Well, for you and me, there isn't really supposed to be a "unique selling proposition." For whales, I believe they really upped the quality/quantity of high roller suites/villas vs. what the Venetian offers. For convention attendees at the Sand Expo Center - it means that 3000 more of them can stay on-site and generate profits for LVS, instead of having them booked at Mirage/TI and MGM making the $.

Has anyone determined if the Palazzo has the same awful perfume stench piped throughout the casino and common areas like the Venetian? I'm hoping and praying not. It is a big deal for anyone with any form of environmental illness or scent sensitivity.

I don't think it will take long before the new scent is replaced with the Venetian fragrance .

One thing I also noticed about the Palazzo is there is lots of flat marble area around the various fountains where one might actually sit down! It is against the Moral Code of Casino Operators to offer people anyplace to sit down that isn't a bar or slot machine (there is certainly no such place at the Venetian).

Expect them to fix this error quickly, perhaps with lots of ugly metal spikes....

Actually some might find this pleasurable... .

Made one stop in the Palazzo recently. Found it, well, kinda boring. Very well lit, very over air conditioned, and just generally awful sterile. A casino for conventioneers in between meetings is the impression I got. Wasn't very busy either, while the Venetian was hopping with $15 min craps tables, the Palazzo could barely get action going at $10. Maybe things will improve when they finish the place up.

An aside, anyone try the Mario Batali restaurant yet? Interesting looking menu...

Judging from everyone I've spoken to here, there really seems to be a mixed opinion. Some find it blah, but some (like myself) enjoy the understated elegance, good sight lines, high ceilings and easy layout. I like it much better than the Venetian casino.

As for the hotel, I just can't say much good about it. Maybe still some ramping up issues, but (1) I've had to have someone come fix the room safe twice (it won't lock) -- and each time I had to wait 45 minutes. And I can swear that when I left the room this evening it was locked and when I returned it was open (and broken). Nothing missing fortunately. (2) No entrance to Canyon Ranch Spa/fitness center, you have to walk all the way through the Palazzo and Venetian casinos to the entrance over there. I guess this will be fixed in a few weeks when the spa expansion opens. (3) I left my room at 8am and when I got back at 2:30 the room hadn't been made up. (4) There are NO spare outlets by the desk. All 4 outlets are being used (phone, lamp, internet hub, fax/printer). THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A CONVENTION HOTEL. F-ing retarded. (5) A lot of the shops & restaurants still aren't open and probably won't be for another month or two.

I had some similar service issues at Venetian over New Year's. I doubt I'll be staying at either property again...

Got in last night after travelling for 30 hours so my mental state was not the best.

I had to switch rooms as the room I had not one of the phones or any of the lines would work. So I had to wait and move rooms. I am not sure I like the L shape couch in the Palazo that much and a lot of the items do not work right yet like the doors to my mini bar do not stay shut. I agree that there are NO OUTLETS at the table, what a PITA. The clock, OK folks I'm no genius but I can usually find out how to progam a clock and this one here neither myself, the bell boy, or the chamber maid can figure out how to change the time as the time is off. We can program the alarm but not change the time that is set. As far as the gambling goes, I'm not sure I like the feel of this casino, the layout. It just feels strange, not used to it plus got no action last night on the tables either. If I wasn't so tired I was going to go back to Venetian last night but after switching rooms said for get it. I'll of course try it out again today

Also, maybe it was the neighbors or such, but folks going into another room, sounds exactly like they are entering my room, so maybe the walls are thin or I'm in a bad location or my neighbors are loud but I noticed it three times and I'm not sensitive to noise, sounds exactly like they are opening my door and entering my room.

Now I gotta go check the safe as you made me paranoid. But on a positive note, the VIP Lounge and staff are still top notch. Very helpful in arranging items. For me the host makes all the difference and I have not had a good host at Bellagio or Wynn yet. Hopefully it is just the opening bugs that need to get worked out.

Please help.....

My parents and I will go to Las Vegas this Feb. I booked Palazzo bella already--very pricy, I must say-- 720 fts with 2 queen beds, TV everywhere in the suites. (My parents aint big fan of Plasma TV though, they are v old fashion )
However, I got a coupon last night. It is Wynn, with the coupon code I can save about 600 dollar (for 5 night in total). It is standard resort room (640 fts) with 2 double beds. No living room though.

I have never stayed in Wynn or Palazzo before. Palazzo looks so beautiful and it's brand new. Wynn is new as well and we can do a lot with that 600 dollars ! I am not sure double bed comfy enough for my parents though, they are very picky.

Which is better option for us? Wynn or Palazzo?

Thanks in advance for any suggestion!

Welcome to FlyerTalk pompomad. Looks like Palazzo is still ironing out opening day kinks and $600 can get you at least a nice show and dinner. Unless you want a large room, the Wynn is just as elegant and would be my choice for the price difference.

That is sooo funny you mention that. I had this same exact problem a few weeks ago, but actually at the Venetian. The engineer that came to fix the safe couldn't figure it out either! Well, he did after literally 15 minutes.

I've really soured on the hotel operations at Venetian/Palazzo.

That may explain the problems we had. The (unoccupied) room next door had an alarm set for something like midnight, so every time we got back to the room for the evening it was beeping. We called security, who did eventually send someone up and turn it off (I guess) but the same thing happened again every night. Apparently they couldn't figure out how to properly turn it off (or didn't care.)

I liked a lot of things about the property, but it did seem like virtually every Venetian employee we talked to had a very deer-in-the-headlights reaction to what seemed like very routine requests.

You have no idea ;-)

There's a reason that Cheesecake is using Grand Lux as their growth concept.

If you're staying in a 4 or 5 star (whatever the Venetian might be) do you expect made in China bathroom amenities? Soap, shampoo, etc. That the furniture is cheapo product from China is not a big surprise. But the soap?
I've had more problems with the AOMNI brand flat screen TV in the past three hours than all hotel room televisions the past ten years. It did provide for a nice conversation with the maintenance man.

Actually the one at Venetian grosses about $25m a year, IIRC. Far more than any of the other Grand Luxes (or Cheesecakes), in part due to its 24 hour operation.
And the real reason they're using GL as their growth concept is because many of the Cheesecake Factory leases have radius restrictions, so they can't put another one within X miles. That was why they created Grand Lux in the first place for the Venetian - there's already a Cheesecake at the Forum Shops and the Venetian was too close.

Obviously with Las Vegas Sands as the landlord for both, they're perfectly ok with one at Venetian and one at Palazzo...