Las Vegas Weekly

March 8, 2009 · 9 AM

Photo Gallery: Paris Hilton says match with Doug Reinhardt is ‘the real thing’

By Robin Leach

Paris Hilton and Doug Reinhardt.

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

For the next seven days, new love mates Paris Hilton and Doug Reinhardt will spend a “super private honeymoon-styled vacation” on a tropical South Pacific island. Then she returns to Las Vegas a week from now to begin filming the second season of Paris Hilton’s My New BFF for MTV.

“It’s the real thing, Robin. Finally!” she told me in an exclusive chat at her 28th birthday celebration dinner last night at Nobu in the Hard Rock Hotel. “It is so wonderful. The two of us couldn’t be happier. I really do love him -- and he loves me. We’re perfect together.”

And baseball player and The Hills star Doug added as they hugged and posed for our exclusive Vegas DeLuxe photos, “She is so incredibly special! I have found my princess!”

Laughed Paris: “And he treats me like one, too.”

I was the only journalist invited into the private celebration. The couple told me that they’d originally met a year ago but didn’t meet again until this past Christmas in Aspen after she’d broken up with Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden.

They leave this afternoon for Fiji, and Doug told me he’s chosen one of the world’s most remote and romantic hideaways for their weeklong trip. I know exactly where because I once filmed it for my old TV show Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. But I promised the kissing couple not to reveal the exact location.

Said Doug: “Just the two of us alone together. I picked it because it’s impossible for the paparazzi to find us and then reach us out in the middle of nowhere. It will be the perfect vacation trip together.”

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Doug Reinhardt and Paris Hilton.

Paris added: “Then I fly right back to Vegas all rested and relaxed, and we start filming the next TV series. I’m excited about shooting in Vegas because you know I love the city and have so many friends here.”

She pointed to our mutual best friend, hair king Michael Boychuck, who was with another of his clients, Miss Nevada USA Georgina Vaughan: “He’s the guru who makes my hair look so gorgeous. He’s going to debut my new line of jeweled headbands I’ve created in his salons.” Michael runs Amp and Drift at the Palms and Colors at Caesars Palace.

I’ve known Paris, younger sister Nicky and their parents Rick and Kathy as good family friends back in New York since the girls were knee-high youngsters.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Paris Hilton sings on her 28th birthday at Body English.

“This is the first birthday party that Nicky has missed,” Paris explained. “She’s away in Asia on business with her fashion design lines. I miss her, but we are having the best birthday weekend in Vegas. We’re having a blast.”

Paris and Doug introduced me to some of their 30-strong group of friends they’d brought with them from Hollywood to celebrate. Showman Jeff Beacher headed up the dining table with Doug’s sister Stacey.

Everybody I chatted to there told me, “Paris and Doug are the perfect match. He’s the complete opposite of Benji -- clean-cut, all business and no tattoos! They are wonderfully attentive and supportive to each other. They both understand the celebrity whirlpool frenzy they are in. He will look out for her and be protective, but he’s smart to know when to get away from the glare.

Photo: Scott Doctor/www.greatscottstudios.com

Paris Hilton and Doug Reinhardt.

“Paris has already said she’s found her real-life prince. She’s glowing she’s so happy.

She hasn’t been this happy for a long time. She’s actually radiant. It’s so easy to tell they’re both very much in love with each other.”

After the special Japanese menu created by celebrity star chef Nobu Matsuhisa, it was time for red carpet duties at Body English.

It took Paris and Doug about 10 minutes at 12:30 a.m. today to work their way down the special pink carpet through the frenzied flashes of camera-crazy fans and photographers. Her group had three reserved VIP tables -- and again the cozy couple only had eyes for each other as they flirted, kissed and danced without even noticing the crush of thousands of fans.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Paris Hilton enjoys a red velvet cupcake on her 28th birthday at Body English.

Also in the club for the weekly Smashtime party, music mogul Jermaine Dupri stopped by to greet the birthday girl before heading off to his own table. DJ Clinton Sparks and the E! Daily 10 crew, including Ben Lyons and Catt Sadler, got the party started.

After dancing to a few songs with girlfriends including actress Ashley Scott, Paris took the main stage mic and thanked everyone for attending to make her 28th birthday so special. She then pointed out her adoring boyfriend and told the crowd: “My man is right over there, the sexiest man in the world!”

DJ Clinton cued up Paris’ song “Stars Are Blind,” which she sang seductively to her new beau. After the song, the E! crew announced a special birthday surprise and welcomed buzz band Chester French to perform two songs dedicated to Paris.

That was capped in a big finish with a giant, whimsical birthday cake shaped like a pink mushroom topped off with a butterfly and surrounded by her favorite red velvet cupcakes. Gorgeous and sexy servers presented it in a parade of sparklers as the entire club sang “Happy Birthday.”

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

Paris Hilton and Doug Reinhardt.

The night was far from over. As Daylight-Saving Time began turning watches forward from 2 to 3 a.m., her party moved up to her bowling alley penthouse suite. As she entered the pink-ballooned suite at 3 a.m., a full drum band dressed as Sesame Street characters played for her arrival entrance.

Showman Jeff Beacher had filled the suite with crazy circus performers, plus a fun sideshow photo booth. He’d also persuaded Flamingo headliner Nathan Burton to perform some special magic tricks for Paris and singing duo Zowie Bowie direct from their second night at the Palms to sing her “Happy Birthday” again!

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Doug Reinhardt and Paris Hilton.

A spywitness told Vegas DeLuxe: “Doug and Paris were infatuated with each other. They were never more than five feet apart the entire night, and most of the time, they were simply joined at the hip.”

It was 5:30 this morning when Paris and Doug told everybody it was time to call it a day! This afternoon, they are en route back to Los Angeles, and then they will leave for a seven-day South Pacific vacation. Paris will return to town a week from tomorrow to start filming the new season of her reality TV series on MTV.

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