Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi
Exterior view (April 2017)
Interactive map of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi
Location
OpenedJuly 7, 2007 (July 7, 2007)
ThemeRock and roll
No. of rooms479[1]
Gaming space50,000 square feet (4,600 m2)
Signature attractions
Notable restaurants
Casino type
  • Riverboat (2003–2005)
  • Beachfront (2007–present)
OwnerGaming and Leisure Properties
Operating license holder
Bally's Corporation
Architect
  • Steelman Partners
  • Bergman Walls & Associates[2]
Public transit access
Bus interchange CTA
Websitehrhcbiloxi.com
Building details
Interior view (August 2009)
General information
Construction started
February 10, 2004 (resumed September 2006 after Hurricane Katrina damage)
Construction stopped
August 29, 2005
Completed
  • 2005 (original)
  • 2007 (reconstruction)
Design and construction
DeveloperPremier Entertainment Biloxi LLC (Leucadia National Corporation) in a joint venture with Hard Rock International
Main contractorRay Anderson Corp.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi is an integrated resort in Biloxi, Mississippi, United States. It is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by Bally's Corporation, formerly Twin River Worldwide Holdings, under franchise from Hard Rock International. The resort opened on July 7, 2007. The property features the Royal Tower, and, added in early 2014, the Platinum Tower.

Originally planned to open in September 2005, the resort remained closed for another two years as a result of Hurricane Katrina, which completely destroyed the resort's casino barge and violently slammed it against the hotel. As of August 2021, it has been the only resort managed by Bally's to not rebrand under their name.

History

2002–2007: Planning and construction

In 2002, Premier Entertainment Biloxi LLC was formed by the Leucadia National Corporation specifically to build a gaming complex and entertainment resort on along 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) of the shoreline in Biloxi, Mississippi,[3] and signed a licensing agreement with The Rank Group Plc-owned Hard Rock Cafe International affiliate Hard Rock Hotel Licensing, Inc. on May 16, 2003. In December of that year, an $82 million construction contract with Ray Anderson Corporation of Gulfport, MS was signed,[4] and at the end of that year, a lease agreement would allow the resort to franchise Hard Rock Cafe, even though the brand generally does not franchise cafes in the United States.[5]

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 10, 2004, and construction began with an 18-month timeline. By March 5 of that year, the original proposal was a $235 million, 388,000-square-foot (36,000 m2) resort featuring a 306-room hotel tower, a floating casino with 50 table games and 1,500 slot machines, a Hard Rock Live concert venue, and a Hard Rock Cafe, all at 777 Beach Boulevard, the former location of the Gold Shore Casino.[6]

Hurricane Katrina and reconstruction

Construction was completed in August 2005, and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi was originally scheduled to have a soft opening on September 1, followed by a grand opening on September 8[7] of that year.[8] However, on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast,[7] disconnecting the two-story casino barge from its moorings and destroying it completely by tossing it over, and then slamming it into the rear of the hotel tower.[9]

The rest of the main hotel and 112-foot (34 m) neon Peavey guitar sign survived the storm largely intact, though still damaged and required repairs.[10] Reconstruction and reopening of the property was in limbo for a time because of a legal dispute between owner Premier Entertainment and the trustee for bondholders on the property. In September 2006, Premier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[11] On June 1, 2006, Hard Rock announced the updated projected opening to be in July 2007, and the heavily damaged barge would be scrapped in favor of a land-based casino with sturdier cement pilings, as the hurricane forced Mississippi to change their laws to allow land-based gaming complexes. Premier later began architectural work on a newly rebuilt facility, awaiting resolution of the dispute, prior to workers securing the property for the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. Project manager Karl Bulot stated "Nobody got to see it. You've gotta start over."[12]

2007–2014: Grand opening and early years

Reconstruction was completed, and the casino held a soft opening to the public on June 30, 2007,[13] followed by a "Lucky 777" grand opening celebration on July 7 of that year with a guitar-smashing ceremony, and concert performances in the first month of business, including Kid Rock, Poison, Ratt, and Cheap Trick.[14] 3 Doors Down opened the 12-story hotel with 318 rooms and suites, and Hard Rock Live on July 5, 2007. By the time of this opening, Hard Rock International was now owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.[15] As a reference to Katrina, the resort's official internal motto after opening was You Can't Kill Rock & Roll.[16]

