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AssetID: 36109661

Headline: Damien Hirst Designs $100,000-Per-Night Hotel Suite In Las Vegas

Caption: **VIDEO AVAILABLE. CONTACT INFO@COVER-IMAGES.COM TO RECEIVE.** Sharks suspended in formaldehyde, graphics of oversized pills and flooring patterned with butterflies await high-rolling guests staying in this hotel suite, which British artist Damien Hirst has designed for the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The Empathy Suite is a Sky Villa designed by and features the weird and wonderful works of the English artist. Available for free for guests with over $1 million (£758,890) in credit at the resort, or anyone else that can splash out $200,000 (£151,753) for a two-night stay, Hirst's Empathy Suite spans 9,000 square feet (836 square metres) and occupies two storeys within the Palms. The suite offers two master bedrooms and a cantilevered outdoor pool overlooking the Las Vegas Strip, along with numerous lounges that can fit over 50 people, massage rooms, a salt relaxation room, a gym, two bathrooms and a powder room. The suite was designed by Hirst in collaboration with New York firm Bentel & Bentel Architects, and local firm Klai Juba Wald Architects as the architect of record. Hirst's touches appear in nearly every aspect of the hotel room, from furniture and textiles that incorporate his designs, to six large-scale original artworks. The most dramatic involves two bull sharks suspended in formaldehyde in a white tank, called Winner/Loser. Others include a fish design above a 12-chair bar, named Here For A Good Time Not a Long Time, and a translucent cabinet filled with pills titled Monet, next to a six-person dining table. Another cabinet, The Winner Takes It All, is filled with cubic zirconias gems. White and chrome finishes lend a contemporary feel to the interiors. Throughout, hundreds of stenciled and embroidered motifs of skulls, pills and butterflies can be found on walls, furniture and upholstery. 104 stone butterflies and 17 inlaid pills are incorporated into the marble floors and the pool deck. Jon Gray, General Manager of Palms Casino Resort, said: “The Empathy Suite designed by Damien Hirst is the pinnacle of luxury, combining museum-worthy art and a truly legendary hospitality experience for the discerning hotel aficionado and casino guest looking for a once-in-a-lifetime Las Vegas stay.”

Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,art,travel,wanderlust,hotel,interior,decor,artist,stay,accommodation

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