When the Palazzo opened in late December 2007, it was as the Venetian's sophisticated little sister. The Italianate architecture and decor was consistent, but gone were the electric blue canals, the singing gondoliers and the faux St. Mark's Square complete with costumed characters and gelato carts.
The Palazzo was Venetian light: a little sleeker, a little subtler, a little more contemporary. And while that vibe has remained over the opulent resort's lifespan, a decade in, the Palazzo was due for an update. That update was largely completed last month.
"Overall, we've taken the Palazzo through what we're calling a modern-day Renaissance," said Marcy Miles, chief marketing officer for the Venetian and the Palazzo. "We didn't just touch one place. We really looked at the entire, complete experience."
That process has resulted in an extensive renovation focused on innovation, art and culture that hasn't so much reinvented the center-Strip property as given it a welcome refresh from the casino floor to the guestrooms to the dining and nightlife venues.
The new experience begins from the moment guests enter the resort. "There's a very different feeling on the casino floor," Miles said.
They've raised the ceilings, brightened the space and installed carpeting. Embedded in the ceiling, a "ribbon" of light adds a jolt of color in rainbow hues.
A refreshed guestroom at the Palazzo.
The suites and hallways have been given a similar touch-up, made lighter, brighter and warmer with fresh coats of paint and updated wall coverings that help the spacious suites feel even more expansive.
Last summer, the resort remade one of its pools, dubbing it the Aquatic Club and creating a day club venue that's less thumping party pool and more playful splash spot, with whimsical touches like floating pingpong and a Prohibition Treat Trike dispensing alcohol-spiked fruit pops and ice cream bars.
Now, the Palazzo is refreshing its indoor food and beverage lineup. Electra Cocktail Club is a new addition alongside the casino floor, joining sister lounges Rosina and the Dorsey to round out the Venetian Cocktail Collective.
Centered around a 40-foot digital display showcasing original art in 70 million pixels, the 127-seat Electra is the most boisterous of the bunch, a space meant to evolve from buzzy lounge to high-energy nightspot over the course of an evening. Like at Rosina and the Dorsey, craft cocktails are still a focus, with a menu designed by highly regarded barman Sam Ross. At Electra, however, many of the drinks get a light-hearted twist. Ross' classic Penicillin, for example, is made over into the Penichillin, a frozen version available in an oversize, fish-shaped punch bowl that serves four.
With the Venetian Cocktail Collective, Miles said, there's an array of nightlife options right at hand for guests. "Depending on what you're looking for, you can get that at Palazzo and Venetian."
The Disgruntled Mai Tai is emblematic of the drink menu at the Electra Cocktail Club, where familiar cocktails get a fun twist.
Another fresh addition to the drinking lineup is Bar Luca, a gaming bar perched in front of the Palazzo's grand Atrium. Set on the casino floor, it's meant to feed off the energy of the games around it, and it's a great place to grab a drink while friends hit the tables or slot machines.
Finally, coming in December is Mott 32, a new location of the Hong Kong-based restaurant focused on elevated Cantonese cuisine and known equally for its dim sum and Peking duck and its high-design setting.
"It's the first time Mott 32 is coming to the United States," Miles said. "The restaurant itself will be a beautiful design."
With its highly regarded fare, impressive setting and the exclusivity of being the brand's first stateside location, Miles said, Mott 32 will round out the Palazzo renovations, encapsulating the principles driving the resort update into a single, spectacular space.
"We continue to look at experiences that create a differentiation," Miles said. "The Venetian offers guests a true Venice experience." At the Palazzo, she added, it's more about what the property has always stood for — "a sophisticated and elevated experience. Unique tastes of the world and an international flare, creating experiences that [guests are] not able to get anywhere else."