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| - From 1995 to about 2004, I was a regular guest at this property when it was known as the Imperial Palace.
Now, you ask, "Why?" Valid question. My friend ran the Race and Sports Book, so my room was always free and the location right in the middle of The Strip was the other drawing card.
That was pretty much it. I was embarrassed to tell people where I stayed because the property was so out of date and just really cheesy in terms of decor, entertainment and even the rooms (Yes ladies, my suite always had a mirror on the ceiling).
For the first time in a decade, I walked the property on my most recent trip to Vegas and other than the escalators and location of the front desk...I recognized absolutely nothing.
This place has been completely and necessarily gutted and is clearly still many months away from being a completed project based on my confusing walk from the self-parking garage.
However, the actual gaming areas, walkways, restaurants and bars looked sharp. They also did a really good job creating space for all of this as the Imperial Palace had low celings and barely any room to walk where you needed to go without running into a slot machine, a fellow guest or a dead end.
While I think Guy Fieri is a dick, his place sure resonated some good smells as I passed by and the Hash House A Go-Go upstairs is always a fun option.
If you look at the outside of the tower facing Las Vegas Blvd, the exterior of those hotel rooms looks more like something out of the Middle East. That's why they still have a long way to go with this renovation, but so far...so good.
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