Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
OWNER: Morgans Hotel Group Co., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners
DESIGN FIRM: Klai Juba Architects
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: M.J. Dean
CASINO FLOOR: 72,000 sq ft
MEETING SPACE: 80,000 sq ft
TOTAL INVESTMENT: $750 million
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino completed its $750 million expansion this spring. The project was a massive undertaking that included the addition of two hotel towers—the 17-story, 490-room Paradise Tower and the 359-suite HRH Tower—75,000 square feet of meeting space, 35,000 square feet of gaming space, 30,000 square feet of retail space, an expanded pool area, the 25,000-square-foot Reliquary Water Sanctuary & Spa, Vanity nightclub and an expanded music venue, the Joint.
The expansion began opening in phases last year. The remodeled Joint opened in April 2009 with 4,000 seats and new resident performer Carlos Santana. The Paradise Tower opened in July with 490 rooms, designed by Mark Zeff, 10 pool suites, designed by Mark Tracy of Chemical Spaces, and the 3,500-square-foot Platinum Penthouse. The tower’s rooms are edgier than Hard Rock’s original accommodations, with a dark purple, grey and black color palette and tattoo-inspired wall stencils. The Tracy-designed pool suites for Hard Rock’s VIPs each have a unique theme, from the icy, futuristic Mr. Blue suite and nature-infused Mr. Gold villa to the punk rock-inspired Mr. Red pool villa and the animalistic Mr. Kong suite.
The Hard Rock then rolled out the all-suite HRH Tower in December, complete with seven penthouse suites and eight spa villa suites. The standard suites feature a wet bar, sitting area, the Sound Matters Sound Bar and two LCD TVs. The penthouses are a bit more deluxe; with themes like Infinity, Nirvana, Platinum, Provocateur, Stones, Sex & Pistols and Ultra Lounge, each penthouse features elements that make it distinctive—for the Provocateur suite, an interactive projection system is built into the bed for romantic purposes, while the Moroccan-inspired Nirvana suite features a private beach and pool for relaxation.
The 14,000-square-foot Vanity nightclub and the hotel’s new spa, Reliquary, both opened with the HRH Tower. Vanity replaced Body English as the Hard Rock’s hot spot, with an LED-lit chandelier, 50 VIP booths and five cabanas. Reliquary takes its design cues from a Roman bathhouse, with a bath as the spa’s centerpiece. Reliquary features 21 treatment rooms, a pole-dancing studio, fitness center and the BrannonHair salon.
One of the Hard Rock’s most alluring amenities is its expanded pool area. The property added more than two acres to its pool space, which hosts the famous Rehab pool party on Sundays.
