Goodbye Aladdin! Hello Planet Hollywood!

Once more slice of Vegas history bit the dust last week when the Aladdin was officially renamed.

Sure, we’ve all known for months that it was in the process of transforming into the new Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, but for booking purposes, it was still the Aladdin. No more.

In a press conference at the resort, Robert Earl, co-chairman of of Planet Hollywood, was joined by long-time investor Bruce Willis to usher in the official name change.

“Here we are, standing in the ultimate location in Las Vegas, in the center of the Las Vegas Strip to unveil Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino,” said Earl, at the event. “This project is the fulfillment of a dream, and I am very proud to say that the Planet is rising!”

The new Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will offer guests 2,600 movie-themed rooms and suites, such as the Pulp Fiction Suite, pictured at right. Every inch of the resort has been remodeled, removing all traces of the North African theme the Aladdin was known for. In its place are touches like floor to ceiling Swarovski crystal chandeliers in the lobby and the use of over 5,000 high definition plasma screens throughout the resort.

At the event, Earl also unveiled some of the restaurants and nightlife that will be opening at the resort and I’ll cover those in depth with future posts. On the southeast corner of the property, construction is also underway for Planet Hollywood Towers by Westgate, which will feature a 50-story glass tower with 1200 vacation villas and 28 penthouse suites.

Earl says the grand opening celebration of ph (yes, he says all lower case on the initials) will take place the weekend of September 28 and 29. I’m sure that’s going to be one heck of a party.