When the fairy-tale of the Aladdin hotel in Las Vegas ended, we were sad to see it go. We felt it was the end of an era. However, we were happily surprised when it was replaced by the illustrious (albeit gimmicky) Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. This has become the hippest and most distinct hotel on the strip.
If you are looking for the pop kitsch theme of the Planet Hollywood restaurants, you may be disappointed. This hotel is ultra glamorous. The Hollywood glam theme is apparent from the moment you walk in. Gorgeous crystal chandeliers and crystal encrusted pillars give this hotel is ultra luxe feel. The strip entrance was redesigned to evoke the frenzy of media images such as in Times Square. The new entrance is also much easier to access than the old entrance of the Aladdin.
However, what you really want to come to Planet Hollywood is for the rooms. Each room is individually themed by different Hollywood blockbusters. Some rooms themes you can expect are Pulp Fiction, Wayne’s World, The Wizard of Oz, or Blade just to mention a few. While there may be more than one room with the same theme, each room offers original memorabilia from the movies. For example something you might expect from a Pulp Fiction themed room would be glass case with the suit that John Travolta wore in the movie. While the gimmick is a good one, each of the rooms may have a different type of feel. For example a theme based on a sweet Judy Garland musical may have a different ambiance than that of a Blade themed room. This is something you should ask at check in.
The rooms are incredibly spacious, especially for the price and location of the hotel. The beds have feather duvets as well as extra padding on top of the mattress making it especially comfortable. The bathrooms are larger than normal, however some guests complain about there not being a fan. The bathroom has a separate vanity area which makes getting ready much easier, especially when sharing a room.
A word of warning: the self parking is at the opposite end of the hotel, even past the Miracle Mile shops. Therefore if you were to Self Park you would have to drag your luggage through the mall and through the hotel in order to get to registration. To avoid this you can use valet parking. If you didn’t know already, valet parking in Vegas is always free but you have to tip. Generally you should tip about $5. Valet parking will drop you right outside the front desk.
Besides the incredible rooms, the hotel itself is incredible as well. With all the restaurants, shows, night clubs, shopping, gambling, and pools there’s really no reason to leave the hotel! There are 19 restaurants in total, 7 bars and lounges, 2 pools and 2 Jacuzzis, a massive shopping mall, a health club and spa, and one of the best casinos on the strip!