Planet Hollywood Casino Sets Reopen Date on Las Vegas Strip

Posted on: September 29, 2020, 12:03h. 

Last updated on: September 29, 2020, 02:17h.

Larry Henry Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Gaming Business, Legislation, Politics, Regulation.

Planet Hollywood hotel and casino is reopening on Oct. 8, becoming one of the last resorts on the Las Vegas Strip to begin operating following a COVID-19 lockdown in the spring.

Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip is set to reopen Oct. 8 at 10 am. The gaming areas will be open every day, but hotel reservations are weekend-only for now. (Image: KTNV-TV)

This comes as the Strip is undergoing recent high-profile changes, including a beefed-up police presence after several violent incidents in September. Another change is the reopening of the Park MGM as the first smoke-free casino on the Strip.

With Planet Hollywood’s reopening, the only resort on the Strip without a scheduled restart date is the Cromwell, according to the American Gaming Association website. Planet Hollywood and the Cromwell are Caesars Entertainment properties.

Faced with a spike in coronavirus infections, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) ordered casinos and other businesses statewide to close in March. He allowed casinos to reopen June 4. Some properties opened more quickly than others.

When Planet Hollywood reopens next week, its gaming floor will be in operation every day of the week, with health measures in place. This includes mandatory masks for employees and guests. Until further notice, however, the hotel only is accepting weekend room reservations from Thursdays through Sundays.

The Miracle Mile Shops connected to the resort reopened June 9.

Planet Hollywood is located at the site of the former Aladdin hotel-casino, a longtime resort famous as the place where Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu were married in 1967.

Recent Strip Violence

During September, several gun incidents occurred on the Las Vegas Strip and nearby areas, prompting a stepped-up police presence.

On Sunday night, one man was shot in the torso on the sidewalk near the Flamingo. He was hospitalized in critical but stable condition. The hotel was locked down for several hours as authorities searched for a suspect.

Later on Monday, a 19-year-old man identified as Christian Miller was taken into custody in California, about 95 miles southwest of Las Vegas, according to the Associated Press. He was jailed in San Bernardino County, awaiting transfer to Las Vegas. Miller was the passenger in a car driven by David Preston, 19, who also was arrested and is to be transferred to Las Vegas, the AP reported.

In other gun incidents, one woman was grazed by a bullet in a shooting last week in the valet area at the Aria hotel-casino on the Strip. Also, three people were hospitalized in a drive-by shooting at the off-Strip Stage Door Casino.

Earlier in the month, a large fight at the Wynn Las Vegas on the Strip caused $15,000 in damage at the property. A company spokesman said the resort planned to raise room rates and hire more security.

Smoke-Free Casino Opens

When the Park MGM and NoMad open on the Las Vegas Strip on Wednesday, Sept. 30, both will be smoke-free. NoMad is a luxury hotel on the upper floors of the Park MGM. Company officials said this move is in response to customer demand.

The Cosmopolitan hotel-casino, also on the Strip, has prohibited smoking in some public spaces, but not in the gaming areas.

The Nevada Tobacco Prevention Coalition has urged all casinos statewide to go smoke-free. In a statement, the coalition said nearly 84 percent of Nevada casino workers report being exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace.