Non-Gaming Goes Platinum

The new Platinum Hotel and Spa, scheduled to open in early July (delayed from the end of June), has a feature you don’t see in Las Vegas very often: balconies. The management prefers to call them “private terraces,” but every one of the 255 suites has one with room for four people to sit and enjoy the view.

One side of the hotel offers a view of the Las Vegas Strip and the other a view of the sprawling suburbs and the mountains beyond. With all the luxuries offered by the modern resorts, this is one that has been forgotten, and one has to wonder why. Even in the hottest months, the evenings and early mornings in Las Vegas are spectacular.

The Platinum is the newest addition to a stable of hotels operated by Preferred Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. It’s located a block and a half from the Strip on Flamingo Road, within walking distance of Bally’s and the Flamingo and only a block from the Las Vegas Monorail station at Paris. The non-gaming hotel is geared toward the convention and business traveler or the vacationer who prefers a quiet retreat from the hubbub of the Strip.

“We think we have a very unique concept. We are going to be a four-star, upscale, fashionable hotel with all the bells and whistles but without the bells and whistles,” said Peter Rockwood, vice president and general manager. “We have everything that a first-class hotel/casino would have without the casino and the slot machines.”

The Platinum is a condominium/hotel where units are privately owned and rented out as hotel inventory. Rockwood said he expects about 90 percent of the 225 units to be available for rent at any time. This also means the facilities offer more home-away-from-home touches.

The 17 stories offer one- and two-bedroom suites ranging from 910 to 2,165 square feet. Each suite has a full kitchen, large-screen plasma TV and a sofa bed. The larger suites have whirlpool baths, washers and dryers and electric fireplaces that, in Las Vegas, are more atmospheric than functional.

The hotel has two restaurants plus 24-hour room service. The Restaurant at Platinum is on the fifth floor and overlooks the pool with a view of the Strip. The food is “edgy American” by Chef Brenton Hammer, and the atmosphere is casual but elegant. The restaurant seats 80, plus a glass-enclosed, semi-private dining area for parties of up to 25 people.

Stir, an informal cafe and lounge, is located in the lobby and features light breakfast and lunches during the day, including espresso and a Beignet Bag for breakfast on the go. In the evening, the space becomes a chic lounge, showing independent and art-house films nightly.

“Our theme there is ‘Caffeine, Conversation and Cocktails,’” Rockwood said. “The atmosphere of the area will morph constantly. Guests will always be able to enjoy different food and a different atmosphere every time they visit.”

Other services include free self and valet parking, full concierge service, daily newspapers and Wi-Fi in every room and throughout the hotel. Rockwood said the hotel provides grocery delivery service to stock kitchens.

The Platinum has both indoor and outdoor pools and a pool deck furnished with firepits and cabana beds. There is a 4,000-square-foot full-service spa and a 2,000-square-foot fitness room.

The Platinum features a 5,000-square-foot banquet room that can accommodate functions for up to 330 people. Rockwell seemed most proud of the 3,300-square-foot Misora, an indoor/outdoor catering and event space on the roof of the hotel.

“Misora is Japanese and literally means ‘beautiful sky and good fortune,’” he said. “We thought that was really appropriate for this space.”

The Misora can accommodate up to 250 people for weddings or other special events.

Rockwell said he believes the hotel will be popular with the convention crowd due to its location, the upscale home-like facilities and smaller size.

“We have a very residential-style hotel, for a more intimate experience with personal service. The hotel is well laid out and efficient. Our most remote room from the elevator is three minutes from valet parking,” he said.

For the first few months, the Platinum is offering special rates starting at $129 per night through October. Regular rates will start at $189 for weekday nights.