The Palms unveils Barbie-themed suite

By Melissa Arseniuk

Wednesday, June 3, 2009 | 8:26 p.m.

Girls spend countless hours with their Barbie dolls; brushing their hair, dressing them in fancy gowns, and living out their little girl fantasies through Barbie and her plastic prince charming, Ken.

And while little girls play games of make-believe in Barbie’s Dream House, big girls can now spend a night or two in Barbie’s real life luxury suite.

The Palms recently unveiled its latest theme room: a 2,350-square foot Barbie suite.

The suite comes as Barbie marks her 50th anniversary this year, and was developed in conjunction with the iconic doll’s manufacturer, Mattel.

The Palms is expecting the room to be a hit with girls of all ages, from the ones who still play with dolls to the women who have found their real-life Ken and are looking to throw a bachelorette party to remember.

Like the Barbie Dream House, the Barbie suite is pink. Very, very pink. It has pink walls, pink tables, pink chairs, pink poodle statues, and a pink bed.

Yet the Palms has once again done what it does best, and has somehow managed to make the potentially tacky, kiddie theme cool thanks to a retro-chic design and stylish accents.

While some would say they managed to not overdue it on the pink, others, might disagree on that one.

Much of the suite’s décor was sourced from the soon-to-be-released (and yes, very pink) “Barbie Loves Jonathan Adler “ collection. Meanwhile, 65 replications of the first ever Barbie doll, “Black & White Bathing Suit Barbie,” have been incorporated into a starburst mirror off the dining area and dozens more are showcased alongside a collection of more modern, bikini-clad Barbies, in the bedroom.

The suite comes with three queen-sized beds, an extra-large Jacuzzi tub, two-way fireplace, and plenty of Barbie artwork and artifacts.

It is worth noting, however, that the Barbie theme only permeates half of the suite: Just one of the three queen-size beds is located in Barbieland; the other two are in another, adjoining suite, and are decorated in the so-called “classic Palms” style.

(Note: While “classic” might conjure up images of Audrey Hepburn or from the pages of Martha Stewart Living, “classic” loosely translates to “hip, modern and stylish” at the Palms.)

The resort’s resident Ken doll and right-hand man to Palms president (and, some might say, equally Ken-doll-comparable) George Maloof, Jon Gray, called the suite “the ultimate Vegas destination for bachelorettes, birthdays and anyone who wants to be pampered in pink.”

“Girls of all ages can experience the fun and fantasy of the Barbie Dream House first hand,” he said.

Of course, the nature of said “fantasy” stands to vary greatly, from innocent girlie getaways and super sweet 16 parties to more adults-only sleepovers complete with sweaty pillow fights and whatever else guests might dream up.

(What happens in the Barbie suite stays in the Barbie suite, after all.)

The room has a maximum capacity of 50 and goes for about $4,000 a night, which is in line with the other, similarly-sized suites in the Fantasy Tower.