Las Vegas Weekly

June 11, 2010 · 1:45 AM

Photos: Is new romance in the air for Paris Hilton and Cy Waits here?

By Robin Leach

Paris Hilton parties at Drai's Hollywood. At right are Victor Drai and Cy Waits.

Photo: Courtesy

Sexy and savvy business entrepreneur Paris Hilton has become a regular weekend Las Vegas visitor. She has been seen so often the past three weeks at XS in Steve Wynn’s Encore that the buzz all around is that she’s struck up a special friendship with nightclub czar Cy Waits. Meantime, his twin brother Jesse Waits is rumored to be romantically involved with Brody Jenner’s ex, former Playboy Playmate Jayde Nicole, who will be playing in the upcoming World Series of Poker at The Rio.

Both men, who are 34-year-old millionaire bachelors, were recently nominated as Most Admired and Available in Las Vegas. They are managing partners with Victor Drai in XS and Tryst at Steve’s properties, and also Botero at Encore and Drai’s After Hours in Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall at center Strip.

The new People reveals the budding romance. My sources in Las Vegas say: “Cy has been heard at dinner telling his friends that Paris is ‘the most beautiful girl on the planet’ and how much he loves being around her. No one has ever seen Cy so happy. He lights up when someone brings up her name."

Sources close to the blonde beauty tell me: “Paris and Cy have been friends for years now, and things seem to be heating up. Her friends say she likes Cy but wants to take things slow. She’s not ready to get into a relationship now, but she wants to see where things go.”

One friend close to the two of them said: “We’re thrilled to see Paris so happy. We can tell that Cy really likes her for her, and that’s so different than it’s been with other guys. He treats her like a princess, and to him, she’s always the only girl in the room. She likes the way he treats her. He’s self-made and has his own thing going on, unlike her douche-bag ex-boyfriend (Doug Reinhardt), who was just totally using her and riding her coat tails.”

The Paris and Cy dates supposedly heated up the weekend that Encore Beach Club and Surrender nightclub opened. Paris had asked me to send her a rundown list from VegasDeLuxe.com of the events that same weekend as the big fight UFC 114. She was in Las Vegas on an all-girls’ weekend, and although she was at Tao in The Venetian while staying in The Mirage, she wound up in Cy’s Botero restaurant and XS. All also are partners in Drai’s new W Hotel nightclub in Hollywood, where Paris has been seen since its opening this year. Insiders say that’s where the two met up again and the flirting started.

Paris was then seen at Encore Beach Club with her posse and later at Surrender, where she was invited onstage with hometown hero and silky soul singer Ne-Yo as he serenaded her with his hit song “Miss Independent.” “If you listen to the words, it seems as though that song was written for her,” said one observer at Surrender.

With global business interests worldwide, the sexy socialite flew off to Egypt but promised to return to Las Vegas last weekend for her girlfriend nightlife queen Allison Melnick’s birthday party at Lavo in the Palazzo. Sister Nicky and designer Roberto Cavalli joined Paris for the Lavo dinner before they went to Tao.

But later, she was again seen with Cy and spent considerable time over two consecutive nights at XS before returning to Hollywood for the MTV Movie Awards. Paris, who is in the middle of filming a movie, this week also traveled to Brazil to be the star of a runway show and shoot a clothing line campaign. The jetsetter went right from her plane on arrival into a wardrobe fitting, into the photo shoot and then sashayed down the runway show with a standing ovation and cheers from everyone as she captivated the country overnight.

Photo: Courtesy

Paris Hilton parties at Drai's Hollywood.

However, she has promised to be back in Las Vegas again this weekend. I’m guessing this would be her eighth visit in 11 weeks here. “Paris will be in town to attend Nicky’s boyfriend David Katzenberg’s party at Lavo on Saturday night for his new hit show on MTV The Hard Times of R.J. Berger,” one of her Las Vegas pals told me.

With her Twitter messages, Paris has become a worldwide ambassador for Las Vegas to her more than 2 million followers. She has raved about her weekends here and XS in numerous tweets. “Paris is such a force that she has literally boosted Las Vegas’ earnings. People from all over the world would do literally anything to party with Paris, or just watch her. As Ke$ha would say, ‘The party don’t start till she walks in,’ ” one close Paris watcher told me.

Nightlife spies told me last weekend: “She now has a regular spot at Victor Drai’s exclusive VIP table. She was here both nights dancing and partying. Victor has known Paris since she was a little girl and loves her like family. I’m sure he also doesn’t mind all the attention and excitement that Paris creates with her presence wherever she is.”

Photo: Al Powers

Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton celebrate Allison Melnick's birthday with a custom cake at Tao in The Venetian on June 4, 2010.

Also there was rapper Too Short, and both he and Paris got on the mic to get the party started and to say hi to all the partygoers. “The crowd went wild when Paris got on the mic. There’s something about that girl. It’s hard to explain. She’s amazing! I wish I was her BFF!” one partygoer told me.

It was her third consecutive weekend at XS, and Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks, who celebrated his 24th birthday, was thrilled Paris was there. You get to know far more about the non-nightlife Paris when she’s being very serious about her business interests in the fashion field. This is Paris the marketing whiz, Paris the icon, Paris the fashion mogul, Paris the designer and Paris the Brand and Empire on a return to her roots at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan where she grew up, as recently told in a fascinating The Wall Street Journal interview.

Photo: Tryst

Cy and Jesse Waits are managing partners of XS and Tryst.

The public, her fans, pop culture magazines, Web sites and online bloggers will continue to be fascinated by one of the most admired personalities on the scene for more than the past decade. As one Strip observer sagely noted: “Paris is definitely an icon like her idol Marilyn Monroe and will be celebrated forever. Las Vegas loves you, Paris. See you soon!”

One of her girlfriends told me: “Paris captivates people. She has this certain quality only few people in the world have. She has star power like no other. Her fans are die-hard. They love her to death. She is a phenomenon! But she’s also very sweet and down to earth, a kind soul.”

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.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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