TAMPA, FLA. — Hard Rock International has completed a $700 million expansion of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
The development added a new 223,900-square-foot casino to the property, which includes an additional 1,000 slot machines and 41 table games throughout its new gaming spaces. The new casino brings the roster of gaming attractions up to nearly 5,000 slot machines, 179 tables and 46 poker tables.The casino now comprises 245,000 square feet of dedicated casino space, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The renovation also included construction of a 14-story hotel with 562 rooms and suites. Amenities of the new hotel include a 26,000-square-foot spa, three pools, two VIP suites, a hair and nail salon, barbershop and lounge. The top floor also features a private gaming parlor for VIP guests.
Additionally, the construction included a 1,500-seat Hard Rock Event Center, where completion celebrations were held including performances from Atlanta-based rapper Big Boi and DJ Jazzy Jeff. New food and beverage options at the property include coffee café Constant Grind, the Pool Bar & Grill and Italian restaurant Cipresso.
“Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is already one of the largest and most profitable casinos in the United States,” says Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming. “The expansion will increase entertainment and dining options and help us attract guests from throughout the country and around the world.”
The Tampa Bay Times reports that the expansion took more than two years to complete and created approximately 2,000 construction jobs. During that time, the casino and hotel added 2,000 permanent jobs, bringing its total staff up to about 4,800 positions.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which now has 4,263 members, acquired the Hard Rock Café International Inc. brand and affiliated entities from The Rank Group in 2006 for $965 million. The tribe constructed the initial casino within a 20,000-square-foot warehouse on its Tampa reservation in the 1980s. The casino now generates approximately $1 billion per year.
— Alex Patton