Of all the people enthused about the reopening of the Palms this week, Raul Daniels might be among the most excited. A Palms legacy employee, Daniels previously worked at the property under ownership structures backed by the N9NE Group and, later, Station Casinos.
After the Palms—like every other casino in Nevada—closed its doors because of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, Daniels, an event sales professional, was moved by Station Casinos to Red Rock Resort in Summerlin.
He later left for a job at Resorts World, where he worked for about 18 months. And then news came down that his beloved Palms was reopening.
“The minute I heard the Palms was reopening, I found Cynthia Kiser Murphey’s profile on LinkedIn and messaged her,” Daniels said. “I said that I’d like the opportunity to return, and she took me up on it.”
That message from September 22, 2021, was one of the first Murphey received as general manager at the Palms. She’d only been publicly announced for the position earlier that day.
Daniels would be hired back as vice president of event sales and catering at the Palms, which opened its doors Wednesday for the first time since March 2020. It’s now owned by San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, which purchased the property from Red Rock Resorts—the parent company of Station Casinos—for $650 million.
“I had a great experience opening up Resorts World, and I learned a ton there,” Daniels said. “But I really grew up at the Palms. I started as a restaurant manager and grew all the way to an executive position. There’s something about the Palms that feels like home, feels like family. I know that’s cheesy to say, but it is true.”
Murphey said Daniels wasn’t the property’s only former employee who inquired about returning. In a tight labor market—especially in the hospitality industry—she said that’s helped as San Manuel has built back the resort’s workforce.
She said hundreds of the Palms’ 1,400 employees have worked previously at the off-Strip property.
“We had an excellent response, even though people had been gone for several years,” Murphey said. “I think it’s really special to think about the Palms coming back to the community. This is about the community.”
Having worked under two previous ownership groups, Daniels said he likes what he’s seen so far from San Manuel.
“The ownership, I think, really has a vested interest in the success of the property and every partner that we have here,” Daniels said. “With the remodel, much of the construction budget they had went to back-of-the-house areas. Everybody’s office is new, the employee dining room is new. Those areas, guests won’t see them, but it speaks volumes about how much ownership cares about the team.”
As Las Vegas continues its recovery from the floor of the pandemic, Daniels said the reopening of the Palms should be included among other milestones along the way.
“In a lot of ways, the city is thriving,” Daniels said. “Look at all the people who were here for the BTS shows this month [at Allegiant Stadium]. My business is conventions, so we’re still lagging there, but there are a lot of positive leads coming in right now. Momentum is starting to build.”