Staff Writer
An announcement by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians regarding the grand reopening of the Palms Casino Resort has hailed the event as a “historic moment” for Las Vegas.
The venue has been closed since March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously owned by Red Rock Resorts, The Palms Casino Resort did not reopen and was subsequently acquired by the tribe and the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority for the reported sum of $650m in May 2021.
The Palms became the first and only Native American-owned casino in Las Vegas and since then has undergone an “extensive renovation and refresh” in preparation for reopening.
Cynthia Kiser Murphey, the Palms’ General Manager, did not offer a set reopening date but advised that it is likely to happen in the spring.
“It’s historic and it’s very exciting. The tribe has long been searching for the right time to enter the Las Vegas market and when the Palms became available, they really took their time, did their due diligence and decided it would be a perfect fit,” she said.
Kiser Murphey, further revealed that the tribe will be offering “best-in-class hospitality and service” to the Palms while integrating its “esteemed culture and tradition”.
“Las Vegas is a special market and our job will be to bring something new, fresh and exciting while honoring the San Manuel tradition. The culture of the tribe is very people-first. It’s focused on tradition, integrity and respect. We want to educate people about the history of San Manuel and part of that will be rolling up our sleeves and being extremely integrated with the local community,” she continued.
The General Manager added that a vital component of the success of the re-launch is the continuing effort to welcome as many of the venue’s 1 200 employees as possible back to work. The tribe has dedicated time and resources to reach out to previous staff in the hopes of enticing them back.
The refurbished Palms will house an 85 000 square-foot casino, with close to 700 hotel rooms and suites, a convention centre, 2500-seat theatre, a pool area, a spa, and the Palms Place condominiums. The casino has taken on a new sportsbook operator, who will be announced soon, and is currently updating the former sportsbook space with new technology. Unfortunately for poker fans, no plans for a poker room have been announced.
“The Palms is a spectacular property. The attention to detail is incredible. But our job right now is to bring in a team to operate the resort so when someone walks in they are immediately going to feel an incredible sense of welcome, hospitality and a degree of friendliness that they have never experienced before.”
“This property will be as much about the quality of service as all of the fabulous amenities. We can’t wait to open the doors and show the world what we have in store,” Kiser Murphey concluded.
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