Planet Hollywood Las Vegas (formerly Aladdin) is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corporation.
Toy manufacturer Edwin S. Lowe originally opened the 450-room Tally Ho hotel on the property in 1963. The Tally Ho was the only major hotel in Nevada to not include a casino; it closed at the end of the year and was sold to Kings Crown Inns of America, Incorporated, a hotel chain which reopened the property a month later as King's Crown Tally Ho. The company added a casino and showroom but plans to open the casino were halted when the Nevada Gaming Control Board declined to issue a gambling license because of concerns about the resort being inadequately financed.
Milton Prell purchased the hotel in January 1966 and began an extensive $3 million renovation of the property before reopening it as the Aladdin on April 1, 1966. A 19-story hotel tower was added in 1972. After various ownership changes, the Aladdin was closed in 1997 and demolished the following year to make room for a new resort that would also be named Aladdin. The new Aladdin resort opened in August 2000, but suffered financial difficulties and was eventually purchased in 2003 by a partnership of Planet Hollywood and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, which renamed it as Planet Hollywood in 2007.
Hilton Grand Vacations operates the timeshare portion of the property, known as Elara.
In April 2010, Total Rewards replaced the "A-List" Player rewards card at Planet Hollywood.
Video Planet Hollywood Las Vegas
History
Tally-Ho (1962-1963)
The English Tudor-styled Tally Ho hotel was conceived by owner Edwin S. Lowe, a New York toy manufacturer who also served as the president of the hotel. Lowe, who believed that there were some Las Vegas tourists who were not interested in gambling, chose not to add a casino to the Tally Ho. The hotel was built on the Las Vegas Strip and across the street from the Dunes resort. Construction of the Tally Ho was underway in March 1962, with an opening planned for July. In May 1962, the Clark County Ground Water Board denied an application for a water well that would be used for a nine-hole pitch and putt golf course, which Lowe planned to construct at the rear of the property. A nine-hole golf course was ultimately added to the final plans.
In June 1962, the hotel's opening was delayed until October 1, 1962. Simultaneously, county officials discovered that the three-story stucco hotel may be in violation of fire codes. A request was made for the owner to propose plans to fireproof the hotel's wooden roof and attic. County officials suggested the installation of either a sprinkler system or sheet rock in the attic, as well as the addition of fire-proof materials on the roof of the hotel structures. In November 1962, key positions in the resort were being named while an opening date of Christmas week was being planned.
The Tallyho Hotel and Country Club was completed in December 1962, at a cost of $12 million, and was opened in February 1963. It was the only major resort in Nevada to not include a casino. The hotel featured 450 rooms, 32 villas, six restaurants, horseback and bicycle-riding facilities, and a helicopter service to take guests to nearby attractions such as Mount Charleston and Lake Mead. Despite the lack of a casino, the business was operating successfully at the time of its opening. However, the Tally Ho closed on October 10, 1963, because of low revenue caused by the lack of a casino. The closure affected 100 employees, and Lowe conceded that it was a mistake to not open the hotel with an adjoining casino.
King's Crown Tally Ho (1963-1966)
Kings Crown Inns of America, Incorporated, a chain of hotels, purchased the Tally Ho at a cost of $7 million, and reopened it as the King's Crown Tally Ho on November 5, 1963. Kings Crown planned to add a casino and showroom as soon as possible. The Tally Ho was Kings Crown's first hotel in the western United States.
Lighting and sound system details for the showroom were being finalized in March 1964, while Kings Crown planned to have the showroom opened in the summer. Sound men who designed the showroom consulted with sound engineers at the University of California, Los Angeles. Film producer Steve Parker, husband of actress Shirley MacLaine, was named as the head of the hotel's showroom, to be named the Crown Room Theater-Restaurant. In addition, Parker was named as a part owner in the resort. In April 1964, a fire started in one of the hotel rooms and caused smoke damage to part of the hotel. The fire was believed to have been started by a cigarette.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the casino and showroom were scheduled for the weekend of April 11-12, 1964. Celebrities, including MacLaine, were expected to attend the ceremonies. Other additions in the $3 million expansion project would include a convention hall and another restaurant. Future plans included the addition of a 15-story hotel structure with 500 rooms. Construction of the casino and showroom was underway in May 1964, while Parker was planning a show that would feature non-topless showgirls, a concept that was not present in other showgirl shows in Las Vegas.
