PAThe world’s first guitar-shaped hotel has opened in Florida, attracting Hollywood A-listers like Morgan Freeman to its red carpet event on Thursday night (October 24).
The 36-storey hotel boasts 1,200 rooms and a 7,000-seat casino floor – with more than 3,000 slot machines and gaming tables to choose from.
Construction started over three years ago and cost around $1.5 billion to build,
A major investment for the wealthy Native American Seminole tribe, the venue had its grand opening on the tribe’s land in Hollywood and is the latest step in the Seminole Hard Rock empire.
The @HardRockHolly #GuitarHotel is OFFICIALLY open pic.twitter.com/DZHTk1aS44
— Joel Franco (@OfficialJoelF) October 25, 2019
As per MailOnline, the Seminole were the first tribe to enter the gaming industry when opening a high-stakes bingo hall in 1979.
Marcellus Osceola, council chairman of the Seminole in Florida, said:
We’re very thankful and we’re blessed to be in a position that we can provide the general welfare and the help and assistance that tribe members need.
The dollars that we make here will make life a little bit easier for our members when they have health care issues or when they are trying to buy a car to transport themselves with their families.
In 1988, in a series of judicial rulings, the Seminole and other tribes won the right to maintain casinos in the United States. Today, they are one of the most successful tribes in the world in terms of business.
PAIn fact, they operate dozens of cafes, hotels and casinos under the Hard Rock International brand after purchasing the company for $965 million over a decade ago.
The hotel’s launching party kept up with the rock and roll scene, and was attended by the likes of Khloé Kardashian, Sofia Richie and Bella Thorne – all of whom danced along while Johnny Depp played the guitar and beams of light mimicked the strings of the instrument on the outside of the hotel.
The hotel, aptly called The Guitar Hotel, has a giant pool and lagoon, as well as retail shops, restaurants, and gambling within the facility.
It also has a refurbished venue for concerts and other events. Maroon 5 performed the first gig on Friday night, and will soon be followed by Sting and Billy Joel.
PAJim Allen, CEO of Hard Rock International, implied a guitar-shaped hotel was the only way forward for the brand due to it being so focused on the instrument elsewhere.
He recalled stating it would be ‘really cool’, adding: ‘Before, we were more of a locals facility. Now, we have the ability to market this internationally.’
Rock ‘n’ roll!
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).