The project: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is the flagship resort of Hard Rock International. The owner, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, decided in 2017 to expand the facility, which at the time included a 12-story hotel with 469 guest rooms.

The goal: The $1.3 billion property expansion was designed to transform the integrated resort and casino to world-class status as an unrivaled gaming and entertainment destination.

Project highlights: The project’s iconic feature is a 450-foot, 638- room “Guitar Hotel” tower with LED lights providing the imagery of guitar strings. Other additions included:

• A seven-story, 168-room “Oasis Tower”
• An expanded casino with 195,000 square feet of gaming space
• “Hard Rock Live” entertainment venue with over 7,000 seats
• 13.5-acre pool and lagoon experience with overwater cabanas
• 42,000-square-foot ultra-luxury spa and fitness center
• More than 20 new dining and nightlife destinations
• Several high-end retail stores

Challenge: The owner committed to this being the 2020 NFL Superbowl headquarters hotel and the schedule had to be met to allow the NFL to take residency prior to the end of 2019. Solution: IMEG collaborated with the owner, design partners, and construction team to keep the project on schedule.

Challenge: The Guitar Hotel’s MEP vertical risers had to be offset at several locations. Solution: Careful coordination among IMEG, the owner’s in-house design team, and the construction team resulted in a successful design and implementation of the risers.

The outcome: The facility opened in October 2019, several months in advance of Super Bowl LIV. More than 1,200 hotel rooms are now available, with the Guitar Hotel visible from miles away. “The Guitar Hotel will attract visitors from around the globe,” said Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming. “They will experience a world-class entertainment, gaming, and dining destination.”