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| The hotel, from across the street in front of Caesars Palace |
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| The Ricky Martin "dealertainer" in action |
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| It's a plain room, but it's not bad |
The Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino is located mid-Strip, between Flamingo and Harrah's, and directly across the street from Caesars Palace.
Out of the 20-odd times I've been to Las Vegas, 17 of those trips have seen me staying at Imperial Palace, or "IP" as it's also known. While it's certainly not a 5-star hotel and it doesn't have a great pool, it's certainly a good value for a mid-Strip location and not a hotel that should be considered a "dive" by any means.
Acquired by Harrah's Entertainment (HET) just a few years ago, it was rumored that the IP would be imploded - along with several other HET properties - to make way for a larger property on the Strip. As the unfinished Project City Center behemoth next to Bellagio shows, lbigger is not always better.
Room features: The rooms are pretty small and basic, and they don't have a lot of amenities or special features. They either contain one king or two queen beds, and the bathrooms have either a single or double vanity sink depending on the number of beds in the room. A 27" TV with Nintendo is included in each room, as well as WiFi hookups and a keyboard to use with the television. Room service is offered 24 hours a day.
Casino: The casino offers free gaming lessons, a poker room, slot machines, table games, and live keno. Four bars are located on the casino floor, and cocktail waitresses are plentiful. This is one of the smaller casinos on the Strip, and you can walk in the front door and see almost all the way to the shops in the back of the casino near the elevators. Because it is small and the ceilings are pretty low, the air circulation is not very good and it can get very smoky here late at night. What the casino lacks in size it makes up for in an entertaining atmosphere; the Dealertainers deal blackjack and perform songs from 4 p.m. until 3 a.m. every day, and the craps tables are some of the most crowded and boisterous on the Strip.
Restaurants and dining: Betty's Diner and Cyber Cafe' is located on the casino level past the hotel shops. They offer limited breakfast items, sandwiches, snacks and drinks. The cyber cafe' has free WiFi, but it also offers four laptop stations which can be accessed for a fee. The diner opens at 6:00 a.m. daily.
The Teahouse is located on the 2nd floor and is accessible by elevator or escalator near the Ginza Bar. It is open 24 hours and offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For such a small place, the menu offerings are quite extensive, and there's something to satisfy everyone in your party.
Burger Palace is located on the 3rd floor and offers basic fast food selections like burgers, fries, and shakes. It opens at 7:00 a.m. daily.
The Emperor's Buffet is also located on the 3rd floor, but I would not recommend this buffet to anyone. You would do much better by going to The Teahouse, Betty's Diner, or Burger Palace for a quick meal, or head to one of the 5th floor restaurants for more appealing dining options.
Embers is a romantic restaurant located on the 5th floor. They offer steak and seafood options, and their salads and specialty desserts are prepared tableside. It is considered one of the top five most romantic restaurants in Las Vegas, and reservations are recommended by not required. The restaurant opens at 5:00 p.m. Thursday through Monday.
Pizza Palace is also located on the 5th floor, and it opens at 11:00 a.m. daily. They offer pizza, pastas, hot and cold sandwiches, and a large salad bar.
Take the elevator or escalator at the front of the casino to access either of the 5th floor restaurants.
Entertainment: Dealertainers - These "dealer entertainers" have their own pit of blackjack tables on the main casino floor. Each dealer is dressed as a different entertainer (Ricky Martin, Dolly Parton, Elvis, etc.), and they regularly get up on their own "stage" to perform or lip sync a few songs. Some of them are pretty good, but some of them are also far-fetched and hard to identify.
The Auto Collection is located on the fifth level of the parking garage and is accessible from the casino floor near the monorail entrance. The collection houses over $100 million worth of cars, some of which are available for sale to the public. Admission is $6, but free passes can be obtained from the Total Rewards desk, any gift shop on the casino level, or in Las Vegas 24/7 magazines.
Imperial Palace Karaoke Club offers a lively karaoke party on the 3rd floor, directly across from the Sports Book. Performances start at 9:00 p.m. nightly.
The Rockhouse Bar and Nightclub is located in the "satellite" area of IP next to the Strip. This is a daiquiri bar and nightclub that charges a small fee, and private tables are not available. The bar and nightclub open at 9:00 p.m. nightly.
The Imperial Luau takes place poolside on Tuesday and Saturday nights at 7:00 p.m. from May through September, weather permitting. Complimentary drinks and an authentic Hawaiian luau accompany a host of Hawaiian dancers. Be aware that the show can be pretty warm during the summer months, so be sure to dress accordingly. Ticket prices start at $49.95 per person.
Other services - 4th floor:
Beauty salon
Business center
Meeting rooms
The spa
Wedding chapel
Other services - 8th floor:
Casino host office
Medical center
Using a scale of 1 to 10, I rate the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino as a 7. Its convenient location, great drink service and cheap table limits make it a good place to stay and play when you're vising Las Vegas on a tight budget. There are more upscale places to stay, but if you're looking for a small, center-Strip hotel with a low price and lots of things to offer, you can't go wrong with IP.
For more details about the casino, hotel, or services, visit their website at http://www.imperialpalace.com/, or call toll-free: 1-800-634-6441 (local: 702-731-3311).
