Editorial Review

Formerly the Aladdin, this resort casino has been transformed from a family-oriented Arabian Nights parody to a trendy homage to contemporary Hollywood glitz. The large casino space has been redone in mid-century modern style, with the consistent design, open layout and booming sound system sometimes feeling more like a club than a gambling hall. Constant entertainment industry branding ranges from the first beyond-L.A. outpost of the legendary Pink’s Hot Dogs to movie premieres including Rambo, 21, and Resident Evil: Extinction. All this jazz lures a crowd of young couples on a getaway, young professionals on a spree and movieland-beguiled foreigners. Planet Hollywood also features a wide range of entertainment, from the Stomp Out Loud show and regular appearances by comedians like David Spade in one theater, concerts from headliners like Sheryl Crow in another, and then a seemingly random assortment of Beatles tribute acts, pet circuses, impressionists, hypnotists, and magicians scattered throughout. The vast Miracle Mile shopping mall favors hip stores like Ben Sherman, Bettie Page, and Urban Outfitters that won’t empty your wallet like some other Strip malls. After all this abundance, the unfancy pool is a bit of a surprise, with a nice Strip view, but no cabanas. Newly redecorated rooms combine retro design and a neutral palette with pops of bold color and polished mahogany wood—in case you forget where you are, a copy of Ok magazine is right next to the phone book and room service menu.