Parisian Palace adds crowning touch to any event
Las Vegas has long been known as an adult fantasyland. But that hasn't stopped one enterprising local entrepreneur from turning castles in the air into a real-life 14,000-square-foot majestic French palace in which private events are king.
Named the Parisian Palace, the off-Strip mansion hotel — with its Rococo interiors, 22-karat gold-plated bathroom fixtures and European toilets built from marble slabs — evokes Versailles more than Vegas. And those wishing to experience the venue need princely purses: An overnight stay costs $2,000 for up to four, with a three-night minimum. A week's sojourn can run anywhere from $8,000 to $105,000. Hosting a celebrity party there starts at $10,000.
Owner Nico Santucci is betting that the hefty price tag won't keep the well-heeled away, be they corporate brass, brides seeking a storybook wedding, honeymooners, dierctors needing location shoots, magazines on photo shoots or the affluent seeking to emulate European royalty. Santucci, a restauranteur, designer and entrepreneur, bought the propery in 2004 and then completely redesigned and remodeled it himself. The Parisian Palace debuted on New Year’s Eve 2006 with a celebrity bash the likes of which Las Vegas had never seen.
“The estate was originally built decades ago by a real estate developer who invested $13 million into what was then known as the Villa de Reve (House of Dreams),” says Santucci, who also owns Capo’s restaurants on Tropicana and Sahara. “I renamed it. A complete tour of the estate takes over 60 minutes. It takes that long simply to absorb all the history and romance. It’s a wonderful place to hold a convention, meeting or party, and people can rent it for those purposes.”
With its beautiful gardens and statuary, Versace furniture and accoutrements, hand-painted ceiling murals, gold-leaf paintings on the mirrors, seven cherry-wood fireplaces, 13 imported chandeliers and much more, the Parisian Palace evokes the romance of another continent and era. However, it also reflects the eclecticism that Santucci is known for. The designer added 5,000 square feet to the existing property, including a professional bowling alley.
Within the last few months, Santucci has renovated the Parisian Palace again to give it more of what he calls a “rock star” feel, adding music memorabilia, authentic gold records, countless electric guitars, a stage and lighting in the mansion’s nightclub and a custom-built Chopper motorcycle. Guests can even arrange to use the chauffeur-driven Rolls Royces and Bentley GTs or can hire a Mercedes-Benz SL600 roadster convertible and driver.
The Parisian Palce boasts 21 rooms — including eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, two theater rooms housing screens and projection equipment, a full-sized ultralounge/night club and a second nightclub in the huge pool area. But for all of its authentic beauty steeped in rich history, the most breathtaking aspect of the castle is the hand-painted murals on the ceilings.
Master painter Thomas Bisesti did the original art; it took him five years and 10,000 man hours (many of them on his back). When Santucci bought the estate, he knew that Bisesti was the only artist to return the murals to their original glory. The artist restored all the existing work and added new muraqls to an additional 5,000 square feet in the North Wing.
- by Bobbie Katz, Las Vegas Reporter for HelloMetro
(Click to leave a message)
