Florida-based gaming and hospitality operator Hard Rock International unveiled Wednesday a massive $700-million expansion plan for its Tampa hotel and casino property. The expansion will include the addition of more gaming options, a new hotel tower, and multiple new entertainment facilities.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is home to Florida’s largest casino. Hard Rock said in a Wednesday statement that with its new additions, the property will offer full-scale resort experience.
The multi-million expansion will be carried out over a year and is expected to be completed by mid-2019.
Hard Rock plans to add more gaming space to its existing floor as well as more slot machines and gaming tables. Once the expansion is complete, Tampa casino will feature nearly 200 gaming tables and 5,000 slot machines.
A 15-story hotel tower will be built as part of the project, Hard Rock confirmed. The hotel with its new 564 rooms and suites will bring the Tampa property’s accommodation options to a total of 800 hotel rooms and 88 suites. The top floor of the new tower will be occupied by a private gaming space for VIP gamblers. It will feature exclusive check-in and private elevators to cater to Hard Rock’s wealthiest gambling customers.
Further Details about the Planned Expansion
Hard Rock will add three “ultra-lavish” outdoor pools to its resort. A 120-seat pool grill and bar as well as a 25,000-square-foot spa will be among the new facilities guests and visitors will be pampered at.
The floor above the casino will be occupied by a new 30,000-square-foot event center that will also include a 17,000-square foot grand ballroom. Hard Rock said it hopes that the new facility would attract companies and business group to hold their conventions and trade shows there. The event center will also be able to accommodate larger-scale poker tournaments. Here it is important to note that Hard Rock’s Seminole casinos across Florida have long been regular hosts to different poker series, including the World Poker Tour.
The gaming and hospitality giant also revealed future plans for the addition of four new retail shops at the resort. The Tampa property currently features just two. The expansion project further includes new 700 parking spots at the casino. Total parking at the property will thus be brought to over 6,000 spots.
Hard Rock said that its expansion plan will create over 2,000 construction jobs and 1,000 part-time and full-time jobs once construction is complete and the renovated and expanded complex is fully operational. The Tampa property currently employs more than 3,500 people.
The $700-million expansion in Tampa comes as part of a larger renovation and expansion project undertaken by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the owner of Hard Rock International. Last year, the tribe announced a $1.5-billion expansion scheme for its Hollywood property. That plan includes the construction of a guitar-shaped hotel tower at the existing complex and the addition of a number of entertainment and food and beverage options. Construction work at that property, too, is expected to be completed next year.
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