Palazzo invited me to a grand opening gala complete with buff guys in towels, hot babes in skimpy togas, waterfalls, red carpet, Jay-Zee and a lot of champagne.

Palazzo looks, well, like the Venetian, only newer. There are 81 elevators in the Palazzo. There are 13 jewelry stores. THIRTEEN JEWELRY STORES.

It has a better video poker selection than the Venetian had, so if you want to get some points there, you can play $1 and $2 JoB in single- and multi-line variations.

The Palazzo has a bizarre soundtrack that plays such hits as "The Rose" by Bette Midler and "The Night Chicago Died" by Paper Lace. If you're like me and plan on spending a lot of time on the casino floor ... bring ear plugs or an iPod.

The Palazzo might have opened a little too fast. For one example, I was playing poker with a Venetian employee who told me that some people had checked into their room and called down soon thereafter with a complaint. Their complaint? There was no toilet in their suite. I don't need a whole lot in a hotel room. But a toilet sure comes in handy.

Kidding aside, the place is gorgeous and I'm looking forward to trying the fine dining. I think the property offers a lot to two groups of people: Those with lots of money that want only the best possible traveling experience, and also the medium rollers like me who know how to gamble and get the best for less. After all, the video poker inventory at Palazzo is better than many of the high-end places on the Strip.

Here are a few random pictures from the visit (put your mouse over the pics for a quick description) [You must use Internet Explorer to take advantage of this feature. -- Ed.]:

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