Hard Rock Atlantic City Opening Delayed Slightly, Targets Summer 2018
Posted on: November 15, 2017, 12:00h.
Last updated on: November 15, 2017, 10:14h.
Hard Rock Atlantic City is pushing back its opening date by at least several weeks, a new billboard near the town revealing that the casino resort is now targeting the summer of 2018 to welcome guests.
![Hard Rock Atlantic City opening](https://www.casino.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5a0b67a485cd8.image_.jpg)
A summer inauguration is slightly delayed from earlier reports that the Hard Rock would open during the May 28 Memorial Day weekend. Summer doesn’t officially begin in the Northern Hemisphere until June 21.
Owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Hard Rock acquired the shuttered Trump Taj Mahal from billionaire Carl Icahn in March for $50 million. The company is spending over $500 million to transform the property into a rock ‘n’ roll-themed casino resort.
Hard Rock Atlantic City President Matt Harkness, along with project partners Joe Jingoli and Jack Morris, spoke with the media at a billboard unveiling at the corner of Absecon Boulevard and Virginia Avenue. Absecon is one of the major roadways that brings travelers into Atlantic City, and five blocks down Virginia Avenue, guests arrive at the Hard Rock site.
“We’ve spent a lot of time taking signs down,” Harkness said of the demolition and renovation. “Now we are putting one up.”
Taj Disappearing
Once completed, Hard Rock Atlantic City will have “absolutely no resemblance” of its former shelf, which was developed by now-President Donald Trump and opened in 1990. At the time, Trump called it the “eighth wonder of the world.” When it opens, Hard Rock will return Atlantic City’s gaming market to eight casinos.
The Indian theme is quickly disappearing, as construction workers remove the countless turrets and minarets, fake gold décor, and Trump Taj Mahal signage.
Hard Rock initially committed $300 million to the renovation, but upon further inspection realized it would cost much more. Company Chairman Jim Allen said earlier this year that it “does us no good to put some guitars on the wall and new carpets.”
It’s a massive undertaking, completely renovating the more than 2,000 hotel rooms, building a larger Hard Rock Café restaurant space, plus a new concert arena. And it’s all slated to happen in just 15 months from the time Hard Rock finalized the acquisition.
“It’s a transformation every day,” Harkness told the Press of Atlantic City. “We are moving at 100 miles per hour.”
Hard Rock Vision
The Hard Rock execs said most of the demolition is complete, and the update of the building is beginning. The resort seeks to pay homage to New Jersey’s rich music history, and will feature a large collection of memorabilia from musicians and artists who have called the Garden State home.
The casino floor will feature 2,400 slot machines and 130 table games. It will mark the first gambling venue to open in Atlantic City since the short-lived Revel in 2012.
Aside from the aforementioned details, the company isn’t revealing much else about what the inside will look like. Harkness said simply, “We’re going to have the fun, relaxed vibe that we specialize in … but what you will see will be like nothing else anyone has seen along the east coast.”
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Last Comments ( 13 )
My husband and I enjoyed Taj for many years, our favorite regular weekend getaway. Now we're looking forward to Hard Rock. In fact, my whole family is!! We really hope there'll be good comps like Taj offered.
my wife and myself have been long time players. will the new hard rock casino look to taj's old customers and try to bring them back, or not????? always liked the area and enjoyed the TAJ until we noticed it was going to HELL. That's when we left and played elsewhere. Would like some feed back, please
CANT WAIT SO TIRED OF THE GOLDEN NUGGET AND THEIR TRYING TO GOUGE ALL THE SENIORS WHILE THEY RENOVATE CONTINUALLY BUT NEVER PAY OUT AND NEED A CASINO OUTSIDE THE BORGATA WITH GOOD FOOD I KNOW MANY PEOPLE LOOKING FORWARD TO A CHANGE
Hope in addition to slots, my wife and I also play poker. Hope you plan on having a poker room. Like you have at the Hard Rock in Florida
Am anxiously waiting for opening of HardRock Casino.Will they be honoring the Taj Cardmembers equal consideration?I hope so. Good luck on your opening.
will they be given free rooms
will they give us our left over comps from trump taj or do we start fresh
My wife and I will be celebrating our 60th birthdays in June and our 38th wedding anniversary this year. Every vacation we go on that has a Hard Rock we go for a drink and purchase a pin. Our Hard Rock bear cannot stand anymore due to all the pins. Waiting for your grand opening....
Wuz definitely a fan of Taj love the area and can't wait to get back to it enjoying some good old fashion fun at the Hard Rock!!!
Can't wait this august will be our 64th anniversary and I hope we cane play. Good luck with all your renovations I KNOE IT WILL BE BEAUTIFUL.
CAN'T WAIT ... LET DO IT
former taj mahal shift manager looking for work at atlantic citys hard rock.37 years experience.would like to be part of word class organization like hard rock.
we are waiting for it