The interesting reawakening of Palms Casino Resort continued at the top of the month with the grand opening of Ghostbar, the 55th-floor nightclub returning to its original name after a significant renovation under previous ownership. With its unparalleled Vegas views and high-energy atmosphere, Ghostbar of old was one of those legendary local hot spots.
This one is different. Is it still a bumping club, or more of a relaxed ultralounge? Are there still DJs controlling the rhythm of the room, or some other form of innovative entertainment that appeals to different audiences?
So far, the answer to all our questions is yes. Under San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality, all things Palms are designed for broader appeal, and Ghostbar is emblematic. It’s an indoor/outdoor social cocktail spot with DJs and vibes until Fridays and Saturdays at 10 p.m., when a full-on production show created by beloved local performer Skye Dee Miles kicks into gear.
“One of the main questions we received before re-opening [the resort] was, Are you bringing back Ghostbar?” says Crystal Robinson-Wesley, Palms vice president of entertainment. “We decided early on one of the main things we want Palms to be known for is a live entertainment hub. Ghostbar made sense because we knew it was something folks wanted to see, but how do you transition from what was most recently known as Apex and marry that with what people remember from Ghostbar, and incorporate the Palms’ new brand?”
Aiming for something different in a familiar space brought the Palms to Miles, who left her weekly Bourbon and Blues gig at the Shag Room lounge at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas to launch Midnight Skye: The Revival at Ghostbar.
A singer with inimitable style and loads of experience at Vegas lounges, in production shows and at innovative supper clubs like the former Rose.Rabbit.Lie at the Cosmopolitan, Miles is putting everything she’s got into this new project.
“Every component of this show is something I’ve already done, but in a different format,” she says. “You get to see the beauty of Vegas showgirls, live band members, dancers, costumes, comedy ... and we do have a DJ and party music, we make time for that.”
It’s wildly ambitious for an intimate space that never had an actual stage or dressing room, but the effort is already paying off by surprising guests who aren’t sure what to expect at this iteration of Ghostbar.
“People are coming in just to feel it again, to buy someone else a drink and listen to the music, and it’s somewhere between a party, a production show and a lounge act. It’s all in one,” Miles says.
It fits into the Palms’ comeback strategy, Robinson-Wesley says, building something that “hopefully feels like home, with a little bit of something for everyone. Folks have walked in like, What? This is not what I expected. But I think that’s OK, to be a little uncomfortable then a little bit surprised.”
GHOSTBAR Palms, 866-752-2236, palms.com. Wednesday-Saturday, 7 p.m.-2 a.m.
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