Review: Fine Hotels & Resorts – Palazzo Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV)
Editor’s Note: The following review is of American Express’s Fine Hotels & Resorts as utilized at the Palazzo at the Venetian Las Vegas. This post is not a complete review of the Palazzo Las Vegas.Â
Having enjoyed an amazing stay at the Wynn Las Vegas using American Express’s Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program, I decided to try another hotel I’ve had on my FHR list for quite sometime, the Palazzo Las Vegas.
Review: Fine Hotels & Resorts – Palazzo Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV)
Click here to read more on the Fine Hotels & Resorts Program
Click here for reviews on the Luxury Hotel and Resort CollectionÂ
First of all, the name “Palazzo Las Vegas” itself is a little confusing.
This is because the resort is known by many names including, “Palazzo Las Vegas”, “Palazzo at the Venetian Las Vegas”, the “Palazzo Tower at Venetian”, among others. Some call it a separate hotel, others another tower of the Venetian.
For the purposes of this review, I’m calling it “Palazzo Las Vegas”, as that’s how it’s listed on American Express’ Fine Hotels & Resorts website [as a separate hotel from the Venetian].
About The Fine Hotels & Resorts Program:
First, a quick refresher on the Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program.
How To Use It:
You’ll need a premium American Express Platinum credit card that grants you access to the FHR program. Both the American Express Platinum card and the American Express Business Platinum card will work.
  
The Benefits Of The Fine Hotels & Resorts Program:
American Express’s FHR program is an under-utilized benefit for many Platinum users, but it provides tremendous value when used at the right hotels.
The standard perks of the program include the following 6 benefits:
The Benefits Vary By Property:
The “unique amenity” at the Palazzo Las Vegas is a $100 Spa services credit. Additionally, the “daily breakfast for two” benefit is $65 per room per day, bringing the total FHR benefit is worth to $165.
About The Palazzo Las Vegas:
The Palazzo Las Vegas (with its adjoined sister-property, Venetian Las Vegas) is regarded as one of the ritzier properties on the Las Vegas Strip.
Sitting next to the Wynn Las Vegas on Las Vegas Boulevard, Palazzo – like the Venetian – is known for it’s large all-suite guestrooms and overall high-end luxury.
The Check-In: The Invited Guest Line
There was a Palazzo & IHG Rewards Club Invited Guests line, however, it was closed when I arrived.
Closed – The Invited Guest Line
No matter, the main front desk was open with only one group ahead of me in line.
The main front desk on the right, with the [closed] Invited Guest line on the left
The Check-In: The Front Desk Service & Room Upgrade
As was my experience at the Wynn, I got really lucky with an awesome front desk attendant who couldn’t have been any more professional or helpful.
He immediately thanked me for my IHG Rewards status and for using the FHR program.
During some small talk at check-in, I discovered we shared a common interest, hiking the surrounding Las Vegas trails. We briefly talked about some of our favorite trails, before he recommended an awesome trail to me (the Cathedral Rock Trail) that I hadn’t tried before. As I was writing the name of the trail down, he proceeded to tell me to “hang on while I go talk with my manager”.
After about two minutes, he returned with a smile on his face, saying, “you are really going to like this, I spoke with my manager, and we’re able to offer you an upgrade – a two-tier upgrade”.
And what an upgrade it was.
Initially, I booked a Luxury King Suite that went for $565.41 a night, but I was upgraded to a Fortuna Suite that went for $701.47 a night (an upgrade worth $136.06).
My initial booking
The Fortuna Suite upgrade
The FHR Welcome Letter:
The IHG Rewards Club Membership Benefits Letter:
It turns out I was also eligible for a suite of IHG Rewards Club benefits well.
It should be noted that in many cases, the FHR benefits were equal to, or greater than, those of the IHG Rewards Club.
The Palazzo Room Key:
Front
Back
The Elevators To The Room:
Clean and elegantÂ
The Fortuna Suite:
The Fortuna Suite was a very pleasant surprise, and a major upgrade over the room I had initially booked.
The room was as enormous as it was comfortable, and dare-I-say, “luxurious”.
View of the step-down living room
The living room
The [not] wet bar  Â
The Bedroom:
The bedroom was a great. It was large, clean, and laid out in angular cut that made the suite feel larger than it was (even though it actually was quite large).