Out of the 20-odd times I've been to Las Vegas, 17 of those trips have seen me staying at Imperial Palace, or "IP" as it's also known. While it's certainly not a 5-star hotel and it doesn't have a great pool, it's certainly a good value for a mid-Strip location and not a hotel that should be considered a "dive" by any means.
Acquired by Harrah's Entertainment (HET) just a few years ago, it was rumored that the IP would be imploded - along with several other HET properties - to make way for a larger property on the Strip. As the unfinished Project City Center behemoth next to Bellagio shows, lbigger is not always better.
Room features: The rooms are pretty small and basic, and they don't have a lot of amenities or special features. They either contain one king or two queen beds, and the bathrooms have either a single or double vanity sink depending on the number of beds in the room. A 27" TV with Nintendo is included in each room, as well as WiFi hookups and a keyboard to use with the television. Room service is offered 24 hours a day.
Casino: The casino offers free gaming lessons, a poker room, slot machines, table games, and live keno. Four bars are located on the casino floor, and cocktail waitresses are plentiful. This is one of the smaller casinos on the Strip, and you can walk in the front door and see almost all the way to the shops in the back of the casino near the elevators. Because it is small and the ceilings are pretty low, the air circulation is not very good and it can get very smoky here late at night. What the casino lacks in size it makes up for in an entertaining atmosphere; the Dealertainers deal blackjack and perform songs from 4 p.m. until 3 a.m. every day, and the craps tables are some of the most crowded and boisterous on the Strip.
Restaurants and dining: Betty's Diner and Cyber Cafe' is located on the casino level past the hotel shops. They offer limited breakfast items, sandwiches, snacks and drinks. The cyber cafe' has free WiFi, but it also offers four laptop stations which can be accessed for a fee. The diner opens at 6:00 a.m. daily.
The Teahouse is located on the 2nd floor and is accessible by elevator or escalator near the Ginza Bar. It is open 24 hours and offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For such a small place, the menu offerings are quite extensive, and there's something to satisfy everyone in your party.
Burger Palace is located on the 3rd floor and offers basic fast food selections like burgers, fries, and shakes. It opens at 7:00 a.m. daily.
The Emperor's Buffet is also located on the 3rd floor, but I would not recommend this buffet to anyone. You would do much better by going to The Teahouse, Betty's Diner, or Burger Palace for a quick meal, or head to one of the 5th floor restaurants for more appealing dining options.
Embers is a romantic restaurant located on the 5th floor. They offer steak and seafood options, and their salads and specialty desserts are prepared tableside. It is considered one of the top five most romantic restaurants in Las Vegas, and reservations are recommended by not required. The restaurant opens at 5:00 p.m. Thursday through Monday.
Pizza Palace is also located on the 5th floor, and it opens at 11:00 a.m. daily. They offer pizza, pastas, hot and cold sandwiches, and a large salad bar.
Take the elevator or escalator at the front of the casino to access either of the 5th floor restaurants.
Entertainment: Dealertainers - These "dealer entertainers" have their own pit of blackjack tables on the main casino floor. Each dealer is dressed as a different entertainer (Ricky Martin, Dolly Parton, Elvis, etc.), and they regularly get up on their own "stage" to perform or lip sync a few songs. Some of them are pretty good, but some of them are also far-fetched and hard to identify.
The Auto Collection is located on the fifth level of the parking garage and is accessible from the casino floor near the monorail entrance. The collection houses over $100 million worth of cars, some of which are available for sale to the public. Admission is $6, but free passes can be obtained from the Total Rewards desk, any gift shop on the casino level, or in Las Vegas 24/7 magazines.
Imperial Palace Karaoke Club offers a lively karaoke party on the 3rd floor, directly across from the Sports Book. Performances start at 9:00 p.m. nightly.
The Rockhouse Bar and Nightclub is located in the "satellite" area of IP next to the Strip. This is a daiquiri bar and nightclub that charges a small fee, and private tables are not available. The bar and nightclub open at 9:00 p.m. nightly.
The Imperial Luau takes place poolside on Tuesday and Saturday nights at 7:00 p.m. from May through September, weather permitting. Complimentary drinks and an authentic Hawaiian luau accompany a host of Hawaiian dancers. Be aware that the show can be pretty warm during the summer months, so be sure to dress accordingly. Ticket prices start at $49.95 per person.
Other services - 4th floor:
Beauty salon
Business center
Meeting rooms
The spa
Wedding chapel
Other services - 8th floor:
Casino host office
Medical center
Using a scale of 1 to 10, I rate the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino as a 7. Its convenient location, great drink service and cheap table limits make it a good place to stay and play when you're vising Las Vegas on a tight budget. There are more upscale places to stay, but if you're looking for a small, center-Strip hotel with a low price and lots of things to offer, you can't go wrong with IP.
For more details about the casino, hotel, or services, visit their website at http://www.imperialpalace.com/, or call toll-free: 1-800-634-6441 (local: 702-731-3311).
Update December 21, 2009: The Teahouse at Imperial Palace has been closed and replaced by Hash House A Go-Go. HHAGG already has one location in Las Vegas, and my understanding is that the portions are very large, the prices are reasonable and the food is very good. I'm looking forward to trying it out on one of my next trips.
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