This has been a year of memorable casino anniversaries with Caesars Palace celebrating its 50th, Station Casinos celebrating their 40th and so on. Last year the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino had its 20th anniversary. That’s certainly a legitimate milestone. This year the property celebrated its “21st birthday.” Yay, the Hard Rock is “legal.”
The Hard Rock opened in 1995 and has changed a lot over the years. The property with a small casino and single hotel tower has grown well beyond its humble beginnings. In 2010, the property had a huge expansion that added two new hotel towers. The expansion also brought a whole new casino section, several new restaurants and bars, a nightclub and a spa and health club to the Hard Rock.
The expansion also tripled capacity at a couple of the most famous attractions at the Hard Rock. The pool area, more famously known as the home of Rehab, tripled in size. The music venue moved and The Joint also grew. Capacity for the new Joint is more than three times larger than the original venue.
Since opening, the heart of the Hard Rock has always been around the Center Bar. The main gaming area was a few steps down from the lobby floor which surrounded the gaming and bar. This area was a moat around The Center Bar. The bar was a few steps back up from the gaming area giving it an appearance of exclusivity.
Last year the entire Center Bar and casino area was renovated. The Center bar area is on equal footing with the gaming area and the lobby. While the heart of the casino is still the center bar the original unique design will be missed by those who frequented the Hard Rock more often when it first opened.
Over the years the Hard Rock has become more than just the home for fans of rock music. While rock music may be the core of the Hard Rock, you’ll find celebrities and famous DJ’s performing at Rehab and Vanity, you’ll find every kind of musical act from hip hop to country at The Joint and random celebrities and musicians playing their favorite music at the Center Bar.
There was a day when you’d hear nothing but hard rocking music when you were in the casino. Today, you’ll generally hear a mainstream mix of pop, rap and rock. If it’s NASCAR week and Rascal Flatts are performing at The Joint every night, you may even hear some country music.
New restaurant and bar concepts have come and gone at the Hard Rock over the years but there’s one constant. The off-the-menu $7.77 “Gambler’s Special” is still available at Mr. Lucky’s. Things at Mr. Lucky’s aren’t quite the same as 21 years ago. The restaurant has been renovated and the special is only available to those with an HRH Backstage Pass players card. However, secret special which includes a steak, grilled shrimp, potatoes and veggies is still one of the best deals in Las Vegas.
Like everything in Las Vegas, the Hard Rock has changed a lot over the years. If you haven’t visited in a while, you might want to check out the new Hard Rock experience.
