We recently stayed at Palms to check out the entry-level Ivory Tower room and enjoyed some of the less expensive things to enjoy at the recently reopened property. This time we stayed in the Ivory Suite and enjoyed some of the finer things at Palms.

As a reminder, San Manuel has not renovated Palms since taking ownership. Most of the work put in was essentially cleaning up the renovations Station Casinos made just before closing. Everything here should look familiar if you stayed at Palms prior to closing in 2020.

Ivory Suite

The Ivory Suite at Palms is the second-largest traditional suite that the recently reopened property offers. This suite checks in at 1,000 square feet between two large rooms separated by a door.

For anyone curious, two Fantasy Suites are 650 and 840 square feet, respectively. The Fantasy Grand Suite is the largest traditional suite at 1,081 square feet.

Palms also has penthouses, villas, and experiential suites in addition to traditional hotel rooms and suites.

Quick takeaway: This is a good-looking and comfortable suite for relaxing. I consider Palms a mid-tier Las Vegas property. The rooms and suites are a good value for the price. Of course, anyone staying at Palms has to be okay staying just off the Vegas Strip. 

Read on for more details.

VIP Check-In

I requested an early check-in because I like getting pictures and videos while the sun is out and before I use the room and it’s not so pristine. The suite wasn’t quite ready when I arrived at the VIP check-in. 

No big deal, I grabbed a cup of coffee and waited in the VIP lounge for a few minutes. The suite was clean and only had to be inspected. I didn’t even finish the cup of coffee before I was handed the room keys. 

I should say that TravelZork always pays for rooms we review. Since they booked the room, my rewards club info wasn’t in the system. 

I’m guessing the systems aren’t linked because the account had a resort fee which was comped when I showed my Amber tier Club Serrano card. Just a heads up for anyone that isn’t booking their own room. 

I later learned that anyone who did an early tier match should double-check that their account is correct in the system. My card said Amber but it was coded as classic so I missed out on multiplier points. This was corrected after a couple of days of gambling. Oh well.

Checking into Palms via VIP was quick and easy. Much quicker than my first visit when I stayed in the regular Ivory Tower room. VIP is always the way to go if it’s an option.

Quick Overview Of The Ivory Suite

The Ivory Suite is 1,000 square feet with a separate living room and bedroom. The living room has a rather large powder room while the bedroom has a large en suite bathroom with a shower and water closet. There are no bathtubs in this suite.

There’s a door separating the two rooms for anyone traveling with family or friends. This allows a little separation and quiet if necessary. The room is meant for two but I’m sure a couple more people could sleep on the couch and lounge chair in the living room.

Each room has a 48” TV. This is a bit odd to me as the much smaller Ivory King room has a 65” TV. Watching the TVs in either room wasn’t a problem but as someone who just stayed here, the size difference was noticeable. 

Ivory Suite Living Room

The Ivory Suite living room couch and chair are plush and low profile. The couch is comfortable but angled upwards for watching TV. Multi-taskers might find it uncomfortable to look down to read or use a tablet and back up every time something happens on TV.

Since the couch is so low, it might be difficult for someone to get up. This wasn’t an issue early in the stay. When I got sucked into the couch watching TV at night it took a little effort to stand up.

The workspace has an armless leather work chair. There are multiple outlets and a lamp and phone here.

Thankfully the work area is comfortable. The couch doesn’t have an end table to put drinks, phones, or anything else. The coffee table is a bit of a stretch when leaning back into the couch.

Unlike my previous visit to Palms, the wifi speed was adequate (30 down, 38 up) for streaming and working on multiple devices. I normally stream music when in a hotel but there are a few Music Choice stations. I’m currently listening to “Running On Empty” with Jackson Browne if you’re curious.

I like working and drinking coffee and didn’t feel comfortable leaving my drink on the couch while I work on the laptop. I need quick access to drinks at all times – coffee or otherwise. This isn’t a big deal but sometimes I’d rather work from the couch than a desk. 

Overall, I’d say the living room is better for kicking back and relaxing than working. However, I’m here working so it’s not all that bad.

Ivory Suite Bedroom

The Ivory Suite bedroom is massive and has a sitting area with low-profile chairs by the floor-to-ceiling window. This is a room for two and there’s only one King bed. 

I found the Serta Platinum pillow top mattress to be very comfortable for the night. I woke up feeling fresh. That’s something I don’t say often.

The strange thing about the sleeping area is that there are no outlets near the bed. I charged my phone in the living room but kept it near the bed. While I prefer charging my phone while sleeping this isn’t too big of a deal nowadays as most phones charge rather quickly. 

The closet is a normal size and in the bathroom. Like most other suites, there are robes and slippers for guests to use while staying at Palms. 

Those who prefer a power wash type of shower may be disappointed. It does the trick but the water flows normally. This isn’t a Silkwood shower that some people need after a night of Vegas.

