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At $100,000 a Night, This Hotel Suite May Now Be the Most Expensive in the World

March 05, 2019
4 min read
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At $100,000 a Night, This Hotel Suite May Now Be the Most Expensive in the World
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Got a couple hundred grand lying around? If so, you could score some serious bragging rights by crashing in the new Empathy Suite designed by British artist and provocateur, Damien Hirst, at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

The new suite debuted on March 1, becoming the most expensive hotel suite in the US — and according to a spokesperson for the hotel, it may very well be the most expensive hotel suite in the world.

Up until now, the penthouse suite at the Mark Hotel on New York City's Upper East Side held the title of America's priciest, with a rate of $75,000 per night. The Empathy Suite at the Palms beats it by a cool $25,000. Plus, to book the room, a minimum two-night stay is required, making the price tag a minimum of $200,000.

The living room in the Empathy Suite. Photo courtesy of the Palms Casino Resort.

Is any hotel suite worth $100,000 per night? If you — like us — have your doubts, keep in mind that the suite was designed by Hirst, whose over-the-top artworks regularly fetch prices in the tens of millions of dollars (and can be spotted at plenty of luxe hotels, like his 24-karat wooly mammoth skeleton sculpture at the Faena Hotel in Miami).

Hirst, who collaborated with Bentel & Bentel Architects, naturally filled the 9,000 square-foot suite with his own art. A medicine cabinet studded with diamonds and called "Vegas" stands at the entry, nodding to Hirst's early "Medicine Cabinet" installation. Step into the living room and you'll immediately be struck by "Winner/Loser," a pair of bull sharks suspended in a tank filled with formaldehyde. His butterfly motifs are peppered on furniture throughout the suite, including in the bathroom and on the terrace, which features a pool cantilevered over the Strip. Suspended above a bar top filled with medical waste hangs "Here For a Good Time, Not a Long Time," which comprises two vitrines containing a marlin skeleton and a taxidermy marlin.

If this sounds more disgusting than glamorous, well, you're not alone. But you won't just be sleeping with the fishes during a stay at the Empathy Suite.

The two-story villa also features two lavish bedrooms, a media lounge, two private massage rooms, a private healing salt room and a fitness center. It's part of the resort's $690 million top-to-bottom renovation. The Palms boasts one of the most extensive collections of blue-chip art of any hotel in the US, with pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol on loan alongside contemporary works by KAWS, Dustin Yellin, Takashi Murakami and other artists.

The bedrooms are adorned in butterfly motifs. Photo courtesy of the Palms Casino Resort.

As you might expect, a suite with this high a price tag comes with some pretty sweet perks, including 24-hour butler service, chauffeured car service, a behind-the-scenes art tour of the hotel and the suite, A-list access to the property's nightclub, Pearl Concert Theater and recording studio, as well as a $10,000 resort credit.

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The pool cantilevers over the Strip. Photo courtesy of the Palms Casino Resort.

The Palms is owned by Station Casinos, so unfortunately you can't leverage any existing hotel loyalty programs to earn elite-qualifying points or book a free stay there. You can, however, make the most of your extravagant trip to Vegas by charging the room to your Chase Sapphire Reserve for 3x points (read: at least 600,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points). Another option? Use the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card for double miles, which can be redeemed as statement credits for travel purchases at rate of 1 cent per point. You'd earn 400,000 miles for the two-night stay, and could then redeem those miles for $4,000 off the purchase, bringing the price to a totally reasonable $196,000.

Oh, and if you've got a million dollar line of credit at the casino, you can crash at the suite for free.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Rewards Rate

4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
  • Annual Fee

    $325
  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.