POOF: Aladdin Disappears

In light of the pending implosion of The Harmon, Vegas Inc. decided to list the Top 10 Vegas Strip Hotel implosions. I love implosions and figured this was a good excuse to visit the youtube archives.

For the next couple of weeks I’ll grab video of these 10 Las Vegas Strip Hotel implosions. We go to #5 on the list – The original Aladdin.

Opened: April 1, 1966

Closed: Nov. 25, 1997

Imploded: April 27, 1998

Reopened: Aug. 17, 2000

The resort’s first iteration, the Tally-Ho, gave way to the King’s Crown in 1964, but because the gaming license was denied, King’s Crown failed within six months.

Purchased and renovated for $3 million, new owner Milton Prell gave the property an Arabian theme and renamed it the Aladdin. When the Aladdin first opened in 1966, entering guests were showered with flower petals.

The Aladdin became world-famous for hosting the wedding of entertainer Elvis Presley to Priscilla Anne Beaulieu.

Parvin Dohrmann took over the Aladdin after Prell had a stroke, only to sell it in 1972 for $5 million. The owners, Sam Diamond, Peter Webbe, Sorkis Webbe and Richard Daly, began a $60 million renovation project including a 19-story tower.

Las Vegas entertainer Wayne Newton was a part owner of the Aladdin from 1980 to 1982 along with Ed Torres, who later bought Newton’s shares.

After several more ownership changes, the old Aladdin closed in 1996 and was imploded in 1998.

A $1.4 billion megaresort opened on the site in 2000, keeping the name Aladdin. Eventually the new Aladdin also experienced financial woes and was purchased by Planet Hollywood and Starwood Hotel & Resort Worldwide for $637 million in 2003.

The hotel went through another renovation and was reopened April 17, 2007, as Planet Hollywood.