Las Vegas is known as a city of themed hotels.  It has it all—the Eiffel Tower of Paris, the Pirate ships in Treasure Island, the pyramid of the Luxor, the canals of the Venetian, the skyscrapers of New York—and the list goes on.

But it is doubtful that any of them live up to their name as well as the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. With a hip vibe and a celebrity feel that reverberates through its modern architecture and Hollywood theme, it features a three-acre casino floor adorned with 33 plasma screens, two jumbo screens and a VIP section.  It is the first Las Vegas resort to offer table games dealt by young ladies in “chic lingerie” and the Pleasure Pit section of the table games features go-go dancers entertaining as you gamble.

While the current day Planet Hollywood certainly lives up to its celebrity billing, the history of the hotel and casino over almost 50-years certainly lends itself to the Hollywood name.  Opened originally in 1963 as the Tally-Ho, the original hotel at this site reopened in 1966 as the Aladdin in 1966 and less than a year later hosted the wedding of Elvis and Priscilla Presley. Through the next three decades the Aladdin was host to some of the top names in show business and entertainment as guests and entertainers alike before closing in 1997.

The original Aladdin was imploded in 1998, rebuilt and opened as the new Aladdin in 2000.  Even in its destruction the old building gained fame as footage of the implosion was used in the movie The Cooler. In 2003 the Aladdin was sold and became a Planet Hollywood resort with a makeover. Harrah’s officially became the owner earlier this year and has revitalized the property again, strengthening the Hollywood connection and giving it a fresh makeover.

Planet Hollywood features rooms that meet its Hollywood theme. The resort has 52 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.

The swimming pool in this resort is 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. On Fridays and Saturdays, DJ's spin popular music from noon to 4:00 p.m.

Adjoining the resort in what used to be known as "The Desert Passage” mall is the new,  Hollywood-themed "Miracle Mile Shops,” an endless circle that will keep even the most ardent shoppers busy with 170 shops and 15 restaurants.

In the resort, the 7,500-seat Theatre for the Performing Arts hosts annual extravaganzas including the Miss America Pageant; it’s also a regular Las Vegas stop for some of the biggest names in music and live performance.

More than a dozen movies or television shows have used Planet Hollywood for locations, including Transporter 3, which held its world premier at the resort in 2008, and the hotel was prominently featured in the movie What Happens in Vegas. The movie The Expendables premiered at Planet Hollywood in August and was announced by a chopper on the casino floor.  Only in Las Vegas.

Because the resort is now part of the Harrah’s family, two of the finer golf courses in the area are now available for guests at Planet Hollywood. Cascata is one of the “must-play” courses while in town and an experience that most golfers will look back on for a long time, while Rio Seco is among the top-rated tracks in Las Vegas and will not disappoint.

For more information on Planet Hollywood and Harrah’s Stay and Play packages, contact: Todd Wright This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (702) 777-2402; or go to www.planethollywood.com. For information on Cascata visit www.harrahs.com/golf/cascata-golf/; or for Rio Seco go to: www.riosecco.net