Palms to recognize work, not celebrity
Paris Hilton and the
$1 million dress won't be back for the Palms' 10-year anniversary on Tuesday.
Neither will the celebrity crowd that once made the Palms one of the city's hottest destinations over the past decade.
It will be a decidedly understated occasion, a far cry from when the Palms reigned as celebrity central.
This time around it will be about the employees, the 600 of the original workforce.
"I didn't want to do a big celebrity-driven event," George Maloof said. He had bought the 32-acre site for $27 million in 1997 and started working on a business plan based on the success of Hollywood's celebrity hot spots.
To make a statement to the Hollywood hipsters that he was wooing, he brought Hilton in for opening night.
"We knew she had a following," he said.
In a sense it was a coming-out party for Hilton, who was 20 and decked out in a black gown adorned with $1 million of Palms casino chips.
But other than some quick photos with her, Maloof spent most of the night solo, meeting wall-to-wall guests and staying on top of his new business.
Three hours later, he met up with Hilton and her parents, Rick and Kathy, at Little Buddha.
"I gotta run this hotel," he told them, apologetically.
Asked what happened to the $1 million gown, Maloof said, "We disassembled it. We should have kept it."
His celeb-centric business plan worked until the economy crashed in 2008. Hit hard, the Maloof family lost controlling interest in the Palms but kept the restaurants and nightlife after a court battle.
On Tuesday, Maloof will salute the 10th year with a muted, more personal touch.
"I didn't want a blowout. I wanted to focus on the employees and local customers," he said.
The 600 will receive an autographed set of 10 chips featuring the Palms towers, one chip for each year.
"It didn't have anything to do with not wanting to spend the money," Maloof said. "I wanted to do something for the team members."
THE SCENE AND HEARD
The public is invited to the Las Vegas Country Club on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. for a book signing featuring author Brian Hurlburt and "The Las Vegas Country Club: Chronicle of an Icon." The event includes tours of the exclusive club, which opened in 1967, and the historic clubhouse. Books available for purchase. RSVP required. Reservations: 702-734-1122.
Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl has enlisted the support of several local headliners who provided shoes for an online auction benefit for the Orlando Ballet. Earl said he and wife Tricia, who live in Orlando, hope to bring the concept to Las Vegas. Shoe donors include Celine Dion, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, Donny and Marie Osmond and Holly Madison. The auction ends today. Check it out at www.ShoemaniaUSA.com.
SIGHTINGS
John Legend, dining Monday at STK (Cosmopolitan) with Sports Illustrated supermodel Chrissy Teigen. ... "Divas Las Vegas" star Frank Marino, on the Fremont Street zipline with his "Millionaire Matchmaker" date during Tuesday's episode.
THE PUNCH LINE
"Lindsay Lohan was sentenced to 30 days in jail. She was out in 4½ hours. And you thought celebrity marriages were over fast." -- Jay Leno
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
