Las Vegas Weekly

May 1, 2009 · 11:26 AM

Hugh Hefner to reveal Playmate of the Year in Las Vegas for first time

By Robin Leach

Jennifer Campbell, Hugh Hefner and Natalie Campbell.

Photo: Courtesy

It’s a huge celebration weekend for Palms hotel tycoon George Maloof when he welcomes his hero Hugh Hefner back to the casino resort for the first ever Las Vegas unveiling of Playboy’s 2009 Playmate of the Year. The winner will be the 50th annual PMOY!

Traditionally, the Playboy founder has always introduced the new beauty at a Playboy Mansion luncheon in Beverly Hills. Now it will be at a special dinner in chef Kerry Simon’s restaurant on the sixth floor of Palms Place.

Brande Roderick, who stars in Celebrity Apprentice and was Playmate of the Year in 2001, will be the host for the event, and some 60 Playmates from the past 55 years of Hef’s history will brighten the pool deck and patios at the celebrity- filled restaurant.

The identity of the winner is kept a secret right up until the last moments, but we do know she will win $100,000, a 2009 Mazda6 and a one-of-a-kind engraved bottle of Patron Platinum tequila.

Although I will be at a wedding anniversary dinner tomorrow night, I will have a one-on-one interview with the new PMOY early Sunday morning. Vegas Deluxe also will have full Sunday coverage from our contributing photographers and our colleagues here at Greenspun Interactive.

George’s splashy extravaganza weekend kicks off today with the opening of his third summer season at the Palms pool and bungalows for “Ditch Fridays.” Hosting the debut day is Michelle McLaughlin (February 2008), A.J. Alexander (May 2008), Juliette Frette (June 2008), Laura Croft (July 2008), Kayla Collins (August 2008), Kelly Carrington (October 2008) and identical twin sisters Jennifer and Natalie Campbell (December 2008).

Tattoos at the Palms

It’s also the weekend that John Huntington opens his new high-end tattoo lounge at the Palms. The Huntington Ink lounge is Asian-inspired in a palette of gold and orange with water features and ornate staircases and comes complete with a DJ music booth. An interactive wall of touch-screen units permits guests to view the tattoo artists’ current and previous works.

John, who was the co-creator and star of A&E’s hit reality show Inked, said: “Expect to be blown away. This takes any casino tattoo experience to the next level. It will be the most incredible tattoo destination in Las Vegas.”

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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