While the regular Ivory Tower room has a bench for getting dressed, you’ll have to use the bed if you need to sit while getting dressed in the Ivory Suite. 

The low-profile sitting area chairs are made for lounging and not getting dressed. 

The only thing on the wall opposite the bed is a TV. This provides extra room for anyone that likes to sit on the floor and meditate or stretch. I do both most days and used the space for just that. 

Overall Impression Of The Ivory Suite

The Ivory Suite at Palms is a good value for the size of the room. There’s plenty of space for people to meet up and hang out.

The suite is adequate for work but it feels as though it will be more comfortable just relaxing. That’s when I enjoyed it most.

This is a good option for someone or a couple that likes a large room but doesn’t want to pay a big price. This could also make a good anchor room for groups staying at Palms that want to have one place to meet up before going out for the night.

Down To The Casino…After A Quick Stop Outside

The last time I stayed at Palms was more of an entry-level visit. I enjoyed the Ivory Tower room and eating the buffet while looking for the best low rolling comps.

This visit was a bit fancier visit. After spending a little time in the room working, I went out to the pool to possibly grab a drink and do some work research. While there were some people around it was very quiet and nobody was drinking so I went back into the casino.

I went to the High Limits room to play a little video poker and grab a pre-dinner drink.

Ironically, the Hight Limits slot room bar doesn’t have video poker. The High Limits table games room has a full bar with “High Limits” video poker.

High Limits is in quotes because the games were either $1 single line ($5 max bet) and 25 cent 3-line ($3.75 max bet). For comparison, Vegas Strip casino High Limits video poker games are usually $5 for a single line.

Single-line bonus Poker has an 8/5 paytable. The 3-line quarter games are 7/5. This is fairly common for locals casinos. 

I gamble for the experience more than the paytables, although I prefer a good paytable. The bartenders in the High Limits room were cordial, fun, and willing to chat if you’re a talker.

Complimentary

Almost everything at the bar was available complimentary while playing video poker. There’s no drink monitoring system at any of the Palms bars.

I had a Whistle Pig 10 year before dinner and a couple of Russell’s Reserve red after dinner. I still don’t love Whistle Pig but really enjoyed the latter. 

I liked the room but could faintly hear music and noise from the regular casino floor. I think some would this would annoying. I ended up bailing when the playlist went to a 1980s power ballad. That’s not what I want to hear in a casino.

One last gambling note that I forgot to share last time. The tip bell at the main casino floor table games is both amazing and annoying. I think the obnoxious players like me enjoy it way more than the dealers do.

Scotch 80 Prime

Friends have been raving about this steakhouse ever since Station Casinos opened Scotch 80 Prime at Palms. I have to say, it was fantastic for a solo diner.

One thing I like about dining solo at a bar is the comfortability of skipping salad and apps and going straight to the booze and main course. In this case, I had a ribeye cap as recommended by Eddie and the garlic potato purée. I enjoyed a Four Roses (bourbon) appetizer. 

There was bread but thankfully it wasn’t amazing so I didn’t fill up. The steak and potatoes were both fantastic. 

The ribeye cap is only 8 ounces and is the perfect size steak for an early dinner. This steak has the flavor of ribeye with the tenderness of a tenderloin. 

This cut doesn’t have the ring of fat around the steak like a ribeye but has that flavor. It’s become my second favorite cut behind a NY Strip. 

I’m glad I finally made it to Scotch 80 Prime. This won’t be my last visit. All together dinner and a drink were under $100 before tip. This is pretty standard pricing for a high-end Las Vegas steakhouse.

Room Service? Maybe Next Time

I planned on ordering room service for breakfast but I was awake and out of the room before it was available at 6 am. 

The room service menu prices for breakfast are only $2 more than going downstairs. There’s a service fee but overall, this seems like a fair price for room service.

Once again I was the only person awake and eating at Serrano Vista Cafe. I destroyed a pot of coffee and enjoyed more than half of the massive Serrano Vista Breakfast.

I’m not much of a bread eater but the wheat toast is fantastic. Overall, this was a fine cafe breakfast. 

Another Great Visit To Palms

This was another fun visit to Palms. This is an excellent mid-tier off-strip property. The Ivory Suite, steak dinner, and gambling were all fun. Once again, every person I encountered was incredibly nice and that made the visit even better.

The prices are fair for a near-strip property. One of my complaints, when Station Casinos operated Palms, is that everything was priced as though it was a property on the Vegas Strip. Dropping the price slightly on most items makes Palms feel like a value.

The only disappointment on this visit was that the only food court restaurant open at midnight was Mcdonald’s. I haven’t eaten that in years but I needed something before crashing. The nuggets weren’t good but they didn’t make me sick. If nothing else, they make for a fun picture that I can share with my dad, Joey Nuggz.

---

FAQ – Palms Casino Resort – Las Vegas