By the end of 1964, a partnership of six corporations, with a total of 17 stockholders, was seeking a gambling license to open the casino as part of a $500,000 investment. On December 22, 1964, the Nevada Gaming Control Board deferred action on the approval of a gambling license until the following month to allow time for an investigation of the partnership's finances. A New Year's Eve opening date had been planned for the casino, while the possibility remained for a showroom lounge and two new restaurants to open at that time, although they ultimately did not. A total of 500 people were expected to be employed at the resort's new facilities. In January 1965, the Gaming Board considered the request for a gambling license, but agreed to the hotel's request to delay action for another 30 days so financial agreements could be worked out between people in the partnership. By that time, the partnership consisted of 18 people with a total investment of $800,000.
In February 1965, as the Gaming Board was considering the issuance of a gambling license, the hotel submitted multiple partnership changes that would include increasing Parker's ownership from eight percent to twenty percent. The Gaming Board deferred action on the gambling license until the following month. Board member W. E. Leypoldt said, "I don't think it's fair to ask us to act on something that's entirely different from what was presented Monday. It would do the casino industry a great deal of harm if you opened and in six months went broke because of lack of financing."
The request for a gambling license was withdrawn in March 1965, to allow more time to reorganize the partnership. Later that month, a suit was filed by Kings Crown Tallyho Inn Incorporated, Equitable Real Estate Investment Trust, and Fidelity Real Estate Investment Trust, all of which requested that the present leasees of the hotel be removed for not paying $632,000 in rent and other payments. The companies stated that other groups were interested in taking over the resort as soon as the leasees, including Chuck Luftig and Edward Nealis, could be removed.
Phone service to the hotel was cut off in April 1965, after approximately 50 guests declined to pay their phone bills. The guests, whose bills dated back to January, were asked to leave the hotel. Luftig and Nealis were removed as leasees at the end of the month, after a judge ruled that the hotel be vacated and returned to Kings Crown. The next month, Luftig and Nealis asked for a $3.3 million judgment, alleging that Kings Crown failed to finish necessary improvements to the property during the period of August 1964 to January 1965, leading to financial losses.
Aladdin (1966-1998)
On January 1, 1966, Milton Prell purchased the King's Crown Tally Ho for $16 million and announced plans to remove the old English theme and reopen the resort as the Oriental-themed Aladdin on April 16 following an extensive $3 million renovation. Prell also planned to construct a $20 million 600-room 40-story hotel addition. Construction of the high-rise was expected to begin later in the year. Martin Stern Jr. was the architect for the Aladdin project, while R. C. Johnson and Associates was the contractor and was hired to construct new facilities and renovate existing structures. Renovation plans included the remodeling of the showroom and lounge, as well as the casino and the hotel's front side. Elevators and escalators were also installed at the hotel's two main front entrances. The original English-themed room wings were kept, but received an Arabian Nights theme along with the rest of the resort. The Aladdin was named after the character of the same name. A serrated canopy was added along with a $750,000, 15-foot "Aladdin's Lamp" sign.
Two weeks after Prell's purchase, a new opening date of April 1 was announced due to the fast progress of renovations, while construction of the high-rise was expected to begin in the fall. Later in the month, Prell requested a gambling license to operate 27 table games and 350 slot machines, with casino operations to be financed at a cost of $400,000 through Prell and his partners, Gil Gilbert and Sidney Krystal. Prell owned a 20-percent interest in the hotel corporation, while Gilberts, the corporate vice president, held five percent and Krystal, secretary-treasurer, had seven percent. A large group of investors owned the remaining stock. Prell named Joe Rollo and Bernie Richards, both of Beverly Hills, to serve as entertainment director and head of orchestrations respectively. The Gaming Board recommended approval of Prell's request for a gambling license in February 1966. Prell was approved the next month for gaming and liquor licenses, with approval to operate 351 slot machines and 29 table games.
