It didn't quite make its deadline, but Palazzo, Las Vegas' latest Strip behemoth, managed to get its doors open in time for the New Year's Eve rush. Only the casino opened, however — the hotel and its 3,068 rooms will open in stages throughout January. After first pushing back a Dec. 20 debut to Dec. 28, the casino was unable to secure all of its inspection credentials. Finally, the doors were unlocked on the evening of Dec. 30. That's two-for-two for Sands Corp. properties in Las Vegas — the Venetian also missed its date, opening 18 days late in 1999, before going on to become one of Las Vegas' most successful resorts. The official grand opening of Palazzo is planned for Jan. 17, at which time most aspects of the resort should be operating.

MOST ROOMS: Since Palazzo is considered an extension of the Venetian, the Venetian will have a combined room total of 7,128. That places it at the top of the room-count list for all hotels in the world.

SUPER COUPONS: The Las Vegas Advisor's 2008 coupon book is a big one, with 174 coupons for 78 different casinos, hotels, restaurants, and car-rental companies. They're good throughout 2008 and can be viewed at the Web address at the end of this column.

BACK ON TOP: The latest survey from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that Nevada is once again the fastest-growing state in the union, a position from which it was briefly toppled last year by Arizona after a 19-year run in the No. 1 spot.

ALSO ON TOP: Celebrity chef Alain Ducasse is the new top man atop the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas. Ducasse will oversee the Eiffel Tower restaurant (presumably with a name change), along with his other Las Vegas restaurant, Mandalay Bay's Mix.

Q. Can you provide the details on the New Year's Eve celebration in Las Vegas?

A. New Year's Eve was big and boisterous; however, despite the city being packed with an estimated 300,000 revelers, no major negative incidents were reported. An estimated 14,000 folks showed up downtown, while several times that many crowded onto the Strip to watch the midnight fireworks, which went off without a hitch.

For information about Las Vegas shows, buffets, coupons and deals, see www.LasVegasAdvisor.com.