Saturday, April 30, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
NORM: A stars war over LV luxury condos
Rapper Eminem will have a pad at the Palms.
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Las Vegas has never been hotter as a celebrity battle- ground. This time it's a high-stakes war to lure the biggest names to buy luxury high-rise condos.
Wooing celebrities to boost business dates to 1946, when Bugsy Siegel flew in Hollywood stars to promote the Flamingo, the Strip's first major casino.
Hard Rock Hotel owner Peter Morton picked this weekend to reveal the hotel's $1 billion expansion because so many A-list stars were in town for the opening of Wynn Las Vegas. The Hard Rock, which turned 10 years old in March, moved the anniversary celebration to this weekend to maximize its marketing strategy.
So far the Hard Rock has signed up Claudia Schiffer and husband Matthew Vaughn, Joey Fatone of 'N Sync, Motley Crue's Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx, hockey star Sergei Fedorov, and actors Danny Masterson and Wilmer Valderrama.
Britney Spears has let it be known she's unhappy that she was listed as a Hard Rock tenant and was even angrier that a Hard Rock rep told a New York gossip columnist that she got pregnant in a room at the Hard Rock.
Over at the Palms, rap star Eminem, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, and future Hall of Fame pitcher Roger Clemens are among the early commitments for luxury condos at the Palms Place, a 49-story residential tower scheduled to open in 2007.
A high roller who is among the Forbes 400 richest men in the U.S. has purchased two units just below the penthouse suite owned by Phil Maloof, president of Maloof TV.
The double unit is being connected, and the owner asked George Maloof to come up with a theme, a la the "Real World" suites. Maloof said the owner, who asked to remain anonymous, agreed with the recommendation to transform it into the "Fear and Loathing" suite.
"It's still being designed," Maloof said, "but it's going to have a pool that cantilevers off the edge of the balcony, a tricked-up bar and a ton of unbelievable gadgets."
Sightings
Among the moguls and mogulettes attending Thursday's birthday bash for Elaine Wynn at Wynn Las Vegas: Donald and Melania Trump, Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, Paul Anka, Richard Branson, Sidney Poitier, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Robert Wagner and Jill St. John, and George Hamilton. American opera star Renee Fleming, one of Elaine Wynn's favorites, was the featured entertainer ... Others spotted on the property: Demi Moore, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, pollster Frank Luntz and Phyllis McGuire ... In town for the Hard Rock Hotel's 10th anniversary weekend: Jamie Foxx, Jessica Simpson, Matthew Perry, Courtney Cox Arquette, David Arquette, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Masterson, Valderrama, Lee, Laura Prepon, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Dave Navarro, Carmen Electra, Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn, Jesse Metcalfe, Shannon Elizabeth, Pamela Anderson, Stephen Dorff, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Martin Sheen, Nicky Hilton, Kevin Connelly, Robbie Williams, Laura Dern, Kenny G, Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, Josh Duhamel and Johnny Knoxville ... Getting face time on "The Today Show" on Friday: Steve Wynn; Mayor Oscar Goodman; George Maloof; Penn & Teller, whose promised surprise for Katie Couric and Matt Lauer turned out to be Wayne Newton popping out of a gift-wrapped box; Elvis impersonator Jesse Garon, who put Elvis sideburn glasses and wig on Al Roker for their duet; Siegfried & Roy; and Bernie Yuman, Franco Dragone, Alessandro Stratta and poker champ Dan Negreanu ... Duhamel and Melissa Joan Hart, at separate tables at N9NE Steak House (Palms) on Thursday night ... Goodman, still wearing makeup from his "Today" appearance, while heading into the Palms' Hugh Hefner suite for his guest photography shoot with Playmate Irina Voronina, 27, cover girl of Playboy's April 2001 "Girls of the Hard Rock" issue.
The Punch Line
"(Martha) Stewart is now trying to solve the problem, by paying to have Manhattan moved within 25 feet of her home." -- Dennis Miller, on the probe into whether Stewart violated her house arrest by attending a lavish party in Manhattan last week.
Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.