Palms Casino Resort

I planned my first stay at Palms Casino Resort for a day I thought it might be a little slow so I could check into the room early. Unfortunately, May 4th must have been busy because there were no rooms when available when I arrived around 11 am.

The person working the desk said that they were cleaning rooms and someone will call me when a room is ready. I never received a call and after a few hours of working and playing video poker, I decided to check on a room. 

I received a text while I was speaking with a different desk clerk. He said they have two rooms for me in the Ivory Tower. I asked which room he recommended and I was told the room on the 23rd floor had a nicer view. 

I’m typing this in the room and am right across the street from Gold Coast. There’s a partial view of the Vegas Strip as well as the mountains. This offers a different view from a Las Vegas hotel. The windows were very dirty. I’ll blame all the sand storms during the past few weeks.

This isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison but I had a similar issue checking into Cosmopolitan recently. A room card was printed for me and I received a text with the room number when it was ready. I prefer the newer technology.

Back to the Palms experience. Let’s get to the room.

Palms Ivory King – Palms Casino Resort

My room at Palms was an Ivory King on the 23rd floor. I didn’t book this room myself and I’m not sure this is an upgrade for being an Amber tier Club Serrano member. 

The Ivory King room is 440 square feet with a spa-inspired bathroom with a walk-in shower instead of a tub. The main space feels roomy and is functional with a workspace next to the 65” TV.

Great Use Of Space – Palms Ivory King

The bright lounger next to the window is comfortable and has a good angle to the TV. I found this to be a more comfortable workspace than the desk but I like having the option. 

There’s a bench underneath the TV to sit while getting dressed. This is a good use of space and much better than some hotels where the workspace is directly under the TV. 

One downside of the Conrad Hotel room at Resorts World was that there wasn’t a dedicated workspace. The dining table was fine for eating but not comfortable to work. It was also very heavy to move so I could plug in my laptop.

The wall with the TV has a wood accent that’s reminiscent of the rooms at Red Rock Casino from about eight years ago. The design similarity makes sense since the rooms were both designed originally by Station Casinos.

Minibar prices are respectable with a small bag of cookies at $7 and other snacks for $10. Beer and spirits are $8 while soft drinks are $5. Not bad at all. 

The Serta mattress was firm but soft which was nice. Unfortunately, the pillows were either too airy or not full enough. The air didn’t cool down to my preferred icebox sleeping temperature so I didn’t have a great night of sleep.

The wifi worked well the first day of my stay. Unfortunately, the wifi was unusable the next morning. Not great for someone that works online. 

Besides the slow wifi in the morning, the room was nice. The pillow issue is a problem I’ve had at just about every hotel I’ve stayed at in Las Vegas for the past five years.

Palms Dining

I had three meals during my day at Palms. An afternoon snack and cold brew from Coffee Bean in the food court hit the spot while I worked and waited for a room.

A.Y.C.E. buffet is $40 for dinner and there’s no players club discount. I’m not a big fan of buffets but decided to give it a shot because so many people loved the Station Casinos version. 

The variety of food was good. I had an Atkin’s-inspired meal featuring one of every meat they could carve. The pork options were better than the beef options.

The brisket was super smokey but dry. I tasted it all night. This went well with all of the bourbon I drank.

I asked for a recommendation when I was seated. The dessert section and gelato, in particular, were the very giddy answer. The gelato was the highlight of the meal for me. 

The vibe at Serrano Vista Café in the morning was a bit odd. There was no music and we could hear everything happening. When I say everything, I mean everything including the air conditioning. 

I was there very early and was the only person in the restaurant when I was seated. Evidently, the music was turned off for Cinco De Mayo celebrations last night and wasn’t turned on when I arrived.

Breakfast was huge and the pot of coffee was just what I needed. I barely made a dent in all the food but I felt great afterward.

Drinking And Gambling At Palms

All table game minimums at Palms were $15 when I spent the night. I played a little Pai Gow Poker and ended up about even on the session. The dealers were great.

There are a lot of video poker games at Palms. Some games are better than others. Check vpFREE2 for specifics. 

Bartop games had 7/5 video poker. Most bars start at a quarter denomination. Unknown Bar video poker games start at 50 cents.

Booze options at the tables and bars leave a lot to be desired for someone spoiled by Cosmopolitan offerings that include Angel’s Envy and Woodford Reserve. 

Officially, the maximum complimentary spirit is $10. This means Jack Daniels and Jim Beam are the complimentary brown boozes. You may be able to get Nevada’s own Frey Ranch bourbon if you ask nicely.

Random Observations – Palms Casino Resort

One thing I noticed during my day at Palms was the return of many locals for the first time. They greeted familiar faces with joy. It was really nice to see the friendships. 

Everyone at Palms was over-the-top but genuinely nice. I mean everyone including all valets, bartenders, dealers, and restaurant personnel. Shout out to the guy at coffee bean for having more energy than anyone I’ve met since before Covid.

The pool is beautiful but I didn’t get there until it closed. I planned on stopping by before leaving but the slow wifi in the room had me flustered.

Newer video poker machines typically had worse paytables than older machines. This is typical but something I noticed.

The band that was playing the sportsbook was so damn loud. I could hear it loud and clear all the way at the west bar across from Tim Ho Wan. I can’t wait until Scott from Vital Vegas experiences this.

I’m guessing that the casino scent was so strong when I went out for breakfast because nobody was around to soak it up or cover it with smoke like the day and night before. It was making me queasy. 

The ATMs don’t dispense change automatically. There’s a charity option like some other casinos offer.

Prior to Covid the Las Vegas local smokers wouldn’t ash their cigarettes. This makes the smoke so much worse than people who dump their ashes and blow the smoke away from people. I noticed this happening again at Palms. Not a fan.

Greene St. Kitchen is being used as a pop-up restaurant. The theme for Cinco De Mayo was Mexican food and tequila shots. 

Overall, Palms is pretty much what I remember from the Station Casinos era.

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FAQ – Palms Casino Resort – Las Vegas