Visitors to South Florida can now experience what it’s like to live inside the body of a guitar, one that measures 450 feet tall. The Seminole Hard Rock empire has opened a massive guitar-shaped hotel and casino in Hollywood, Florida and it is already garnering a lot of attention from across the globe. It’s the kind of structure that makes guitar fans everyone beam with pride.
The new 600-room hotel was opened yesterday, and it’s actually a little surprising that it took the Seminole so long to create the eye-popping venue. Its symbol has always been the guitar and all of its properties should look this way.
The project cost $1.5 billion and can be seen from the air even as far away as Ft. Lauderdale. Coming in on an airplane, you’ll know you’ve arrived at your final destination as soon as you see the massive structure. Come in at night, and be dazzled by a light show designed to mimic the strings of a guitar.
In addition to the accommodations, there is, of course, a concert and event hall – what guitar would be complete without music? Maroon 5 is going to be the inaugural act at the venue, even though Post Malone was present for the unveiling, holding a concert there tonight along with Billy Joel and Sting. Perhaps Joel will be singing about a Guitar Man, instead of a Piano Man.
The CEO of Hard Rock International, which is the Seminole’s bread and butter, is excited about the new venue and is happy to have been able to make it happy. The idea was to offer a generic guitar – not one tied to any particular artist, even though Hard Rock has established relationships with Gibson and Jimmy Page. He says, “The Hard Rock brand is stronger today than it ever has been,” and adds that the brand “represents more than food, beverage and a place to stay.”
The new hotel is part of a larger expansion plan by HRI that includes spending $2.2 billion between this venue and another in Tampa, Florida. In addition to being a place to crash inside a huge guitar, there are also restaurants, shops swimming pools and, of course, gambling.