Where the magic happens (under ambient lighting)
The open room plan is visible from this angle
View of the flat-screen television (looking back into the suite)
View of the room toward the walk-in closet
The walk-in closet
Printed with…soy ink
The Office Space:
The one awkward design touch to the room was having the office space so deep into the bedroom. Aside from its strange placement, it actually had a smart design and looked great.
You’ll find the in-room dining menu way back here
Room Amenities:
Complementary mini-bottles of water
Uh-oh, the cushion was missing a button (I didn’t do it, I swear!)
The Bathroom:
The bathroom had its own vanity with dedicated separate mirror and stoolÂ
The View From The Room (Morning, Afternoon, & Night):
View of the pool area (for good measure)
The Canyon Ranch Spa: Using the $100 Spa Credit
I was a little surprised to find the entrance to Canyon Ranch Spa was $75 a person for a day pass (actually $77.26), especially when you consider the Spa at Encore day pass goes for only $40 per person.
Nevertheless, I went for it, if only to bring you the hard-hitting reviews for journalism’s sake (and because it was a spa and because it was free thanks to FHR).
The 3rd floor is home to the Canyon Ranch Spa
The entrance to the Canyon Ranch Spa
Although the Canyon Ranch Spa was quite nice, it was also showing its age.
I noticed the hot tub was in need of some tile cleaning, the steam room was way too hot, the igloo shower was way too cold, and the experimental shower noises were way too loud.
With that said, I still enjoyed the day pass and found it overall very relaxing, especially the sauna and the aromatherapy room.
There was even a centralized co-ed section with a rain-room observatory.
Grand Lux Cafe: Using the $65 Daily Room Breakfast Credit
The FHR $65 daily breakfast room credit could be utilized either on room service or at the Grand Lux Cafe (where you have the option of choosing the breakfast buffet for $24.95 a person, or ordering off the menu a la carte style).
I went with the Grand Lux Cafe breakfast buffet.
Bar on the left, entrance to the Grand Lux dining hall on the right
Thoroughly enjoying the Grand Lux breakfast buffet
This is how you use the $65 credit! Only $0.06 cents over!
The Check-Out: The Final Folio Invoice
At check-out, I was provided a final folio invoice that was incorrect as it didn’t include the FHR credits. I notified staff upon check-out and I was told dismissively, “don’t worry, the credits never post right away because the charge is pending, but you’ll be credited before it posts”.
I protested once more only to hear the same thing with an additional, “that’s just how the billing system works here”. Unsurprisingly, the credits never posted and I was charged the full price.
I quickly emailed Venetian billing with my forwarded FHR email confirmation. Surprisingly, I got an immediate response telling me that the issue had been corrected and that I’d already been issued a refund (which posted the next day).
FHOP Tip: Always check your folio invoice when using the FHR program, you’d be surprised how often the hotels get this wrong. If you run into this issue at Palazzo, email your FHR confirmation to ardept@sands.com.
The Bottom-Review: Fine Hotels & Resorts – Palazzo Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV):
Aside from the “less-than-stellar” check-out, I enjoyed my stay at Palazzo Las Vegas utilizing benefits of the FHR program. I was pleased to learn that IHG Rewards Club status (Platinum or above) also gets you some decent benefits, but FHR is definitely the way to go.
The front desk service upon check-in and my two-tier room upgrade made for an amazing stay, and Grand Lux was a worthwhile breakfast experience. However, I wasn’t blown away by the Canyon Ranch Spa as I felt it was overpriced especially considering what you get spa-wise at the Wynn Las Vegas. The $100 FHR spa credit isn’t even enough to get you two separate day-passes, I mean, come on Palazzo.
With that said, I had a great time at Palazzo Las Vegas with the FHR program, so much so that I can’t imagine staying at Palazzo without the FHR program. What’s more, by booking through FHR I earned 5x American Express Membership Rewards points (though I later learned IHG – unlike Hyatt – doesn’t recognize FHR stays as qualifying points-earning nights).
My final rating of the Fine Hotels and & Resorts experience at Palazzo Las Vegas was a 7 out of 10 due to the exemplary service, dining, and room upgrade that was unfortunately tempered with dismissive service at check-out and the overpriced spa day pass.
Cheers!
