Rock Is Rising

By Fri, Dec 6, 2019

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City

The saga of Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City came to an end in October 2014 when owner Carl Icahn shuttered the building. It was the nadir of the city’s casino industry. Several other casinos closed, leaving only seven. Things looked pretty grim for the Boardwalk.

Jim Allen’s interest was piqued. As chairman of Hard Rock International and a resident of the Atlantic City area, Allen recruited a couple of minority partners. Together they pulled the trigger, and Hard Rock purchased the former Taj in March 2017. But the race had just begun.

SOSH Architects welcomed the role of architect of record, leading the transformation of the hotel, casino, entertainment venue and restaurants in conjunction with Jeffrey Beers International for all podium design and Wimberly for hotel interiors. In less than a year, the team transformed the once-closed casino into a modern, vibrant and energetic entertainment destination.

The newly renovated property boasts an expansive gaming floor with 2,100 slots and 120 table games, a beautifully appointed high-limit gaming space, wood ceiling coffers with custom chandeliers, and glass column memorabilia cases to showcase Hard Rock’s priceless collection.

The Hard Rock Cafe was centrally located within the property in a new 400-seat venue with improved indoor and outdoor stages, panoramic views of the ocean and direct Boardwalk access.

Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena was revamped to accommodate 7,000 guests. In addition, the new hotel and casino also features 2,000 renovated guest rooms and suites, 150,000 square feet of meeting and event space, an indoor pool, nightclub, marketplace, spa and VIP lounges.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City opened on June 28, 2018. A little more than a year later, it became the second highest-grossing casino in Atlantic City. Since the opening of Hard Rock and its neighbor Ocean Casino Resort, the Atlantic City casino industry has bounced back and is thriving.

Owner: Hard Rock International
Architects: SOSH Architects
Size: 4 million square feet
Budget: $500 million
Opened: June 2018

Articles by Author: Roger Gros

Roger Gros is publisher of Global Gaming Business, the industry’s leading gaming trade publication, and all its related publications. Prior to joining Global Gaming Business, Gros was president of Inlet Communications, an independent consulting firm. He was vice president of Casino Journal Publishing Group from 1984-2000, and held virtually every editorial title during his tenure. Gros was editor of Casino Journal, the National Gaming Summary and the Atlantic City Insider, and was the founding editor of Casino Player magazine. He was a co-founder of the American Gaming Summit and the Southern Gaming Summit conferences and trade shows.
Roger Gros is the author of the best-selling book, How to Win at Casino Gambling (Carlton Books, 1995), now in its fourth edition. Gros was named “Businessman of the Year” for 1998 by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Gaming Association in 2012 as part of the annual AGA Communications Awards.