Las Vegas Aladdin transitioning to Planet Hollywood Resort

from today's Las Vegas Business Press

Alas, Aladdin's lamp is out
Planet Hollywood makes long-awaited arrival
BY MATT WARD

"It is perhaps the quietest Las Vegas "implosion" ever.

This is a town where resort casinos grow up to be megaresort casinos atop the dusty ruins of historic mainstays. The Aladdin Resort & Casino officially joined the Stardust, the Dunes, and the Desert Inn as the latest to depart stage left, even if the explosion was more glamorous than those of the dynamite sort.

In a not-so-subtle ceremony on Tuesday, partners in the newly branded Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino celebrated their property's gradual transformation from the failure-prone Aladdin to a hip new Strip spot. Only time will tell if indeed that old Aladdin bankruptcy genie is back in the bottle to stay. The official grand opening is still half-a-year away." ....

"The Planet Hollywood will call its mall the Miracle Mile Shops after famous shopping avenues in the U.S." ....

"Building its resort brand through strategic relationships -- particularly taking advantage of its access to Hollywood glitterati -- will perhaps be Planet Hollywood's signature saving grace. First, Pepsi Co. signed a 10-year commitment, and will distribute 12 million cans throughout California and Nevada. This tsunami of soda will hail Planet Hollywood's coming-out party as well as give it a marketing surge unlike any other.".......
"The PH, as it's branded in some spots, will share many of the concepts that other Las Vegas properties do. A central Heart Bar is reminiscent of the MGM Grand Casino Hotel and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's centerpieces. Famous eateries like New York's Striphouse and L.A.'s famous Pink's will serve signature dishes. Pink's is actually a popular hot dog stand and will be part of Planet Hollywood's not-yet-complete sports book.

But the property will also feature a few twists on the common concepts. For instance, a bar near the Strip entrance called the Extra Lounge is themed after the "Extra" gossip TV show. A mini-stage area will allow "Extra" crew members to do standups from the property." ......

"With so much competition along the Strip, and so much on the way with MGM's Project CityCenter going up across the street, Planet Hollywood officials are hoping to carve out a niche. Spokeswoman Andrea Roqueni says something to entice everyone is available, from the show "Stomp Out Loud" in its own theatre, to the magic of Hans Klok in the Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts.

Miracle Mile, as the 1.3-mile shopping mall is newly named, will soon get a new look and some new merchants, too. Trader Vic's, Urban Outfitters and a Hawaiian Tropic Zone are scheduled to open."....

Earl said the improved Miracle Mile, named in reference to famed shopping districts in L.A. and Chicago, will soon be "seamlessly integrated, inside and outside" with the rest of the property. It will also still have to compete with Forum Shops at Caesars and whatever new retail component is added to City Center. "We will be completely different. We all go after a different niche," Roqueni said.

Earl says his aspirations are somewhat higher. "We had the biggest challenge bringing this to life ... to ensure Planet Hollywood surpasses all other properties," he said. "It's not just a resort and casino. It's an amalgamation of three important entities, the planet itself and the Miracle Mile" as well as Westgate's Planet Hollywood Towers.

No matter how competitive Planet Hollywood ends up once all the pieces are in place in September, Actor Bruce Willis guaranteed that at least one record would fall to the property on Sept. 28 and 29. "We will be throwing the biggest party Las Vegas has ever seen."

for the complete story see: http://www.lvbusinesspress.com/articles/2007/04/26/news/iq_13827274.txt