Palms Casino Resort

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.

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 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, Beyonce, and Mr. Las Vegas himself, Wayne Newton
• On-site movie theater
• Pearl Concert Theater, a large, three-level concert venue

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.

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).

The Palms has plentiful food options, even at the low end, including nine restaurants and a food court.

• 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.
• 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.
• The Eatery is a food court offers several dining options; some are open 24/7

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 Palms also has the concert venue, Pearl.