LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Palms Resort Casino was a game-changer for Las Vegas, built on a parade of celebrities and nightlife that made it an irresistible draw to a new crowd.

It was a resort that plugged in to a younger generation from the start, but ended up on the scrap heap when it lost its cool under management changes that drifted back to tried-and-true Las Vegas ways.

Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson, Dennis Rodman, Tyra Banks — you never knew who might show up at the resort that brought “The Real World: Las Vegas” to life. Musicians, athletes and Hollywood stars owned condos at Palms Place, with a resident list that included Jessica Simpson, Eminem, Paul Stanley, Hulk Hogan, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. over the years.

The Palms was ahead of its time in understanding the time was right for restaurants, businesses and services that set it apart from the Strip. Tattoos, themed suites, the best movie theater in town — these were counterpoints to buffets, family attractions and thrill rides that fueled the attraction to some other resorts.

The Playboy Club, an IMAX theater, N9NE Steakhouse. You couldn’t find these in any other casino. And a suite with a personal basketball court — the Hardwood suite — forget about it!

But then The Great Recession hit. Expansion was leveraged on business continuing without interruption, but the interruption came anyway.

The Maloof family had to sell, and in 2011, the Texas Pacific Group took over.

Another change in ownership came in 2016. Red Rock Resorts — parent company for Station Casinos — was involved again, after holding minority ownership when the Palms opened.

Red Rock tried to recapture the cool, but it eluded them.

Maybe the best illustration of the struggle comes from KAOS, a nightclub that opened in April of 2019 but failed to draw the crowds that were expected. The nightclub remodeled quickly and tried to ride the popularity of DJ Kaskade. But the club ultimately shut down, and an $8 million lawsuit by Kaskade recently put a period at the end of the sentence.

The Strip was thriving, but The Palms was a long walk for tourists with plenty of choices.

And when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, speculation grew that the Palms would be sold. The announcement came on May 4, 2021. The property was being sold to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. It was a first in Las Vegas — Native American ownership of a Las Vegas resort.

What will the future hold for the Palms?

We’ll all be watching.