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THE ALADDIN: WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY





Casino executives and insiders contend a series of mistakes, from poor layout to overleveraged financing to ownership inexperience, combined to drag down the Aladdin. 


1. Saving the Theatre for the Performing Arts 

"The mistake that led to all of the other mistakes," said one casino boss. The resort was designed around keeping the venue, compounding subsequent errors. 


2. Main entrance on Harmon Avenue 

"Like arriving in a cave," said one casino executive. "The arrival statement is dismal. You have to go in through a side tunnel," said another. 


3. Spice Market Buffet 

When the property opened, the buffet line wound up from its subterranean base and circled around a high-limit table games pit. 


4. Self park garage 

The garage is separated from the casino by the mall. Gamblers must walk through the mall to get to the casino. Most properties do it the opposite way. 


5. Middle East theme 

Property decor includes murals featuring people who "look like Taliban," one executive said. Understatement: theme became a tougher sell after Sept. 11. 


6. Pedestrian entrances 

"It's hard to find the main entrances to the casino, both from Las Vegas Boulevard and from inside the mall," one executive said. 


7. Strip-front elevation 

"Placing the Strip entrances nine feet above Strip level was a huge mistake," one Wall Street casino analyst said. "(People) just walk on by." 


8. Desert Passage floor 

Several executives and analysts said the mall's uneven stone floor makes walking more difficult, particularly for the middle-aged and elderly -- and they have to go through the mall to get to the casino from the garage. 


9. Strip automobile access to and from garage 

One Aladdin insider said: "No one knows where the Strip exit is. Maybe 10 percent of the people can find it." 


10. London Club high-limit gaming (not shown) 

Placing the high-limit, semi-private London Club salon on the casino's mezzanine floor "was a huge mistake," said one casino boss. "Whoever heard of taking your best action that far from the heart of the casino?" 


11. Exterior look 

"The look of the place is bulky, clumsy," said one casino executive, citing other new resorts with stylized lines, including Mandalay Bay and the Palms. 


12. No volcano, lake, tower, canal 

"There's no hook, no real reason to go," said one boss. "Without a hook, the place has no real identity." 


13. Aladdin name 

"A lot of people don't know there's a new Aladdin. They think it's still the same old property," said one Wall Street analyst.