Aladdin, Las Vegas

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Be seen at the hottest new Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, at the best location on the strip. The Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino, a Sheraton Hotel (formerly the Aladdin) is the place where everyone is a celebrity. Offering the glamour of Hollywood, guests are treated to the star treatment which ensures everyone feels both welcome and comfortable. The Planet is a place where you belong. Boasting three acres of gaming under one roof with your favorite table and slot games, the Planet's newly designed Casino features video and plasma, giving patrons a true Wow from the moment they step on the floor. This is complimented by over 75,000 sq ft of self contained meeting space on our Mezzanine level.

Like the plot of a motion picture, this classic Las Vegas casino – where Elvis and Priscilla Presley were married – once rose from the dead: It was imploded in 1998 and then rebuilt from ground up. As for its most recent dazzling special effect, the Aladdin lifted the curtain to Hollywood in Sin City when it was reborn as Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The glamorous 12,800 square foot lobby at Planet Hollywood (formerly the Aladdin) has eight chandeliers, each comprised of 66,000 individually hand-strung crystals. Black granite floors, textured glass walls and large columns beckon guests to the check-in desk, where bands of LED lights continuously change color.

The 100,000 square foot casino features glowing rectangular light fixtures, suspended from the four-story ceiling, which change colors from red to blue to green to purple. Tall pillars with either geometric patterns or stripes reach from the floor to the ceiling, and neon LED lights brighten the walls. Center stage in the casino of Planet Hollywood (formerly the Aladdin) is a circular hot spot called the Heart Bar, a place to hang out with the beautiful people while sipping on drinks served by cocktail waitresses in black leather go-go attire. Throughout the casino, more than 2,800 slot machines and 87 table games await those ready to try their luck.

... continuing the tour. From Paris, walk down the street to Aladdin...

The original Aladdin was actually blown up in 1998 and then entirely rebuilt. The new hotel and casino is larger and much more luxurious. It's Arabian Nights theme is in full effect, complete with a giant genie's lamp in the casino area.

The decor is impressive throughout the resort, but the most popular attraction at Aladdin is the enormous Desert Passage shopping mall, one of the largest collections of shops on the strip. I think Desert Passage is second only to the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace for shopping. There are 21 restaurants and 130 shops here. Don't leave without seeing the indoor rainstorm in Desert Passage. That is truly a sight!

The pool at Aladdin is also nice. It is located on the 6th floor and has views of the strip. There are a number of restaurants in Aladdin, including P.F. Chang's, Tremezzo, Zanzibar Cafe.

...from Aladdin, continue down the strip to the MGM Grand to continue the tour....

A few years ago, the original Aladdin Hotel & Casino was imploded and then rebuilt but problems plagued the hotel from the start. And finally the hotel was sold to the Planet Hollywood group who, of course, renamed it Planet Hollywood and are currently in the process of redesigning the place and getting rid of the Arabian Nights theme that permeated the property before. The Desert Passage shopping mall has been transformed into the Miracle Mile Shops with a look that is reminiscent of every other mall in America. If you hurry, they haven't completely finished the transformation yet. The north part of the mall still retains the old Arab feel with the ceiling painted like the sky. But that will be gone soon. If you do stay here, expect a lot of construction at least for a while. The Las Vegas branch of the Planet Hollywood restaurant still resides in the Forum Shops at Caesar's, but it wouldn't surprise me if it moved here in the near future. Unfortunately, I consider this whole development a travesty and, thus, didn't bother with any pictures of it.

Note that the name change is pretty recent and this resort is still listed as the Aladdin on much of the Las Vegas publications.

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Would it be because we were tired?
Would it be because the mixture between Arabic and Indian look didn't work well?

I don't know, but Alladin was, for us, the least appealing of all the big hotels. Anyway, it also justified the time, and the performed storm seemed real.

One thing about going to Las Vegas is that they have so many entertainment. Some are very expensive and some are just free. For those who can't afford to pay a $65-$150 ticket for a show, but still wanted to have a good time, go to Alladin Hotel and watch their free shows at the "The V" Theater.

You can experience the real desert life at the passage and experience the beautiful mid-eastern ambience of the hotel.

At lunchtime, go to "The V" and watch all their free shows. There is a stage set up for the particular free shows. When we were there last year, there was this Russian performer who juggles square boxes made of metals. There were also a father and son acrobats performing. The show last for about an hour. It is watch the performance by going inside the restaurant close to the stage and just order your lunch. While you are eating your lunch, you are also being entertained. Make sure to get a table outside the restaurant close to the stage. The restaurant is a Hawaiian restaurant. Make sure to tip the waitress so she can give you the best table to watch the "The V"!!!

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There are so many shows on the Strip, but most of the nicer ones are quite expensive. You can still enjoy Las Vegas with little budget and finding free shows. There are many free shows that are nice to watch! One of the shows that we went to is called the "V" at the Aladdin Hotel. The stage is located at the center of their shopping mall. There are three different shows, one guy who juggles boxed metal and two brothers who did acrobats. They are pretty good actually. The shows start every hour.

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There is another mall called Desert Passage Alladin that is directly connected to the casino. Sorry for not knowing the time but there was an acrobatic show with some really flexible people. It was free, but they passed around a bucket so you could give any amount. Don't be stingy because, trust me on this one, once you see the show you'll want to give them a couple of dollars.

If you get tired of gambling, there are a myriad of other fun things to do in Las Wages. One of things I like to do is to see a Vegas show. Believe me, there are plenty to choose from. On this trip I decided to check out the "V" show at the Aladdin. It is a variety show with a little bit of everything (comedy, magic, circus type entertainment). The show is approximately 90 minutes long. My favorite part of the show was the basketball troop from Harlem, NY performing on unicycles and the two russian guys displaying super human strength. This show will entertain young and old alike.