Celebrities Make Vegas Casino Hot Property
L A S V E G A S, Oct. 8 -- One after another, the celebrities sashayedacross the red carpet leading to the Skin pool lounge one recentSaturday night at the Palms hotel-casino.
The unpredictable MTV host Tom Green trailed Hilton hotelheiress Nicky Hilton as a sea of people craned for a glimpse of thestars. Lance Bass from 'NSync, comedians Damon Wayans and DavidAlan Grier made their entrances, along with an endless parade ofbeautiful young women.
Observing the saucy scene was a grinning George Maloof Jr.,owner and operator of the Palms.
"People are fascinated with celebrities," Maloof said. "Youjust can't do this anywhere else in Vegas."
Slot Machines and Female Celebs
Maloof has built a smallish off-Strip hotel and taken it to thetop of hip heights with a heavy dose of slot machines and arelentless marketing campaign featuring the likes of Britney Spearsand Leonardo DiCaprio.
Maloof's business model for the 430-room Palms covetsjawdroppers like Playboy models and Jessica Simpson, instead ofexpensive showstoppers like Celine Dion.
"If you have the girls, you are going to get the guys," Maloofsaid about attracting customers to his $265 million resort.
In comparison, megaresorts like The Venetian and Mandalay Bay,which each opened with more 3,000 rooms, cost in excess of $1billion to build.
"Our return on that 265 will be close to 20 percent," Maloofsaid. "Nobody is getting that in town."
Prime Positioning
Mention of the Palms pops up in all the right magazines andtelevision shows — Details, Maxim, FHM, Access Hollywood, E! News —entrenching its position as THE spot in town.
"I would say the Palms is at the forefront in terms ofvisibility. Right now it's probably No. 1," said Anthony Curtis,editor of Las Vegas Advisor, a consumer newsletter that trackscasino promotions and gambling trends. "You never know who you'regoing to see."
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