Planet Hollywood Hits Las Vegas

One night in April, this reporter almost thought she had been transported to another planet. It's easy to see why, when you compare my usual evening standard of microwaveable meals and sitcom reruns to the trendy food, vacationing celebrities and array of entertainment options that were available to me that evening. However, it wasn't another planet—it was simply a night in the life of a guest of the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino

 Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will show off its $1 billion renovation in SeptemberThe new Planet Hollywood, or PH as it's simply referred to, is the latest hotel set to make its debut in Las Vegas this September. "We will be throwing the biggest party Las Vegas has ever seen on September 28 and 29 for the grand opening," Robert Earl, co-chairman of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino and neighbor of Bruce Willis, told a room full of press and hotel VIPs in April. (Get ready for plenty of name-dropping, as Earl promised each person mentioned here would be a frequent guest of PH.) "This is not just a resort and casino, it is an amalgamation of three entities," he said, alluding to the Planet Hollywood, Miracle Mile and Westgate Resorts franchises.

Indeed, after a $1 billion renovation, the former Aladdin site is positioning itself as strong competition for the clientele of such stylish and hip neighboring properties as Wynn and The Palms. Not only does the lobby feature floor to ceiling Swarovski crystal chandeliers and 5,000 Panasonic high-definition plasma TVs that adorn public areas and guest rooms, but celeb-frequented hotspots like the restaurant Koi and Privé nightclub are also headed to the 2,600-guest room property.

The rooms themselves will be museums of celebrity culture, much like the Planet Hollywood eateries that inspired the hotel. Rooms and suites are themed after movies that showcase original Hollywood memorabilia, like the black blazer John Travolta wore in Quentin Tarantino's hit film Pulp Fiction. In addition, as a draw for sports fans, three suites will be decorated with memorabilia from legendary sports figures Roger Clemens, Pete Sampras and Sugar Ray Leonard.

New PH Towers by Westgate

In addition to the guest rooms and suites, the Starwood-managed property also will feature the 50-story PlanetHollywoodTowers by Westgate, which will house 1,200 vacation villas and 28 penthouse suites. The 3.2 million square feet of living space is set to make its debut in 2009.

Entertainment options include The Beauty of Magic starring magician Hans Klok—which will feature Baywatch beauty Pamela Anderson—and a production of Stomp Out Loud, a condensed version of the Broadway hit Stomp. There are three lounges throughout the hotel, including the Extra Lounge, inspired by the entertainment news show hosted by Mark McGrath and Dayna Devon.

Two critical components of living like a celebrity include spa treatments and shopping—and PH has not forgotten this. The Planet Hollywood Spa by Mandara offers specialty massages, facials and body treatments, while the 170 Miracle Mile Shops are comprised of retailers like Urban Outfitters and H&M, the first store of the Swedish chain to hit Las Vegas.

The hotel remains open throughout the full renovation, with one floor closing at a time in order to be revamped. However, Earl assured the crowd that everything would come together by the end of September. "This day has been a long time coming," he said.

Get a closer look at the new Planet Hollywood in the video below: