A NAME
CHANGE is in the cards for the 2,500-room Aladdin Resort
& Casino, which recently joined Starwoods portfolio of hotels.
For the next 18 months, the hotel will continue to operate under
its current name and will undergo a renovation of its guest rooms,
114,000-square-foot casino, restaurants and the 7,000-seat Theater
of the Performing Arts. Once the renovation is finished, the resort
will be known as the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, a
Sheraton Hotel. The new Hollywood-themed property will feature
memorabilia, valued at $20 million, that will be incorporated into
the decor of specialty guest rooms and suites as well as
interactive attractions throughout the resort. The hotel also
offers 75,000 square feet of meetings facilities with 18 break-out
rooms, two executive boardrooms and a separate conference floor.
Starwood, through its Sheraton brand, will manage the hotel
operations but will not be responsible for casino operations.
THE
RENAISSANCE LAS VEGAS HOTEL will open in January, two
months ahead of schedule. Located adjacent to the Las Vegas
Convention Center, the property, billed as the largest nongaming
hotel in Nevada, will feature 548 rooms, 30 suites and 32,000
square feet of meetings space. For more information, call (866)
352-3434 or visit www.renaissancelasvegas.com.
THE
HOFBRAUHAUS LAS VEGAS begins celebrating Oktoberfest on
Sept. 17, as Schuhplattler, a troupe of German folk dancers, will
entertain guests nightly through Sept 24. From Oct. 6 through 16,
Cornelia will yodel, sing and dance, and the brass band
Schwabenmusikanten will play on Oct. 12. Throughout the
festivities, sketch artists will be on hand to create keepsakes for
visitors, and Friedel Michels will demonstrate the art of beer
stein painting from Sept. 24 through Oct. 3. Other special events
include the keg-tapping ceremony on Sept. 18, a best-looking legs
lederhosen contest, a dirndl (skirt) contest, a
sauerkraut-and-dumpling-eating contest, stein-lifting contests and
yodeling competitions. The attractions Oktoberfest festivities
continue through Oct. 31. Complimentary shuttle service is
available for groups of four or more by calling (702) 853-BEER. For
other event details, log on to www.hofbrauhauslasvegas.com.
VISITORS WHO
WANT TO SEE THE WYNN COLLECTION -- 14 paintings from the
collection of casino mogul Steve Wynn and his wife, Elaine -- will
have to wait until it is permanently installed at the Wynn Las
Vegas resort, which is slated to open next April. Or they can
travel to the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, where the exhibition
will be on display from Oct. 2 through March 30. Highlights include
Pablo Picassos Le Reve (The Dream), Vincent van Goghs Peasant Woman
Against a Background of Wheat, Pierre-Auguste Renoirs Among the
Roses and Paul Gauguins Bathers. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to
5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and until 8 p.m. on Thursdays.
Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens
and free for museum members. For more information, call (775)
329-3333 or visit www.nevadaart.org.
VOSGES
HAU-CHOCOLAT, a high-end confectionery store, and Ferraras
Cafe will open at the expanded and renovated Forum Shops at Caesars
in October.