Sigh.  I had what I initially thought were realistic expectations of this four-star hotel - above average customer service and above-average rooms.  However, reality showed me quite the opposite from the moment we checked-in.\n\nTo start off the story:  my consecutive hotel stays at The Palms and Rio were booked via Vegas.com on January 11, 2011 (over three months in advance).  Initially, I reserved the room at The Palms from March 31 (Thursday) to April 3 (Sunday).  On January 13, 2011 (two days later), I changed the reservation to start at April 1 (Friday) instead, and also added on one night at Rio (check-in on April 3, Sunday).\n\nWhen I checked in at the Palms on Friday, April 1, I was told that they were actually expecting me on Saturday, April 2, and that I would have to wait about 10 to 15 minutes until the Manager called up Vegas.com to sort the situation out.  Right after I was told this, I turned around to gather my carry-on luggage... and it was gone.  As it turns out, some overzealous bellman thought that my suitcase (despite being no more than one foot away from me) was abandoned property and turned it into security.  Imagine my (unnecessary and avoidable) panic - why didn't bell desk just ask me or my friend (who was standing right next to me the entire time) about it?\n\nFast forward about 30 minutes after my initial encounter with the front desk (I had to waste extra time at security to reclaim my lost suitcase).  The staff member at check-in who had helped us the first time was nowhere to be found.  Bad bad bad.  To make things worse, we ended up with a sassy male employee who was unhelpful when I asked about the \"Free Breakfast and Spa Passes promotion\" which I was supposed to receive when booking at the Palms via Vegas.com.  I asked him about it and he pretty much insinuated that Vegas.com was supposed to take care of it and give me some sort of \"confirmation\" - so I showed him an e-mail which contained both my hotel itinerary and the promotion info.  However, he still didn't budge and just continued to just check us in (i.e., get rid of us ASAFP).  Also... my preference for a smoking room was not fulfilled - so it really felt as if I was just experiencing one bad thing after another.\n\n* On a side note:  When I checked in at the Rio two days later, I had absolutely no problem receiving the promotional voucher book that was offered to me via my advanced booking at the hotel via Vegas.com.  I didn't even have to ask for it. *\n\nThe room was OK.  It was nicer and a bit bigger than The Cal (the first hotel we stayed at during this trip)... but it was super duper dark, even when I turned on all the lights and opened the curtains.  Also, even though our room was located close to the elevator (I hate long corridors), the situation was a Catch 22 - convenient but extremely noisy.  Also, apparently, kind of unsafe.  On Saturday night after the Tiesto concert, we returned back to The Palms just to see security hanging out on our floor's lobby.  Earlier that night, someone had actually knocked out one of the hallway lights closest to our hotel room.  There was glass everywhere!  Ghettttoooo.  A while later that same night, something else happened (in our room).  Let's just say that the beds are pretty high off the ground, and really don't work in favor of a short / ungraceful person like me when trying to get from the bed to the bathroom =(