The Palazzo reeks of luxury, sophistication and contemporary chic

The new Palazzo stinks. Really.

But hopefully the foul smell just inside the valet entrance facing the Strip was just one of those temporary glitches, although it was unsettling and unexpected for a $1.8 billion property.

It was just one area; unfortunately, it was the impressive two-level porte-cochere, the entrance where taxis and limos drop off customers. So, on Thursday, the first impression was mixed. The eyes opened in wonder, the nose wrinkled in disgust.

But other than the startling stench (Did the unions lob a stink bomb?) the Palazzo is elegant. At least the parts open Thursday afternoon.

The Palazzo's soft opening began Sunday, and while the casino was open, the rooms and shops were not. The first guests were checking in Friday night.

But even if everything wasn't open, I wanted to check out the Palazzo without waiting for the Big Whoop Three-Day Opening Jan. 17-19, especially since that's the time when presidential politics (Nevada's Democratic and Republican caucuses) will take priority over a new casino opening.

So I parked at The Venetian, unsure if the Palazzo's below- ground parking was open. (It is, and it's accessible off Spring Mountain Road and from the Strip. Park there and save yourself a long walk.)

But if you insist on parking in The Venetian's garage, your first challenge is to find the Palazzo. Signage is discreet. That's the nice way of saying it.

From The Venetian parking garage, go through The Venetian casino and stroll past restaurant row. DO NOT TURN RIGHT INTO THE CONVENTION AREA! Soon, you are in a graceful three-story atrium. It is swarming with people trying to get a photo of the infiniti fountain, one of the many appealing water features throughout the Palazzo, features that would be deemed water wasters off the Strip, but on the Strip are enhancements acceptable to the water scrooges at the Las Vegas Valley Water District.

While The Venetian is clearly a take on Venice, the Palazzo aims at a more generalized sense of luxury, sophistication and contemporary chic, according to the resort officials. They called it "modern European ambience and design reminiscent of Italian affluent living."

Did they mean affluent or effluent? In the real Venice, they are one and the same. (OK, enough with the smelly jokes. Resort spokesman Ron Reese said he was there at 8 p.m. Thursday and there was no smell, so I have no idea what caused the earlier stinkaroo. Nor does he. Someone or something?)

Let's talk about just a few of the best things: the flow of foot traffic, the cocktail waitress uniforms and the inlaid marble floors.

Wide walkways give the casino openness and freedom. As someone who has been stampeded in various casino walkways, this is a welcome design element.

The cocktail waitresses' lacy, bronze-colored uniforms are elegant. Lengthen the bottom-covering A-line skirts about 3 feet and they could serve as evening gowns. There was plenty of cleavage. After all, this is Las Vegas. But the uniforms didn't seem designed to torture the hapless wearer. And in an act of kindness on someone's part, the uniform has a matching jacket offering a bit of warmth in a cold casino.

Marble floors in the lobby are eye-catching because of the unusual colors, particularly the blue and green marbles. I'm a nut for good flooring.

Didn't see a suite, but since they are going to be pricier than at The Venetian and The Venezia tower, assume that if you demand the best, ask for the Palazzo.

The 15 restaurants aren't open. Even the Grand Lux Café, the twin to one in The Venetian, was still in training but expected to open today. Of course, the bars were open. What's a gambling joint without a drink readily available?

Once the Palazzo's 3,068 suites are open, the two joined-at-the-hip resorts, plus the Sands Convention Center, will have more than 7,000 rooms and 2.3 million square feet of meeting, convention and exhibition space. That's more convention space than in all of San Francisco.

The whaddyathink question I asked of people leaving the property received universal raves. "Wonderful." "Fantastic." "Unbelievable." "Love it."

Visitors couldn't seem to stop taking pictures, inside and out, of what is a place with grace.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0275.