to guests visiting from near and far, our goal is simple – to deliver a truly distinctive experience that makes you feel at home while you are in Las Vegas.” This sentiment has been repeated by other Palms representatives since purchasing the property.
Palms will also market to its database of potential regional visitors from its southern California property, Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel. Murphey told the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
“The tribe’s culture is founded on creating opportunities and pursuing what’s right for future generations and honoring past generations. It really creates long-range thinking and tribal members are talented, thoughtful, successful and humble, which is a beautiful combination.”
San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority’s Latisha Casas added, “(w)e look forward to introducing our guests to our rich history, culture and signature hospitality. We can’t wait to make history together.”
No more KAOS at Palms
Palms will be operating with a new plan using a similar property footprint. The new operators will not resurrect the failed nightclub, KAOS.
The nightclub closed after bleeding money for expensive talent that didn’t improve revenue. KAOS and the pool area will be repurposed when Palms reopens.
Palms guests will be able to enjoy the multi-level, 73,000-square-foot space with two main pools and 39 unique cabanas. The pool area also features oversized daybeds and poolside lounge chairs throughout.
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