Nothing so exciting – nor so large, we regret to say. No new rooms or gaming or eateries are involved and the added square footage will be only 27,000 square feet, gross. The Hard Rock is adding 18,000 square feet of meeting space, bringing its capacity to 110,000 square feet. This will be augmented by 5,000 square feet of additional storage space, along with new offices.
The sexiest component of the upgrade will be brand-new LED signage that will wrap around the corners of the hotel and will have the capacity to display video imagery, much as you see at the newest resorts on the Strip. "The content will be up to the marketing people," says Warner spokesman Howard Tribble.
There's a lot of constraint upon what the Hard Rock can do to expand. It's built out to the limits of its real estate on at least three of its four sides, with the exception of three acres out back of the pool complex, land on which Peter Morton intended to built condos, before he sold the Hard Rock to Morgans Hotel Group in 2006. As mentioned, current owner Brookfield Asset Management is leaving that land untouched. Maybe the Hard Rock will put something dazzling out there someday … but not today.
