$1.4 billion hotel development on 34-acre site of former Aladdin Hotel at 3667 Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. (702) 736-7114, www.aladdincasino.com
It’s true that another theme hotel in Las Vegas isn’t exactly stop-the-presses news, but the reincarnation of the Aladdin adds some innovations to the business and leisure mix not always easy to find in this high-demand market. The Aladdin addresses the city’s need for meeting, convention and mid-size entertainment space with 75,000 square feet of meeting space and a 7,000-seat Theater for the Performing Arts that has been infused with $1 million in upgrades. Though the Aladdin is thoroughly focused on the “1,001 Arabian Nights” theme, it has tried to separate business from frivolity. The casino is on the second floor, allowing hotel guests and conventioneers to,heaven forbid,bypass it to get to their rooms. There’s also the city’s first Monte Carlo-style private casino, a 35,000-square-foot London Club, for high-limit table games and slots. The London Club also offers privacy for those wanting to keep a low profile, with its own hotel entrance, elevator, private lounge and reception room and 120-seat upscale restaurant. The 100,000-square-foot main casino, intimate by Las Vegas standards, features a towering 36-foot magic lamp, the talon and nest of a giant Roc bird surrounding a cozy bar, a 130-foot “Enchanted Garden” light board of blooming flowers and giant winged horses that grace the entry to the Race & Sports Book. Guest rooms, ranging from 450 square feet to more than 1,200 square feet, include high-speed Internet access, cordless phones and marble baths with separate soaking tubs. The 2,500-plus room resort adjoins Desert Passage, a retail, dining and entertainment complex of more than 130 shops and 21 restaurants. And if you’re savvy about Las Vegas traffic, you don’t have to fight the Strip to get to the Aladdin, as its main entrance is on Harmon. It takes a little imagination to get the full effect of the final product on a hard-hat tour, but the Aladdin’s attention to detail and its special features make it look like a winner in a market where it’s tough to be distinctive.