The resort opened as Milton Prell's Aladdin at midnight on April 1, 1966, becoming the first new resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip in nine years. The Aladdin included the largest casino on the Las Vegas Strip and the 500-seat Bagdad Theatre. People present at the grand opening included Prell and his wife, as well as County Commission Chairman William H. Briare, Las Vegas mayor Oran K. Gragson, and Las Vegas Sun publisher Hank Greenspun. A week after opening, the sign for the Dunes casino welcomed the Aladdin and wished the new resort "good luck." Construction of the high-rise hotel addition was scheduled to begin in October 1966.
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.
Renovations totaling $750,000 were completed in August 1969, which included making the Sinbad Lounge enclosed and leveled above the casino floor with Arabic motif.
In 1969, Parvin Dohrmann Corporation took over the Aladdin, and in 1972, using the name Recrion Corporation, sold it to Sam Diamond, St. Louis politicians Peter Webbe and Sorkis Webbe, and St. Louis attorney Richard L. Daly for the price of just $5 million. The new owners announced plans for the $25 million, 24-story, 800-room Regency Tower, to be built adjacent to the Aladdin and expected to be opened in late 1973. Under the new owners, 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 added a new $300,000 140-foot (43 m) blockbuster sign with little neon, huge attraction panels and none of the arabesque of the Aladdin's original sign.
The Aladdin celebrated the grand opening of their new "Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts" with singer Neil Diamond being paid $650,000 for four shows; July 2 through July 5, 1976.
In August 1979, several individuals were convicted by a Detroit Federal Jury of conspiring to allow hidden owners to exert control over the resort, and the Nevada Gaming Commission then closed the hotel.
The resort was sold to Wayne Newton and Ed Torres in 1980 for $85 million, snubbing an offer from comedian Johnny Carson. Newton sold his share to Torres 21 months later. Newton sued NBC, who had alleged in broadcasts, that his purchase of the Aladdin was tied to the mafia. He won a $22.8 million judgement, which was overturned on appeal. In February 1984, the Aladdin went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
In 1981, heavy metal band Iron Maiden played at the Aladdin - it was their first ever concert in America.
In 1986, Japanese businessman Ginji Yasuda purchased the Aladdin out of bankruptcy for $54 million. Yasuda spent an additional $35 million to refurbish the resort. Yasuda was removed as the casino's operator by state regulators in September 1988. Yasuda placed the resort in Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 1989, and subsequently died two months later. The property was publicly put up for sale in 1990, after months of unsuccessful private attempts to locate a buyer.
The New Jersey-based Bell Atlantic-Tricon Leasing Corporation acquired the resort out of bankruptcy from Ginji Corporation in 1991. That year, Bell Atlantic-Tricon put the property up for sale at a minimum price of $44 million. In January 1994, businessman Donald Trump considered purchasing the Aladdin for $51 million, although Bell Atlantic-Tricon declined to sell the property for less than $60 million. Trump decided not to purchase the Aladdin as he felt the price was too high. Interest in the property increased following the news of Trump's potential purchase, with several prospective buyers emerging. At the time, the resort consisted of a 1,000-room hotel and a 37,000 square-foot casino. Later in 1994, Jack Sommer, a Las Vegas real estate developer, and the Sommer Family Trust purchased the hotel.
On December 6, 1996, American rock band Phish performed at the Aladdin, marking the first appearance in Las Vegas by the band. The performance was ultimately released as a CD/DVD release entitled "Vegas 96". The concert featured a guest appearance by members of the band Primus and a group of Elvis impersonators. The Aladdin's porte cochere contained 9,230 light bulbs, which cost a total of $23,499 to light up during 1997.
