As far as we -- and they -- know, the most expensive hotel accommodation available for private hire in Las Vegas is the Villa Verona at the Las Vegas Hilton. At 15,400 square feet, it’s the largest of the legendary Sky Villas, and at $17,500 per night, it’s also the priciest suite in town (more than 10 times the cost of the most expensive suite at Wynn Las Vegas and significantly more than the famed Mansions at MGM Grand, which run from approximately $5,000 per night for a two-bedroom villa to $15,000 for the 12,000-square-foot version, which can accommodate up to eight).
The Hilton’s three Sky Villas were ordered by Barron Hilton in the mid-'90s in response to the new era of opulence dawning in Las Vegas, heralded by the opening of the Mirage in '89. Hilton’s aim was to create the most lavish hotel rooms anywhere in the world and these babies don’t disappoint. Accessed via a private elevator, in square-footage terms the Villa Verona is the equivalent of five or six decent-sized homes. Basic amenities include a private rooftop pool, five Jacuzzis, and an exercise room. The "little touches" that no self-respecting high-roller suite would be without include heated towel rails in all five bathrooms; remote-controlled draperies, lighting and fireplaces; a state-of-the-art media room; and TVs that emerge, as if by magic, from wooden chests at the base of each bed.
Of course, the décor is so over the top it makes the Palace of Versailles look understated: Just about everything in the suite is gold, aside from the cut-glass and marble. But the icing on the cake, and what really rockets the Verona into a league of its own, are the one-of-a-kind extras, which include hand-painted, Venetian-style murals on every wall and ceiling, thousands of dollars worth of silks and Egyptian cottons on every bed, a telescope for enjoying the suite’s panoramic views of Vegas, a Boesendorfer grand piano -- and when we say "grand," we’re talking in the region of $100,000 -- which had to be airlifted in by helicopter, and a James Bond-style projection TV that rises up out of the enormous pink-marble coffee table at the touch of a button.
Until recently, the Sky Villas were only available as comps to the highest of high rollers. But when the Hilton’s clientele shifted to a more convention-oriented crowd, management decided to make the suites available to anyone who could afford them, either for corporate events or private hire. If the $17,500 asking-price for the Verona seems just a tad too steep, you could try the smaller (but no less extravagant) Tuscany and Conrad Villas, which at 13,200 and 12,600 square feet, respectively, can be had for a mere $15,000 per night each.
For a unique peak into the weird and wonderful world of high rollers, check out Whale Hunt in the Desert by Huntington Press’ own Deke Castleman. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the role of casino superhosts and the multi-millionaire clients whose every whim they must accommodate.
