Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/101712
POWER STRIP focused on that 21- to 25-year-old customer. That customer, as you know, fills the nightclubs and pool clubs. But we also want the customer who is 25 to 55, who we have never catered to. In our rebranding effort, that is the biggest paradigm shift. We want people who are 35 years old to say that the Palms is a great place to go." In Magliarditi's office: To make that happen, Magliarditi has remodeled all 428 rooms and his brother Marc's helmet from when suites in the Ivory Tower, which has already garnered a Hospy award he was goalie for the for its sophisticated, modern design. The entire casino layout has Las Vegas Wranglers hockey team. been reconfigured and redesigned: In January an upscale American lounge, restaurant, and sportsbar hybrid called Heraea will open in the space formerly occupied by Garduños. And Xishi, a sophisticated Pan-Asian restaurant, replaces Little Buddha. The newest buzzword around town, "female-friendly," hasn't escaped Magliarditi either. He reveals a personal reason for striving for it, laughing as he admits that his two teenage daughters, Lexi and Taylor, make the majority of the decisions in his personal life, and he wanted to acknowledge women at work as well. The design team chose pink and purple color schemes for the guest rooms, designed to lend a feminine touch. "I am humble enough to admit that women make the decisions," he says. The upstate New York native has also added an intimate cocktail bar, Scarlett, and Chocolat Bistro, which will feature everything from gelato to chocolate to crêpes. Magliarditi has become known as something of a "Mr. Fix It" in town. Before his tenure as CEO of Hard Rock, the executive, whose résumé includes degrees from Hofstra University, Niagara University, Harvard Business School, and Cornell University, was instrumental in the design and opening of M Resort while serving as EVP and COO of M Gaming, and was VP of operations for Rio. At Hard Rock, he completely revised the property's operations before moving on to Palms last year. "I'm not really sure how I came to be known as that guy," he says. "But I have grown to appreciate the role. This time, it's become so much more rewarding because we went into a property that was broken. I like to think of it like knocking down a house and completely making it over. The great thing is that the employees here are seeing that transformation happen, and it has elevated morale every time we take down another construction wall." The admittedly driven president has promised friends and family he will take a short break once the current renovations are finished and then get right back to work planning for a new nightclub in the space formerly occupied by Rain. "I love what I do and what we have created here," he says. "What you get with all of these things if you start adding them up is a very chic boutique resort off the —JOE MAGLIARDITI Strip. It's fantastic." V "We were all 21 once, but our tastes change." VIEW FROM THE TOP Joe Magliarditi's inspirations and inclinations. *no boundaries "The weather is great here from an outdoor perspective, and you can get pretty much anywhere you want in the world from the airport now." *fountain of youth "I try to fight age and remain fit. I have a trainer I go to who is a former Navy SEAL, Mel Spicer, who I think is about as crazy as I am from a physical standpoint. So he actually beats me up a couple of times a week." *last good read "I read mostly when I travel, and I like to read about people. I just read George W. Bush's book Decision Points." *wanderlust PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PALMS (ROOM) The Palms' renovated rooms have already won a design award. "I love Orange County and Southern California. I will also go to New York, Toronto, or Chicago any time someone asks. I typically do a ski trip once a year, too. I don't miss living in the snow, but the one thing I do miss about growing up in upstate New York is the rain." *guilty pleasures "My number-one place is one you have probably never heard of, the Black Bear Diner—they have the best whole-grain pancakes. I also go to a place called Luv-It Frozen Custard. So I am a cheap date!" VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 35 034-035_V_SP_PowerStrip_Win13.indd 35 1/2/13 3:14 PM