“Paul Pusateri’s Formula for Success”

Paul Pusateri already has gained recognition for his achievements as a leader in senior-level management. Throughout the years, Paul has taken the helm as President of Bally’s Las Vegas, President of Paris Las Vegas, Senior Vice President of the Venetian Resort and Palazzo, and now has been named President of the Palms Casino Resort and Palms Place Hotel and Spa. He feels, “You have to be extremely passionate about what you do and lead by example. It’s not only about drawing from your experience, but also considering new trends and staying receptive to new ideas from emerging leaders. It’s a delicate balance that’s essential to the success of any business.”

The Palms Casino Resort / Palms Place Hotel and Spa

Since September, when Paul Pusateri was appointed President of the Palms Casino Resort to manage all hotel and gaming operations, he has identified marketing opportunities, implemented new strategies and is already seeing improvement.

Paul explained, “The unique challenge with the Palms is demonstrating our ability to compete with the colossal Strip properties. The Palms really is a “boutique property.” But there is a huge advantage to having an abundance of amenities with fewer guestrooms. It allows us to better target key markets and provide those segments with a superior guest experience.

A small business with a group of 300, for example, will get lost in any of these larger properties. They’ll be starved for attention. The Palms on the other hand is able to give that same group the run of the house. There are endless possibilities for personalizing their experience and we are really taking the lead with this approach to business.

One of the great things about the Palms is its mass appeal and breadth of dining, nightlife and entertainment offerings. There is tremendous value in a one-stop resort destination. We’re taking advantage of this opportunity particularly with the out of town market. We’ve brought in skilled, tenured executives from Strip properties to aggressively pursue this segment and their efforts have made an immediate impact. It’s exciting!”

We were sitting in one of the Palms’ breathtakingly beautiful suites, a two story villa more like a house than a suite. At a time when many of the other resorts are having trouble, the Palms is offering luxurious “Fantasy Suites.” Paul defined their presence in the luxury market, “One floor up is the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa, which is notoriously among the most expensive suites in the world. Even at $40,000 a night it rarely sits vacant on account of its appeal to both individuals and corporations who love to use it as an entertainment venue. The uniqueness of our suite product isn’t lost on consumers, even in this economy. Our business is showing growth even in these tough times.

That’s the brilliance of George Maloof. The three distinct towers that today comprise the Palms Casino Resort were his vision from day one. From the excess of our themed Fantasy Suites like the Hardwood and the Kingpin, to the luxury of Palms Place, he has a knack for creating things that are unique and the consumers love it.”

Paul commented about the Palms being known as the “hip” hotel. “The Palms is synonymous with youth and beauty. There is always an incredible energy in the hotel. You feel it just walking through the casino. It’s a scene that draws crowds from all over the world. It’s an image that’s been made famous by our associations with MTV, VH1 and E! Entertainment.

Paul’s dedication is to his work is evident. As president, he oversees every department throughout the Palms. But having enjoyed a vast career in hospitality that spans three decades, this level of leadership comes easy to him. Paul has held management positions in virtually every hotel department, from catering and purchasing to food and beverage.

He has the ability to connect with team members at every level, whether it’s on the casino floor or in the kitchen among hotel chefs. Paul enjoys the kind of hands-on interaction that keeps him directly in touch with the guest experience, like personally deconstructing – and reconstructing – a restaurant menu.

It should be no surprise that Paul is so effective when it comes to the hotel’s food and beverage division. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, but his promise in other areas brought him out of the kitchen and into high powered management positions.

He commented, “Starting out in the kitchen, I’ve been able to lock arms with chefs and our food and beverage people. We are always working on new concepts and creative presentations for our restaurants. Recently we opened up a line of Chinese food in our coffee shop that is doing extremely well. I really try to inspire our staff to be more creative and take a contemporary approach to food.

My intention was to become a chef. I enjoyed the training. When you live your passion, you perform well and advance. It just so happened that I was given additional opportunities and my passion evolved, from running restaurants to running hotels, and later casinos.”

One of Paul’s great achievements in the casino-resort industry includes the opening of Paris Las Vegas Resort. Instead of simply building a new themed-resort, Paul took the project one step further. He wanted Paris Las Vegas Resort to be “French,” as authentic as the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

“Having lived in Europe I decided it was necessary to take the whole design team to France to experience the look, touch and feel of what we wanted to create. We hired people from Disney to work on the French theme. The hotel’s team members were instructed to use guest’s names and say, ‘Bonjour, Mr. Smith.’ Everyone had fun and the guests thought it was charming. It’s the tiny details that make a lasting impression.”

It’s undoubtedly this attention to detail that has brought Paul from the ranks of the kitchen to the forefront of gaming and hospitality. His accomplishments as a president, chief executive and chief operating officer for luxury resorts in southern Nevada have been acknowledged throughout the industry. And now, leading one of the strongest brands in Las Vegas, the possibilities seem limitless.

‘It’s an exciting time,” Paul says of his work at the Palms. “I am a very lucky man.”

Sandy Zimmerman
(702)-731-6491