I've stayed at the Palms for three out of four of my 2009 Vegas trips. I'm older so this review is coming from the perspective of a 33 year old :) Each time I've stayed in a comped room, so I have no perspective on room rates. I've never had any complaints about the rooms, each time they were clean and meet both my and my guest(s) expectations.
My only warning about the Palms, is that it (in my opinion) is mainly a party hotel. After my last trip in the Fall of 09, I made the conscious decision that I won't be staying there anymore simply because I'm too old. While this place is perfect for the 21-25 year old crowd, there really isn't much to do for those outside that age group. The casino itself is extremely small and during all of my trips last year, it appeared very dead. I typically had multiple sections of the $1 slots and VP machines to myself. One positive of that was that the drink service was very good and the cocktail waitresses were very friendly.
If you're not familiar with this property, it is good to note that it is an off-strip property, so you will start to feel isolated after a while. So, I suggest budgeting at least $40 a day for cab rides back and forth to the strip. If you are a total rewards member, you can always make the quick walk over to the Rio and utilize the free shuttle to the strip.
Final Review:
Pros:
- Friendly staff
- Nice rooms
- Great drink service
- Movie theater in the casino mall area
- Lots of night clubs/lounges to choose from
Cons:
- Very small casino; not a lot of slot choices (I think they only have 3 $5 machines)
- Very young crowd which seeps into the casino during clubbing hours
- Extremely basic buffet
- Over-aggressive elevator security