How Owns Planet Hollywood
The past few years have seen some major changes at Planet Hollywood with new menus, drinks, snacks, and even restaurant concepts being added to the collection. With its rebrand in 2014 as just “Planet”, many thought that would be the end of the line for PH.
That assumption was wrong.
In fact, since then there has been an explosion of additions and renovations across all locations! Over the last couple of years we have seen the addition or remodeling of several restaurants including: Oceana Seafood Kitchen & Bar, Rumor (dinner concept) at the Forum Shops, Bistro 52 next to Citywalk, Tapas Room at the Venetian, Cantonese inspired Grill at Paris Las Vegas, Asian-inspired lounge/restaurant The Lounge at Caesars Palace, and more recently, Tequila Lobby at the Wynn Hotel and VooDOO ($$$) which is still available for dining reservations only but does not require a tour of the establishment before you sit down.
This article will focus mostly on the reasons why these additional eateries are needed within the hotel brand, what makes them unique, and how you can get benefits from eating at one if you are a frequent visitor or resident.
We will also take a look at some discounts and rewards programs that reward you for spending money at Planet facilities.
Closed in 2010
In early 2010, rumors began to spread around the internet that The Plaza Hotel & Casino was looking for new owners. Some said it would close within the year while others claimed it would stay open until at least 2017!
Many people assumed that this meant something bad would happen for Las Vegas or even for the hotel itself. Many speculated about what would be next for the property, but none of these theories seem likely.
It is very hard to believe that such a well-known business could close its doors forever, so most do not buy into those theories.
However, many assume that the casino will be bought by another company and reopened under a different name. This seems like the more probable theory since there are already several companies with large amounts of money who want a piece of the casino industry.
There may also be investors out there who hope to make a quick profit from buying a closed down casino. Both situations can’t hurt the hotel, which remains popular despite its closure.
Opened again in 2016
In March of 2016, just over two years after it closed, restaurant chain Planet Hollywood reopened as The Dome at Planet Hollywood.
The reopening was not done with much fanfare or hoopla. There were no big opening events nor did anyone seem too excited about the new location.
In fact, some people almost seemed annoyed that they had to go back into this space once more.
Why would there be any kind of excitement for what seems like yet another place to get sick from contaminated food?
But the truth is, going back into this building is an important part of our health and wellness. It’s also a reminder of how large corporations can hurt us even though they may only be a few steps away from you.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking their absence proves that everything will always work out okay in the long run.
It doesn’t. And it won’t until we take action.
Has a luxury hotel and casino
In May of 2002, Planet Hollywood opened its doors as The Luxury Hotel & Casino. It was designed to be a flashy way to start your night out if you wanted to enjoy some entertainment while having a good time with friends or family.
The hotel featured many features that are now common in hotels, such as flat-screen televisions in every room, spacious bathrooms, and gourmet snacks.
However, what made it different back then was how large the rooms were. Rooms could almost fit a whole team of people!
Since then, the hotel has continued to add more bells and whistles, making it one of the most popular brands at Planet Hollywood.
Has restaurants and bars
In fact, there are over 700 restaurant and bar brands under the name “Planet” or “Hollywood” for that matter! Some are very well known like Denny’s and Applebee’s but most people don’t recognize the brand names behind their menus.
There’s no standard format to what makes up a Planet menu either. Some offer chicken fingers, pasta dishes, burgers, and more. Others have vegetarian options, grilled items, and dessert.
It is not uncommon to find foods such as hamburger helper, rice, and vegetables on the side. Nutrition info is usually limited at best, making it hard to determine exactly how much food you need to eat to satisfy your nutritional requirements.
The average person who works full time should spend around $100 per week to stay in budget. That’s almost one thousand dollars a year! One meal at Planet can easily cost twice that depending on what item you choose.
Has a movie theater
While some people may not care about how many movies you have at your establishment, we admire strong movie theatre brands. We think it is important to know who you are as an organization, what kind of experiences you offer, and why those experiences matter to your patrons.
That’s why we've created our own “Power Ranking Theaters” list!
As one might expect, no big box theaters made this cut. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t great things going on at smaller independent cinemas or even VR-capable theatres like AMC AMX in Chicago.
Is located on the Las Vegas Strip
Located just off The Las Vegas Strip, you will find yourself in close proximity to some of the most well known casinos in the world! With so many things to do here, there is never a shortage of activities for you to participate in.
Planet Hollywood has all sorts of dining options at every price point. They have an Italian restaurant, steakhouse, sushi bar, fast food place, sportsbar, dessert bar, and even a pizza oven!
There are also several lounges and bars inside the hotel that offer more than drinks. Some include pool tables, big screen TVs, and/or live music.
Has seen many famous guests
In early 2007, just one year after it opened, there was an uproar over whether or not the restaurant needed to make changes due to its poor reputation. At that time, several media outlets reported how some of the hotel’s staff members were accused of discriminating against minorities by making racist remarks.
It seems this didn’t sit well with some guests either as they claimed to have experienced similar situations while trying to book a reservation at the restaurant.
One such incident happened in February 2008 when actor Ashton Kutcher booked a party of eight for his birthday at the restaurant. He had informed the restaurant he wanted two tables set up next to each other so he could invite both his significant other and their friends to join him for dinner.
However, when he showed up with only his girlfriend, she found out her friend would be sitting across from them instead and asked if anyone else should be invited. The manager responded by saying “no, you all know who your friend is” and then suggested they meet another night to celebrate together.
This made Kutcher very uncomfortable and he cancelled the reservations without explanation. Many people thought this was because he did not want his girlfriend to hear anything potentially embarrassing about him but the opposite is true - he was embarrassed for what the front desk employee said to her.
He later tweeted about the experience explaining why he canceled the reservation and adding that he will never visit the place again even if given free food.
Popular attractions include the aquarium and the shark tank
The Aquarium of America opened its doors in 2004 as one of the most popular tourist destinations at Planet Hollywood. With all its interactive exhibits, it is guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours!
The exhibit starts with an introduction to aquatic life, showing how different fish species live and thrive in water. It then moves onto explaining why protecting our oceans is important and what you can do to help save them.
Visitors are then shown the marine habitat by way of glass windows and tanks where they get to explore several types of coral, jellyfish, sharks, and other sea creatures. They also have the chance to touch some of the animals if asked first.
Last, but not least, there is a small area that allows visitors to swim among the dolphins! This is very rare so make sure to visit this while you’re here if you really want to experience it.
If you love spending time under the ocean looking around and learning more about the natural world, the Aquarium of America is definitely a must-visit.