We recently stayed at Planet Hollywood on the 'Fabulous Las Vegas Strip!' as the game shows refer to it.

It was originally The Aladdin, but that wasn't working out money-wise so it was reopened as Planet Hollywood in 2000. Time sure flies, it doesn't seem that long ago.

This is from the old Aladdin, which was torn down in 1998 to make way for the new Aladdin, now Planet Ho.



The rooms have a Hollywood theme, with memorabilia from movies and television displayed in each room. The first time Mr. Troutbend stayed there, his was General Hospital.



When we were recently there, it was a 1991 movie starring Danny Glover called Flight of the Intruder.





As far as the room went, it was very clean and nice, but not a single drawer to be had. I am sure that some travelers don't bother unpacking when they stay in a hotel, they just rummage around in their suitcase, but Mr. Troutbend always arranges his clothes in the drawers and has a 'top drawer' where he has the phone charger, his cigars, coupons, and what not. We put our bedtime reading books in the drawer in the bedside table, and every morning when we leave the room so the maid can tidy up we have it all placed in the drawers and cupboards so she doesn't have to clean around our stuff. The bedside table was just a table, no drawers, lending to the flitty, transitory feel of the place.



One of the most notable things about our room was that it was dead quiet. It was in a short wing, so fewer people walking past our door, and the windows must have been really well-insulated because we couldn't hear the traffic on the Strip at all, even though we had a Strip view.



The bathroom was huge, about half as big as the room, so that was nice.

One thing I didn't like was the room was not arranged for good TV viewing from both beds. It was clear at the end of the room in a wall unit, did not pull out and rotate toward the beds like some of them do, so only one of the beds had a decent view, and neither had a straight on one. A person could sit in one of the purple velvet easy chairs, but maybe they wanted to sit in bed and watch the news.



There were some real negatives about the place that are probably going to keep me from going back:

Access The parking garage debouches into the Miracle Mile Shops, so you have to lug your luggage for about 1/4 mile through shoppers and strolling folks. Alternatively, you can hike underground with no sidewalks or rolling-suitcase ramps to finally achieve the entry to the place. The solution to this is to use valet parking, but we don't because we want to save on tips ($5 a time) for other things.

Elevator Music There's nothing like loud rap music in the elevator to make me feel like a stranger in a strange land. I don't mean in a happy way, either. I feel the pain of the citizens of in countries occupied by the Nazis or Satan, where the oppressor makes us as miserable as possible. I had 21 floors to contemplate suicide, and believe me, I did. Fortunately, the rap was sometimes replaced by very loud rock music, which I could tolerate better, but it was hit or miss as to what card you'd draw when those doors opened before you.

I know some of you are going to say, 'Well, it's obviously a younger crowd they want there.' Well, yes, Miss Tight-ass Priss, it obviously is, although most of the people in the elevator with me were at least 45 and we were all depressed about the music. I know because I asked them.

Anyway, all this had the effect of me wanting to get inside my room and never leave it. And now that I'm out of it, I'm going to think twice about ever going back.