The Aladdin closed on November 25, 1997. In February 1998, Aladdin Gaming announced that it had financed plans for a new Aladdin resort, expected to cost $826 million, while Planet Hollywood would develop a music-themed resort, tentatively known as Aladdin Music Project, which would be built behind the Aladdin. The cost of the new Aladdin complex would total $1.3 billion, although the music project was cancelled at the end of the year after Aladdin Gaming ended its partnership with Planet Hollywood, because of concerns that Planet Hollywood could not produce a $41 million commitment to the project. NCL/National Content Liquidators conducted an on-site liquidation sale of the Aladdin beginning on March 5, 1998, and continued until the resort was "sold out".
On April 27, 1998, the hotel tower was imploded at 7:27 pm to make way for construction of the new Aladdin resort. The Aladdin Theatre was retained and incorporated into the new resort. It was the fifth Las Vegas resort to be imploded. Aladdin executives set up a 1,000-person tent near the Aladdin and charged $250 a ticket for people to watch the implosion from inside the tent, with the proceeds benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada. The old resort's sign read, "Out of the dust Aladdin rises anew. See you in 2000." Frank Wright, the curator of the Nevada State Museum, said about the Aladdin's lack of success: "I don't know why it never made it. It never had the glamour of the Sands or the exotic dancers of the Tropicana or the Dunes or Stardust. Maybe it was location, but the Hacienda was farther out, and it was a success."
Aladdin (2000-2007)
Sommer took on London Clubs International as a partner in developing the new casino resort. LCI initially paid $50 million for a 25% interest, but took on additional equity after Sommer was unable to fund his share of cost overruns on the construction.
The Aladdin was scheduled to reopen on August 17, 2000, at 6:00 p.m., with fireworks at 10:00 p.m. 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 Workers Union Local 226, as well as more than 1,000 other workers were marching on Las Vegas Boulevard to protest the Aladdin opening without a union contract. Eden's speech as well as the other festivities were drowned out by the bullhorns and the rest of the protest.
According to Josh Axelrad in his 2010 book, Repeat until Rich, he and other professional gamblers, primarily card counters, took advantage of the Aladdin's inexperienced staff its opening weekend and fleeced the casino for an undetermined but large amount of money. The casino later introduced severe limits on mid-shoe bets in response.
The Aladdin was in financial trouble from the time it opened, and entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2001. In February 2002, Aladdin Gaming was searching for potential buyers. The resort was sold in bankruptcy on June 20, 2003 to a partnership of Planet Hollywood and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
Planet Hollywood (2007-present)
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.
The retail space formerly known as "The Desert Passage" was converted into the Hollywood-themed "Miracle Mile Shops".
After the casino was renovated, it was reopened as "Planet Hollywood Las Vegas" on April 17, 2007. The official grand opening was the weekend of November 16, 2007. The Planet Hollywood restaurant, however, remains at The Forum Shops at Caesars.
Under Caesars Entertainment Corporation (formerly Harrah's Entertainment)
The casino defaulted on its mortgage and had failed to make scheduled payments in September 2009. Harrah's began its process of taking over the property in December 2009 by purchasing some of the resort's debt.
On January 16, 2010, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide dropped their affiliation so Harrah's could take over hotel operations. On February 18, 2010, the Nevada Gaming Commission gave Harrah's the approval to take over the property. Harrah's officially acquired the property on February 19, 2010. Harrah's Total Rewards program was phased into Planet Hollywood which was completed in April 2010.
Marilyn Winn has stepped in as President of the resort; she is President of Paris Las Vegas and Bally's Las Vegas, both Caesar's Hotels. Robert Earl, former president and founder of the Planet Hollywood brand, will advise Caesars on marketing strategies for Planet Hollywood Hotel and the other nine casinos Caesars owns in the Las Vegas area. Winn is leaving Caesars Entertainment (formerly Harrah's Entertainment) and taking the place of Andrew Pascal at Wynn/Encore Las Vegas as President of Wynn/Encore Las Vegas.
