The Palms Casino Resort Rating: 4.0 Pearls

Off the Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada

The pool bar

The Palms has a reputation for being a party hotel. Whether it's Britney Spears entertaining in a penthouse or Michael Phelps hanging by the pool, partiers -- famous and otherwise -- like to hang at the Palms. And it's understandable why. With three great clubs and a rowdy pool scene, the Palms knows how to party. The hotel reached global popularity when seven strangers moved in for five months for the filming of The Real World: Las Vegas in 2002. The MTV crew is long gone, but the party remains.

The three-tower property has a boisterous pool complex with three bars and a DJ, nine restaurants, a spa, and multiple nightclubs -- including the rooftop Ghost Bar, the dance club Rain, and the penthouse nightclub Moon. Chances are good that if you're staying at another hotel but want to party, the Palms will be one of your stops. However, its location west of the Strip and over a highway, makes it feel far from the main action. For another sinfully good party hotel that's closer to the Strip, check out the Hard Rock.

View on a Larger Map

Located on West Flamingo Road, about a mile west of the Strip -- Bellagio and Caesars are the two closest Strip hotels -- the Palms complex is, by Strip standards, quite isolated. A cab ride to the Strip takes about 15 minutes (depending on traffic and where on the Strip you're heading). The Rio is technically across the street but barely within walking distance since that street is Flamingo, an active four-lane east-west thoroughfare. The Palms has a shuttle service that goes to the Fashion Show Mall and Forum Shops at Caesars, but it's so infrequent (twice a day) that it's pretty useless.

The Palms hotel complex is spread among three towers: the Palms Tower, Fantasy Tower, and the Palms Place Condos tower. The sky tube, a hallway with a moving walkway, connects the Palms Place tower with the other two. The Fantasy Tower is home to some swanky suites.

The Palms Place Condo

Rooms have a "horizontal line" theme throughout, and look sleek and ulta-modern with whites and earth tones accented with bold pops of color like pink or purple. All rooms were renovated in 2012, and now even the lowest-category units are spacious and swanky. The hotel also offers suites and bungalows for the high rollers, including the Real World suite, and suites with a full basketball court, a bowling alley, or a Barbie theme.

All rooms include:

• 46-inch flat-screen TVs with premium cable and music channels
• Serta pillow-top mattresses
• Media hubs that connect laptops to surround sound and the large TV through USB and HDMI cables
• Bose Sound Systems
• Free Wi-Fi
• Ivory Suites start at 1,000 square feet and feature minibars, walk-in closets, and a more "romantic" vibe.
• Palms Suites offer 1,200 square feet of space, a full kitchen, a living room with a fireplace, whirlpool tubs, and a washer and dryer.
• Luxury Suites -- including the Erotic Suite, Barbie Suite, and G-Suite -- feature a whirlpool tub with a glass wall everlooking the Strip; 24-hour butler service; access to private exercise rooms and sauna; a terrace; and exclusive nightlife, spa, and dining access.

Lounge chairs by the pool

The main pool complex at the Palms has four pools, though two are small. With three poolside bars, it's a de facto party scene. Tight-bodied men and women dance in the pool as the DJ cranks a loud mix from his solar-powered DJ booth. Poolside cabanas are available. Instead of paying a flat daily rental fee, cabana users must meet food and drink minimums.

• A quieter, more relaxing pool at the Palms Place tower, but it's open only to guests staying in that tower.
• The spa at the Palms includes a fitness center (fees apply)
• Full recording studio, which has been used by Jay-Z, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Bayonce, and Mr. Las Vegas himself, Wayne Newton
• On-site movie theater
• Pearl Concert Theater, a large, three-level concert venue

The food court

A party hotel like the Palms probably isn't the first choice for parents planning a family vacation in Vegas. But guests who bring kids along may appreciate some of the amenities the hotel offers. Babysitting for children ages six weeks to 12 years old is available at Kids Quest, a child-care center with branches in 21 casinos nationwide.

The hotel's food court features plenty of kid-friendly fast-food options, including McDonald's, Nathan's Famous, and Pizza Express.

Rollaway beds are charged per night, and cribs are free. In the Palms Place condominium towers, a queen-size pullout sofa comes standard in the studio suites (the most basic rooms).

A sandwich from the 24 Seven Cafe

The Palms has plentiful food options, even at the low end, including nine restaurants and a food court with fast-food eateries like McDonalds, Nathan's Famous, and Panda Express.

• 24/7 Cafe is open day and night, and features a late-night menu.
• For French food there's Alize, which also features a wonderful wine menu.
• N9NE is the hotel's only steakhouse.
• Fortunes serves dim sum and other popular Chinese dishes.
• NOVE serves pasta, seafood and fish in a stylish dining room.
• Bistro Buffet has a good variety for a standard Vegas buffet, and is open for all three meals, as well as for brunch on Sundays.
• At Simon Restaurant & Lounge, Chef Kerry Simon servescomford food with a twist and contemporary cuisine using seasonal ingredients.
• Chocolat is a chocolate bar offering crepes, milkshakes and gelato.
• Heraea is a female-minded sports bar and restaurant (think a fine-dining version of Hooters, but for the ladies)
• The Eatery is a foor court offers several dining options, including McDonald's, Nathan's Hot Dogs, and Blizz; some are open 24/7

Rojo bar

Even before the seven strangers of MTV's Real World: Las Vegas called it home in 2002, the Palms was known as a party hotel. And with celebrities dropping by nightclub Moon, it maintains that reputation.

• Rain, the nightclub in the Palms Tower, is a lot of fun -- for those who can get in. It's a huge place with a main floor surrounded by balconies, smoke machines, giant monitors displaying abstract images, go-go dancers on platforms, and thumping music.
• Ghostbar offers panoramic views of Vegas from the 55th floor.
• Moon is a penthouse-level club in the Fantasy Tower.
• Social is a whiskey bar located inside the casino.
• Rojo is a chic lobby lounge with a dress code and a high-end food and drink menu.
• The Mint Lounge has gaming and a full bar for players.
• Scarlet offers a great cocktail menu in a sexy space.
• The Palms also has the concert venue, Pearl.