USA TODAY US Edition

Don’t fret, Hard Rock is here to stay

- Leora Arnowitz

Guitar-shaped hotel looms over Fla. complex.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Want to sleep in a building shaped like a guitar? The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in South Florida is banking on the idea that music lovers will flock to its new $1.5 billion-expansion, which opened Thursday and features a giant guitar hotel that’s impossible to miss.

Its aqua-glass tones reflect the Florida sunlight during the day, and once inside, it’s easy to forget you’re in a building shaped like a guitar, save for Hard Rock’s signature rock ’n’ roll memorabili­a on display.

“You can’t have art without music,” said artist Laurence Gartel, 63, whose work is featured in the lobby.

“I think it’s unbelievab­le,” he said on opening day. “It’s fun; it’s different; it’s exciting; it’s pop culture. It’s all the things I think make art and architectu­re enjoyable,” the Fort Lauderdale local said.

The guitar building boasts 638 guest rooms and suites, with a Platinum King Suite (1,100 square-feet) for $989. Other rooms, such as a Deluxe King or Queen without a pool view, start at $189 but can climb as high at $519, depending on your dates. Guests are also responsibl­e for a $25 per day resort fee.

The 34-level hotel has your standard amenities, but it also has guitar rentals available for guests who want to rock out during their stays.

 ?? HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO ??
HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO
 ?? SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO ?? In addition to the 450-foot guitar hotel, the Hard Rock added the Oasis Tower, which houses 168 rooms and swim-up suites.
SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO In addition to the 450-foot guitar hotel, the Hard Rock added the Oasis Tower, which houses 168 rooms and swim-up suites.

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