Las Vegas megaresorts are notorious for pampering high rollers and celebrity clientele with luxurious hotel rooms filled with amenities. We’ve seen debauchery in the Real World suite and Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise staying at Caesars Palace in Rain Man. We drool with envy at accommodations many can only dream of and square footage dwarfing traditional single-family homes. Casinos and hotels are upping the ante when it comes to providing their VIPs with a snazzy escape from the hustle and bustle of the casino floor.
Themed and branded suites are surfacing at major properties around town—and bringing in the big bucks. Elaborate and unconventional rooms are asked for by name by the vacationing who’s-who. Partnerships between resorts and well-known products and entities seem to be the next wave of high-end lodging for those willing and able to drop thousands of dollars per night.
The Palms’ is celebrated for its unique room options and has already formed a successful partnership with the Playboy Empire. Most recently, the hotel has produced another joint venture with the men’s grooming brand AXE. For a limited time (the suite is only available for another week, until February 15), a Palms penthouse has been enhanced with the bachelor lifestyle in mind. For $1,000 per night ($2,500 on weekends) the AXE suite provides the male clientele with everything for an over-the-top (and over-quoted) “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” experience.
For the AXE room renovation, the Palms and AXE have geared the 2,000-square-foot suite to the single guy looking for a hookup. From the X-Box 360, to the blackjack table adorned with nudie silhouettes (strip-blackjack anyone?) and an in-room bar, the two bedroom suite will keep any party animal occupied. Complimentary AXE products are in the bathroom—right next to the “His/Hers/Hers” towels. Two expertly disheveled silky black robes on the bed only hint at their purpose, the accompanying feather ticklers fill in the blanks and are suggestively crisscrossed over a copy of Neil Strauss’ pickup guide, The Game. A black box tied up with AXE logo ribbon also sits on the bed and contains a few extra goodies. A nearby table does have a Polaroid camera.
However, maintaining the brand’s image stops there. No line of naughty, lust-crazed vixens is clawing at the suite’s door, nor were there any AXE Body Spray-scented candles or plug-ins. The room stays away from completely beating the guest over the head with all things AXE. A few logo throw pillows here, an etched logo mirror there, and voila! You have yourself the AXE Suite.
Older properties are giving their existing suites a face-lift, too. The 20 Rain Man suites at Caesars are currently being renovated. New features (and updated décor) will include LCD televisions, wireless touch-screen control panels, iPod docking stations and karaoke hook-ups. Also at Caesars is the 1,880-square-foot, bi-level Absolut “Find Your Flavor” suite. This one started as temporary, but it was so well received Caesars made the $2,500-a-night, four-bedroom suite a permanent option for guests who wanted a room with a twist.
While anyone with enough cash can book the upscale and themed suites at the Palms and Caesars, the Hard Rock Hotel still maintains strict guidelines. Its penthouse suite (as seen on TV for Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro’s joint bachelor/bachelorette party) is generally available by invitation only and usually reserved for premium casino players, celebrities or private events. Perhaps flashing a black AMEX card for the $10,000 room charge may help. On the other hand, the Hard Rock is undergoing a $750 million expansion, which includes two new towers, one consisting entirely of suites. The existing smaller guest suites are being remodeled and should be completed sometime in February.
The Las Vegas Hilton still has a throwback to the original Vegas themed suite. Though the classic Elvis Presley suite is gone (thanks, Barry Manilow), the Hilton still offers the Safari, 1920’s Hollywood, Bahamas and Renaissance-themed rooms.
Overall, it seems the Palms and Caesars are setting the tone for the next era of hotel suites, though there are no additional brand-related ventures in the works. Yet, both properties are more receptive and accommodating to anyone wanting to experience the suite life … provided you’re willing to crack open your piggy bank.