Caesars does not own Prive Nightclub, nor some restaurants in the hotel. It does not own the newly branded Elara (formerly PH Tower by Westgate that opened in December 2009), as Hilton Grand Vacations, part of Hilton Worldwide now operates that tower's hotel operations. Through a licensing agreement, Caesars now has the right to use the Planet Hollywood trademark at other properties worldwide.
Combined with its earlier acquisition of former Barbary Coast (via a three-way-swap), the acquisition of Planet Hollywood's footprint on the Strip gave Caesars total control of the 126 acres (0.51 km2) on the east side of the Las Vegas Strip from Flamingo to Harmon Roads.
Maps Planet Hollywood Las Vegas
Features
Casino
Planet Hollywood's architecture can best be described as having a 'Hollywood hip' theme. It eschews the popular Art-Deco glamour of similarly imaged venues for a sleeker look that features plenty of glass, neon and reflective surfaces.
The resort features a three-acre casino floor full of traditional gambling machines like slots, table games and The Playing Field Race and Sports Book. This features 33 plasma screens, two jumbo screens and a section for VIP. Planet Hollywood is the first Las Vegas resort to offer table games dealt by young ladies in "chic lingerie". The Pleasure Pit is a section of the table games where this happens with go-go dancers entertaining the gamblers at the side.
Skill-based gaming machines from Gamblit Gaming were introduced in March 2017, the first of their kind in Las Vegas. Gamblit Poker and Cannonbeard's Treasure are currently available, with more titles to come in the future.
"The Mezzanine"
The Mezzanine can be accessed by taking an escalator in the casino or the elevator. Here, guests can relax on comfy chairs overlooking the casino. The space was designed to be quieter than the main areas of the casino, where guests come to lounge and smoke. The area is rather spaced out with room to walk and includes a place for shooting basketball hoops. It includes a "Living Room" with sofas to be accessed by the guests.
The Planet Hollywood showroom is located on the mezzanine. It features several different live shows; as of 2010, the most popular and longest-running is titled Peepshow which previously starred headliners such as Holly Madison and Coco Austin in the leading role. A live version of the television series America's Got Talent hosted by Jerry Springer (who flies to Vegas weekly from his self-titled show's taping in Stamford, Connecticut) and Tony n' Tina's Wedding played on the Mezzanine in 2009.
"The Spa by Mandara" is located on this floor. Two fine dining restaurants, KOI and Strip House, are present here, across from the wedding chapel.
Swimming pool
The swimming pool in this resort can be accessed through the sixth floor. The area overlooks the Strip with a view of the north and south. It features two pools and two hot spa one of each in both the South and North Strip. The one in the North Strip section features VIP cabanas for renting. In between is a bar/grill/snack-bar with a patch of grass lined with pool chairs for guests to sit and eat.
Zappos Theater
Zappos Theater is an auditorium located inside the Miracle Mile Shops. In 2011, it was voted as one of the "Best Concert Halls & Theaters In Las Vegas". It is the largest theatre of its kind in the United States and the largest theatre on The Strip.
Britney: Piece of Me
Beginning in December 2013, the venue is home for Britney Spears' residency show, Britney: Piece Of Me. Spears will perform 50 shows per year, in 2014 and 2015. She is reportedly earning around $475,000 a show. The first show began on the 27th of December 2013 and was well received by fans and critics. In 2015, the residency was extended for two more years and the residency show will end on December 31, 2017. The last show of the residency on December 31, 2017, broke the record for the highest-grossing single concert in a theater residency ever in Las Vegas. It grossed nearly $1.2 million for 4,600 fans and $255 average ticket price. Her decision to do this inspired her contemporaries like Jennifer Lopez and newer artists like Lady Gaga to do similar residencies. She has also brought a younger cohort to the Strip.
