Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
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| Planet Hollywood Casino | |
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| Address | 3667 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas, NV 89109 |
| Opening date | 1963 (Tally-Ho) / 1964 (King's Crown) / April 1, 1966 (Aladdin) / April 17, 2007 (Planet Hollywood) |
| Previous names | Tally Ho (1963) King's Crown (1964) Aladdin (1966) |
| Casino type | Land |
| Theme | Hollywood, California |
| Owner | ObBiz |
| No. of rooms | 2,600 |
| Total gaming space | 100,000 ft² |
| Permanent shows | Stomp Out Loud |
| Signature attractions | Miracle Mile Shops |
| Notable restaurants | Elements Tremezzo Spice Market Buffet |
| Years renovated | 1976 1998 2007 |
| Website | Planet Hollywood Resort |
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas is a casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The resort was formerly known as The Aladdin. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is rebranding the hotel as a Sheraton Hotel and will operate the hotel portion of the project. Planet Hollywood rebranded and operates the rest of the property under the Planet Hollywood brand.
The property is owned by ObBiz, which is a partnership of Robert Earl, Bay Harbour Management and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
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[edit] History
[edit] Tally-Ho and King's Crown
The casino was originally opened in 1963 as the Tally-Ho. It was later called King's Crown in 1964 and failed after six months when it was denied a gaming license.
In 1966, the King's Crown was purchased by Milton Prell, and the hotel got a $3 million renovation, including a new 500 seat "Bagdad Theater" showroom. Prell turned the English-themed hotel into an Arabian Nights theme, but kept the original Tudor style room wings. A serrated canopy and a $750,000 15-story "Aladdin's Lamp" sign were also added.
[edit] Aladdin
The Aladdin opened on April 1, 1966, with flower petals pouring from the ceiling and onto guests as they entered the hall. One guest was composer-pianist Warren Richards. The opening entertainment included comedian Jackie Mason, the "Jet Set Revue," a musical review that showcased The Three Cheers and the Petite Rockette Dancers in the Bagdad Theatre.
Prell introduced an innovative main showroom policy by offering three completely different shows twice nightly with no cover or minimum charges.
The Aladdin contained a 9-hole golf course.
A little more than a year after it was opened, the Aladdin was host to Elvis and Priscilla Presley's wedding.
In August of 1969, the Aladdin completed a $750,000 makeover including renovations to the Sinbad Lounge, which became enclosed and leveled above the casino floor with Arabic motif.
Also in 1969, Parvin Dohrmann Corporation took over the Aladdin, and in 1972, using the name Recrion Corporation, sold it to Sam Diamond, St. Louis politician Peter Webbe, Sorkis Webbe, and Richard Daly for the price of just $5 million. Under the Webbes, a $60 million face lift was conducted, including the addition of a 19-story tower and the new 7,500 seat Performing Arts Center replacing the golf course, which was $4 million over budget.
A $250,000 porte-cochere continued the tower's arabesques. The Aladdin also added a new $300,000 140-foot blockbuster sign with little neon, huge attraction panels and none of the arabesque of the Aladdin's original sign.
The Aladdin had a grand re-opening in 1976 with singer Neil Diamond being paid $750,000 for two shows.
Wayne Newton was a part owner from 1980 to 1982.
The Aladdin closed on November 25, 1997. On April 27, 1998, and the entire resort was imploded,[1] except for the Aladdin Theatre, to make way for the construction of an entirely new casino.
[edit] The new Aladdin
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The Aladdin was scheduled to reopen on August 17, 2000, at 6:00pm, with fireworks at 10:00pm. The opening was delayed while the Clark County building inspector completed its fire safety testing. Another delay was caused by last-minute repairs to the casino surveillance system. This left thousands of Aladdin visitors leaving in disappointment, as well as opening night hotel guests wondering where they'd spend the night. Many high-rollers waited out on the sidewalks in front of the Aladdin for hours. Most were unable to even get to their luggage, since the hotel had been locked down for testing. Aladdin employees tried to arrange alternate accommodations for the guests with Paris and Bellagio.
Meanwhile, the Desert Passage mall was opened with I Dream of Jeannie star Barbara Eden opening the doors to let the large crowd in.
The Aladdin finally opened the next day at 7:45 A.M. 100 members of Culinary Local 226, as well as an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 other workers were marching on Las Vegas Boulevard to protest the Aladdin opening without a union contract. Barbara Eden's speech as well as the other festivities were drowned out by the bullhorns and the rest of the protest.
The casino was in financial trouble from the start and was sold on June 20, 2003, to a partnership of Planet Hollywood and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
Renovations were carried out in stages, allowing the resort to remain open throughout. Planet Hollywood Las Vegas includes an expanded casino, new restaurants, new nightclub and retail space. A redesign of the facade and pedestrian plaza was intended to correct defects that made accessing the property from the sidewalks on The Strip difficult.
As of October of 2007, about a third to half of the retail space formerly known as "The Desert Passage" had been converted into the new, Hollywood themed "Miracle Mile Shops." This includes new, black flooring in place of the old uneven cobblestone type walkway as well as the abandonment of the Arabian marketplace theme for a more conventional mall look. Despite the renovations, the popular rain show still exists and the V Theater still appears as it always has.
[edit] Planet Hollywood
After the casino was renovated, it was reopened on April 17, 2007 as Planet Hollywood Casino and Resort.
The attached Mediterranean-themed shopping mall, Desert Passage, was updated to reflect the resort's new Los Angeles theme, and was renamed Miracle Mile Shops [2].
The official grand opening of Planet Hollywood Casino and Resort was the weekend of November 16, 2007.
The Planet Hollywood restaurant, however, remains at The Forum Shops at Caesars.
[edit] Film history
Footage of the implosion of the original structure was used in the closing credits of the film The Cooler.
This casino was used in the filming of Going in Style.
The A&E Network show Criss Angel Mindfreak sometimes takes place at the resort.
The TLC show Trading Spaces took place at the Aladdin in a 2004 episode.
The Theatre for the Performing Arts was the site for the 2006 to 2008 Miss America pageants.
The Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) world premier took place at Planet Hollywood on September 25, 2007.
The Rambo (2008) world premier took place at Planet Hollywood on January 24, 2008.
Scenes from the 2008 movie 21 were shot in Planet Hollywood.
[edit] Performing Arts Center
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
- Planet Hollywood (Aladdin) News - Vegas Today and Tomorrow
- Planet Hollywood Las Vegas - Virtual Tours of the new design
- Las Vegas Travelog. Including tens of photos.
- History of the Aladdin
- Implosion pictures and video of old Aladdin
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