Ok, so business travel can be cool

Check this out. I just returned from Las Vegas, where I spent a day and a half marketing for my job. Now before I hear the collective groans of "oh, Las Vegas.." and put up with the "whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...", rest assured that 1) Vegas is a soleless berg in the middle of the desert, and 2) the day began at 4am when I woke up to catch my flight from Denver, so it can be reasonably determined that I was exhausted by the time this story happened.

So Andy and I are standing in line at the Palms hotel, well maybe it wasn't quite a line, but a gaggle of people waiting to see the next check-in helper, and Andy is called forward to receive the key for his room. I am hailed down by the next attendant, when some other guest (who obviously had his head too far up his own ass to notice), walks in front of me and is helped. With a look of "oh well" because, really, the day was over, and I was happy just to be close to changing out of a suit, I join my business partner at the counter. I look up to find that the hotel manager is the person checking us in - he comments on the rudeness of the other guest, and says that they [the Palms] as the "nicest rooms in Vegas" and that he would get us "a nice one for our troubles". Now tuck this away for later use - my inconvienance time was about 15 seconds.

We are provided with keys and are told that we are on the 50th and 51st floor respectively. Having traveled a lot, and stayed in a number of hotel rooms, this isn't a big deal to me. As we get off the elevator, it still hasn't hit us yet. So we part ways and state to each other that we will call to rendezvous later for Memphis Championship BBQ (a whole different story).

As I put my key in the lock and open the door, I am greeted with a sense of shock and awe that was probably along the lines of what Georgie Bush was looking for in his recent crusade. There is no bed in sight. In front of me lies was we conservatively estimated at 1,500 - 2,000 sqaure feet of Vegas hotel real estate! Walking into the penthouse suite that I am to call my "room" for the night, a feeling of "is this right?" swells inside me, at which point I beat it into submission and remind myself that it is, in fact a Monday night in Vegas - not exactly a high day for room demand.

Andy rings me, and of course his corner penthouse is just as cool as mine, with a jaccuzi that is filled from the ceiling, three plasma tv's and a sitting room! As I don my terricloth robe and flip through the television, I recall the lesson of the day, which is that event for a couple of non-gambling businessmen in town for one night, Vegas can still impress you. Oh, and don't cut in line!

Some stats from the Palms website:


View the Vegas skyline at eye level from our Penthouse Suites. High atop the Palms & Fantasy Towers, these suites are custom designed to party with LCD and plasma screen TVs, Jacuzzi® tubs and, of course, wet bars.

* Up to 3,000 square feet
* Jacuzzi Tub
* LCDs and Plasma Screens
* iPod® Hi-Fi Equipped
* Full Wet Bar
* Living Room
* Walk-in Closet
* Capacity: 65

Published Rack Rate: $3,000
Chris' Rate: $79.00