After investing around $720 million on a massive expansion project, the Seminole Tribe of Florida who owns and operates the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino facility situated in Tampa, Florida decided to bring the latest changes with plenty of fanfare. The facility’s grand opening including its casino floor started with smashing massive guitars followed by daredevils on wires and a great celebration party for the facility’s grand opening.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida which owns and operates this luxurious facility is one of the federally recognized tribes based in the state of Florida. Prior to entering the land-based casino market, the Seminole Tribe of Florida established a high-stakes bingo room and several smoke shops back in 1975. Its bingo room became one of the very first facilities of this kind owned by a federally recognized tribe.

When it comes to the tribe’s most popular gaming endeavor, it is the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa, Florida which opened its doors back in 2004. This massive gaming and hotel complex is situated on the tribe’s Tampa Reservation property which sits east of Tampa on Interstate 4.

The Sixth-Largest Casino in the World   

The massive casino floor which covers around 190,000 square foot is actually the sixth-largest casino in the world. Since its opening date back in 2004, it has been expanded several times. Today, it includes loads of memorabilia related to the world of rock and roll such as musical instruments. There are multiple screens placed in the area which displays rock videos. Visitors can also check songs’ lyrics which are neatly displayed on the facility’s walls.

Among many services which it offers, the facility also includes a massive tour bus parking alongside food courts, dining areas, bars, and coffee shops. Besides its casino floor, The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino also includes a massive, twelve-story tower, a fitness center, pool, three garages with many popular restaurants including Council Oak Steak House, The Rise Deli, Rock and Raw sushi place, The Fresh Harvest food court, JuBao Noodle Palace and other.

The facility’s Hard Rock Café hosts amazing live stage performances. Then, other facilities included are the Rain Maker gift shop, Seminole Smoke Shop, Hard Rock Store alongside multiple bars situated around the massive casino floor. Moreover, visitors can find loads of musical memorabilia throughout the entire complex alongside other interesting features which just add to the overall excitement of visiting this place.

Celebrating the Grand Opening

The latest expansion of this luxurious facility deserved a great grand opening and for this event, the Seminole Tribe of Florida went all out. On the night of the grand opening, Nik Wallenda who is a skywalker entertained the public as he alongside his mother took to the skies to walk a high suspended wire between the property’s new and old towers. The event also included smashing guitars along with a dancing routine performed by awesome Light Balance troupe.

This event also brought together several celebrities who walked a grandiose red carpet which was also set. Some of the bigger names which attended the event include Christie Brinkley, Nicole Kidman, and Keith Urban. Today, this property accumulates over $1 billion in gross revenues.

The brand itself includes more than 45,000 employees across the world at two hundred and fifty-four properties. In terms of profitability, this venue enjoys the biggest success and reputation in North America. The latest expansion to the facility took more than two years to be completed. Today, the casino floor covers a massive area of 245,000 square feet. It is packed with more than two hundred table games and five thousand slot machines.

After being sold to the Virgin Group owner, Sir Richard Benson back in February 2018, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas officials have stated that the facility will close its doors to the public during the process of rebranding which is set to begin this February. The facility will be rebranded as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas which will probably open its doors to visitors by the beginning of 2021. However, the reconstruction process may be completed even sooner.

As announced back in the spring of 2018, the twenty-four-year-old facility Hard Rock Hotel and Casino was sold to Virgin Hotels. The Virgin Hotels company was founded by the Virgin Group owner and founder, Sir Richard Benson back in October 2010. The story starts when Virgin Hotels purchased the Old Dearborn Bank Building located in Chicago for around $14 million from the Urban Street Group LLC.

Back in January of 2915, the very first Virgin Hotels-owned and operated hotel facility opened its doors. Four years later in February 2014, the company opened its second facility located in San Francisco very close to Yerba Buena Gardens. Since its beginnings, one of the major Virgin Hotels’ business plans was to acquire different properties across North American during the downturn. However, this business plan was stopped by banks which decided to hold these kinds of properties and real-estates until the real-estate market rebounds.

Purchasing Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas

However, this did not stop Virgin Hotels from expanding across many other locations in the states. The company plans on building hotels in Nashville and New York. When it comes to its New York-located facility, the site is located near Broadway while its Nashville property is situated at One Music Row. The Virgin Hotels-owned, Dallas hotel is located near Downtown Dallas while the latest facility operated by the company opened its doors in San Francisco in February of 2019.

Moreover, the United Kingdom-based Virgin Group also owns other properties including casinos and luxury resorts among others. The company aims to have facilities in at least twenty locations by the end of 2025 while it hopes to have nine hotels across the United States by the end of 2020. When it comes to the purchase of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, it is planned to be both rebranded and renovated. The property is located on the corner of Paradise and Harmon Road.

Some of the main facility’s features include a massive hotel tower, casino floor, beach alongside a swimming pool, six restaurants, several cocktail lounges, a spa, poker room, retail stores, a massive music venue and much more. As reported recently, the facility earns more than thirty percent of its gross revenues from its gaming facilities which Virgin Hotels plans to renovate as well.

The most recent plans for the Las Vegas-based Hard Rock Hotel and Casino also include renovations of other areas including hotel rooms and restaurants. As it was reported, the renovations will probably take place this February. The owner also plans to temporarily close the facility for at least four months and to re-open sometime after the presidential campaign 2020.

The Official Statement by the Virgin Hotels’ CEO

Commenting on the news about temporarily closure of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino for rebranding, the Virgin Hotels’ CEO Richard Bosworth stated that the facility should re-open as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in January of 2021 even though it may be ready sooner. He also stated that the renovation plans include investing around $200 in the facility’s nightlife, gaming, and dining areas.