On a relatively cool evening for Las Vegas, quite a few celebrities arrived in high style and graced the red carpet for the grand opening of the newest high-rise condominium complex in town.
Located on Arville and West Flamingo just west of the Palms Hotel and Casino, the 47-story Palms Resort Hotel and Condominium features 599 residential units.
The ultra-contemporary setting of Palms Place includes Simons, an architecturally well-designed restaurant that opens out to the 50,000-square-foot pool and spa enclave on the sixth floor.
Palms Place also has Sunset Tan, one of the leading skin-bronzing salons in the country, and a beauty salon operated by renowned color specialist Michael Boychuck, along with a lobby bar called the Rojo Lounge.
In addition to the luxury room rentals, some of the condominiums, according to Palms Resort co-owner George Maloof, are selling for $450,000 for studios, up to $1 million for one- and two-bedroom suites, and the penthouses will run for $5-$6 million.
Among the actors on the red carpet were: A.J. Buckley of “CSI: New York,” Ashley Scott from “Jericho,” Khloe Kardashian of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” Romany Malco of “Love Guru,” Stephen Colletti of “The Hills,” Robert Iler of “The Sopranos,” and Michael Vartan of “Alias.” Singers LaToya Jackson and brother Randy Jackson, along with comedian Sammy Shore, father of Polly Shore, were among the dozens of celebrity guests.
Newlywed Ashlee Simpson entered through a private entrance, bypassing the press, while her husband, bassist Pete Wentz of the Grammy-nominated band, Fall Out Boy, spoke with media.
Several guest celebrities commented on the new property’s appearance and concept. Most expressed how much they enjoyed the ambiance and the architecture. There are so many new high-rises in Las Vegas, and this one may not be the most spectacular among them as far as the overall design of the building goes, but there are special features and attention to detail that make it outstanding, as well as attractive.
For instance, there is a Plexiglas dance floor over the pool. And the fact is, there is not one other condominium in town connected to a major hotel property by a tube; theirs is called The Sky Tube, a second-floor connecting walkway that runs between the Palms Hotel and Casino to the Palms Place Condominiums.
Actor Verne Troyer, best known for his role as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers series, said “I like the rooms because the light switches are way down low where I can reach them, which is unusual for me when I go to a place.”
He spoke about the real estate market in Las Vegas: “It’s Vegas; it’s happening. It’s one of the entertainment capitals of the world,” adding, “You have a combination of all things you can do here. It’s almost like a family package.”
Troyer had to overcome many obstacles, but he believes that by staying positive and optimistic that you can do anything you can set your mind to.
When the celebrities completed their red-carpet appearances and interviews, they enjoyed the event in the pool area outside Simon’s where they dined.
Jessica Simpson, who just completed an album of country songs due out in September, said why she went into country music.
“I grew up in Texas, so country music was a natural thing for me. I should have done it a long time ago. To be honest with you, I was kind of trying to be a cool girl for a while, and I just realized what’s cool [about] me is country. It’s just who I am.”
One of the selections on Simpson’s upcoming CD is “Do You Know,” which was written by Dolly Parton.
Constantine Maroulis, the heartthrob from a past season of “American Idol,” attended.
He spoke about his later association with the singing competition. “I was an actor long before ‘Idol.’ You must do good projects and believe in what you do, and, hopefully, good things will happen to you.” He attended Boston Conservatory of Music where he earned his bachelors in Fine Arts.
“I’ve played in a lot of clubs before I got to ‘Idol.’ Not all of us are as fortunate as some people to have positive role models in our lives. But if you believe in what you are doing, and you love what you do, go for it, work hard, and study hard. I made a conscious effort to study, and it worked out for me, but that’s not for everybody,” he said.
Maroulis is currently working on his own projects and has a new album in the making.
For more information about Palms Place at 4381 West Flamingo Rd, call (702) 932-7777 or go to the website at www.palmsplace.com.