Luxury Travel Advisor - November 2008 - (Page 54)

COVER STORY what’s happening.” Palms Casino Resort opened seven years ago, but 2002 was its watershed year. Ten years after the MTV reality show The Real World burst onto the scene in New York, it descended on Sin City, using The Palms as its base of operations. The debauchery ensued and put The Palms on the map as the Las Vegas hotspot with its tantalizing array of nightclubs, from Ghostbar on the 55th floor, to the sultry Playboy Club. It also thrust Maloof to the forefront of Las Vegas society and culture as one in a new breed of young brash entrepreneurs taking Las Vegas by storm with new ideas and passion. While Maloof recognizes and admires Las Vegas progenitors like Steve Wynn and Kirk Kerkorian, at only 44, he’s cutting his own swath in a city that is always looking to reinvent itself. Don’t get it twisted, though: You could call George Maloof a maverick for his ingenuity, but a prima donna he is not. Yes, his private life is tabloid fodder; he’s often seen gallivanting around town with his celebrity buddies, but he is about as grounded as any billionaire can be. This is a credit to his upbringing and the continued support of his family. Maloof grew up in Albuquerque, NM, with his three brothers and sister. His father, THE CANTILEVERED JACUZZI POOL at the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa in the Fantasy Tower renders stunning Strip views; the Villa also boasts a glass elevator and round rotating bed. George, Sr., was one of the largest distributors of Coors beer in the Southwest. Later in life, he became owner of the N.B.A.’s Houston Rockets. His management style was a lesson the younger Maloof has continued to follow. “My father always said, ‘Take care of your customers and employees and they’ll take care of you,’” Maloof says. What’s almost comical about the Maloof family is that as successful as George is, his two older brothers, Gavin and Joe, might even have him beat in the fame category. That’s because they run the Sacramento Kings, and during the team’s countless playoff runs earlier this decade, the two brothers were ubiquitous on TV, cheering their team on and leading the crowd from the front row. Sadly, the Kings THE REAL WORLD SUITE was made famous (or infamous) during the MTV reality series; the suite stayed and now offers guests pleasure at every turn. never won a championship ring, but the jovial Maloof brothers became media darlings. “We all have different personalities, but we mix well together,” Maloof says. “My older brothers enjoy different things; I’m probably a bit more on the serious side.” If the older brothers are the two initial Palms Towers, which includes the Fantasy Tower and its fairytale suites, such as the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa and Hardwood Suite, George Maloof is Palms Place—a bit more cerebral and sobersided. Undoubtedly, a new movement in Las Vegas centers on boutique luxury; it’s being led by the likes of Palms Place and Skylofts at MGM Grand. To Maloof, high-end lodging is not only a state of mind—it has to make logistical sense. “I think luxury is a place where someone feels comfortable and there is a sense of convenience,” he says. “When you do get to Las Vegas, at every other hotel you have to walk a mile to the front desk, then a mile to your room, then the spa, the pool—everything is a big hassle. The convenience part of it means a lot, particularly in Vegas.” Expanding the successful Palms brand is in the works, according to Maloof, though he’s hesitant to volunteer specifics or cities on his radar. “I want to take it outside of Las Vegas, absolutely,” he says. “It’s a flexible brand; with Palms Place there is an opportunity to do gaming or non-gaming.” Luxury Travel Advisor agrees: Palms Place is as at home under the Las Vegas sun as it would be positioned on any of the affluent blocks of New York’s Tribeca or Meatpacking District. “It fits right in,” Maloof says. 54 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | November 2008

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Luxury Travel Advisor - November 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Las Vegas Australia Virginia's Northern Neck Posh Penthouses K Club Four Seasons Florence Entertaining Luxury Caribbean Spas The Pulse Jetset Report Luxury Lifestyles Just Back Luxury Travel Expo Sightings Source List Virtuoso Insert

Luxury Travel Advisor - November 2008

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