Columnist Kate Maddox: Palms: The suite and lowdown

Kate Maddox

Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2002 | 8:23 a.m.

The suite's complete. According to one insider at the Palms, the Jacuzzi is bubbling and the pillows are fluffed. All the hotel needs are the seven nubile strangers eagerly waiting to move in.

"The place looks incredible," the Palms spy said. "Those kids are going to go wild in there ... it's unreal."

The "kids" the insider is referring to, of course, are the cast of MTV's "The Real World: Season 12." Palms employees have reportedly been warned to expect the roomies in the next two weeks. The lucky "winners" of MTV's exhaustive "Real World" audition process are scheduled to crash at their custom-deigned 4,000-square-foot pad for four months. But don't think they'll have it easy.

"Just wait until the pool opens," remarked one source. "We're going to be giving those guys a ton of work. It'll be a lot of fun to watch." MTV has apparently made a deal with the Palms to let the coed cast help out with nightlife, marketing and concert events.

Even though I promised the producer I'd try not poke fun, there's no way to avoid commentary about a new Vegas show called "Comedy, Tricks and Naked Chicks." (Well, the real name is "The Fielding West Show: Comedy, Tricks and Naked Chicks," but I'm guessing folks will be more, "Fielding Who? Bring on the Chicks!")

The show opens Feb. 14 at Bourbon Street and will feature three topless showgirls assisting West as he does a little magic and tells some jokes. Can anyone say, "eye candy"?

Producer David Saxe, who until recently was running things for Melinda, First Lady of Magic at Venetian, says this new venture will be perfect for the Bourbon Street crowd. (Bear in mind the Bourbon's last big entertainment outing was Dr. Naughty, the XXX-rated hypnotist.) Saxe says he is "taking some time off" from Melinda's show (the First Lady also happens to be Saxe's big sister) to try new things.

And the title?

"That was my idea," Saxe said. "I think it will help draw people in, don't you agree?" On second thought, maybe I will hold the commentary.

Local stylist William Whatley has had a productive couple of months. After being tapped to be the "official" hair guru at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 9, Whatley secured the same gig for the People's Choice Awards on Jan. 13. Samples from Whatley's line of hair-care products were put into all of the celebrity gift bags post-show, so such people as Puffy, Britney, Cher, Usher, O-Town and 'N Sync could appreciate Whatley's original creations. 'N Sync liked the stuff so much that members signed Whatley as the official hair-care product for the group's upcoming tour.

Howard Stern update:

"The Howard Stern Show" will be broadcast from the Hard Rock Hotel Feb. 5-7. The show will air live on KXTE 107.5-FM from 4-8 p.m. each night from the hotel, and then be broadcast in the morning Wednesday through Friday on Stern's affiliates around the country.

Celebutant Paris Hilton will spend her 21st birthday in Las Vegas, according to pals. Hilton visited Vegas a number of times over the past year. You might remember her antics at the Palms opening -- she's the one who wore the seriously low-cut dress made from $1 million in casino chips, though she wasn't old enough to play the tables.

No matter. This time around she's apparently planning a blowout at Light, the new posh nightclub at Bellagio. Don't be surprised if the careless heiress takes a turn on the club's new tables next month.