Accommodations
The Planet Hollywood Resort features rooms that meet its Hollywood theme. The resort, which stands 400 feet (122 meters) tall, has 37 floors (with the final two being VIP), and each room is dedicated to a certain movie such as Backdraft. Rooms feature actual props and memorabilia from the film. The rooms range from standard to luxurious "Panorama" suites with a view of the whole Las Vegas Strip. In early 2017, the casino completed a $100 million project to remodel all 2,500 rooms.
Elara
In December 2009, PH Towers by Westgate opened at Planet Hollywood. The 52-story building, owned by Westgate Resorts and operated by Planet Hollywood, featured 1,200 suites to be used as timeshares and hotel rooms, including 40 luxury penthouse units.
In November 2011, Resort Finance America, a subsidiary of Centerbridge Partners, acquired a controlling interest in the tower, took over operations, and began rebranding it as a Hilton Grand Vacations resort. In March 2012, the property was renamed Elara, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club.
Film history
Original resort
Robert Hirsch, a Las Vegas location consultant and the former director of the Nevada Motion Picture Division, said that film and television crews "always loved the porte cochere" of the Aladdin, but that they "just didn't like the rest of the place." The Aladdin's casino was featured substantially in the 1979 film Going in Style and the 1986 film Heat. The porte cochere and casino appeared in the 1993 film, Best of the Best II, while the theatre appeared in the 1997 documentary film, Dancing for Dollars. Behind Closed Doors, a documentary series, shot footage of the hotel tower's demolition preparations prior to its implosion. The series also placed cameras inside the tower to give an interior view of the building during the implosion. The Aladdin was also featured in a 1998 episode of Ohh Nooo! Mr. Bill Presents, in which the character of Mr. Bill performs at the resort. Footage of the implosion was used in the closing credits of the 2003 film The Cooler.
Newer resort
The newer structure has been featured in various television shows and films.
Seasons One and Two of the A&E Network show Criss Angel Mindfreak were filmed 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 2012 Miss America pageants, the Miss USA pageants from 2008 to 2013, and hosted Miss Universe 1991, Miss Universe 1996, Miss Universe 2012 and the Miss Universe 2015.
The Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) world premiere took place at Planet Hollywood on September 25, 2007.
The Rambo (2008) world premiere took place at Planet Hollywood on January 24, 2008.
Scenes from the 2008 movie 21 were shot in Planet Hollywood.
The Planet Hollywood hotel is prominently featured in the movie What Happens in Vegas as the hotel where the Fullers stay and get married.
The movie Transporter 3 had its world premiere at PH on November 21, 2008. Jason Statham was present for the premiere.
The movie Race to Witch Mountain was partly shot here for the space convention
The movie The Expendables premiered at PH in August, 2010. This was announced by a helicopter that was displayed on the PH casino floor.
Seasons One and Two of E's Holly's World were shot at the Planet Hollywood. Holly Madison starred in Peepshow on property until 2012.
A flashmob set to Midi Mafia's "PHamous" was performed by several YouTubers including Shay Carl and KassemG in November, 2009.
Scenes from Get Him to the Greek were filmed and take place at PH.
Scenes from Knocked Up were filmed at PH.
The nearly completed structure can be seen in the 2009 film, The Hangover.
The documentary The Queen of Versailles discusses former owner David Siegel's struggle & hardship to secure funding for the Ph Towers Westgate.
An episode of the Web Series Jake And Amir was shot in the Hollywood Hip Queen Room of the hotel.
The Planet Hollywood hotel is briefly seen in the 2013 film, The Hangover Part III
See also
- List of Caesars Entertainment properties
- List of casinos in Nevada
- List of tallest buildings in Las Vegas
References
External links
- Official website
- Planet Hollywood (Aladdin) News - Vegas Today and Tomorrow
- Las Vegas Travelog. Including tens of photos.
- Media related to Planet Hollywood Las Vegas at Wikimedia Commons
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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