On July 24, 2012, a $32.5 million expansion to add a 12-story, 154-room hotel tower was approved, planned to create construction and permanent jobs of 250 and 90, respectively.[17] Tax breaks were requested for the project.[18] The expansion was announced on September 26 of that year,[19] and the hotel had a soft opening on January 31, 2014 as the Platinum Tower,[20] followed by a grand opening on February 9.[21] In July 2014, Twin River Worldwide Holdings acquired the property from Leucadia National for $250 million.[22][23] Twin River had sought to diversify itself geographically because its Rhode Island casino faced an increase in competition from casinos to be built in Massachusetts.[24] When the acquisition was announced on December 15, 2013, the Hard Rock's casino had 1,342 slot machines, four pokers, and 51 table games, and a 325-room AAA Four Diamond hotel tower with private cabanas and a pool, alongside a fitness center and spa, and Ruth's Chris Steak House as one of its five restaurants besides Hard Rock Cafe.[25] The addition of the Platinum Tower brought the total number of rooms to 479.

2019–present: Bally's Corporation

In March 2019, Twin River completed a reverse merger with Dover Downs Gaming and Entertainment,[26][27] resulting in the company becoming a publicly traded entity on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)[28] and Hard Rock Biloxi becoming a flagship property.[29] In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mississippi Gaming Commission ordered all casinos, including the Hard Rock, to close temporarily. The property safely reopened to the public on May 21 of that year under strict social distancing guidelines, including capacity limitations, and thermal camera temperature checks.[30]

In October 2020, Twin River purchased Bally Entertainment from Caesars Entertainment for $20 million, and rebranded to Bally's Corporation, stating that "virtually all" of its properties would use the Bally's name,[31] but announced later on August 11, 2021 that Hard Rock Biloxi would be an exception from this standardization.[32] On January 4, 2023, Bally's sold the land and buildings to Gaming and Leisure Properties in a leaseback transaction.[33]

Features

Memorabilia and Hurricane Katrina

Among other memorabilia that was found by local residents and returned to the Hard Rock after Katrina was Elvis Presley's Army uniform, confused as a Boy Scout uniform, found on a mannequin floating in the Mississippi Sound. The hurricane caused the majority of memorabilia to be entirely damaged or covered in mud. Also on display are B.B. King's original guitar "Lucille" returned as well along with guitars from Earl Thomas Conley, Dimebag Darrell, Johnny Cash, and Kiss, as well as clothing from Steven Tyler and Elton John, along with a composite hunting bow of Ted Nugent.[34]

Some of the rock artifacts are in pristine condition, but others are part of a Katrina memorial collage. Damage caused by the hurricane also included the original barge's "Center Bar" to float away entirely detached, alongside a water heater "the size of a Volkswagen van."[34]

Restaurants and entertainment

Jonathan T. Freeman (May 2022)

Hard Rock Cafe and Ruth's Chris were flagships that opened alongside the resort. Announced on December 11, 2014, Half Shell Oyster House would be added to the property, joining 24/7 Grille, Starbucks, Satisfaction Buffet, and Ben & Jarry's.[35] Pie Five Pizza Co. was added on May 8, 2015.[36][37]

MTV's Wild 'n Out star Nick Cannon was involved in the February 28, 2019 soft opening of Sugar Factory, which would host a grand opening on March 29 of that year.[38] Also featured in the resort is the Center Bar,[39] the Rock Spa, the Body Rock Fitness Center, and the Live #Remix weekend-only dance club at night,[40] which is part of the 1,500-seat Hard Rock Live arena. That venue spans 13,000 square feet (1,200 m2), featuring a 7,452-square-foot (692.3 m2) indoor theater, and the 1,683-square-foot (156.4 m2) Rock & Roll meeting area.[1] Live Nation Entertainment has involvement in its operations alongside Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment.[41]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Meeting Space in Biloxi, MS | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi". Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and Bally's Corporation. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Hard Rock Casino Resort". Ray Anderson Corp. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Premier Entertainment" (PDF). Weil, Gotshal & Manges. September 3, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  4. ↑ "premier entertainment biloxi llc". www.sec.gov. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Lease Agreement Between Premier Entertainment Biloxi LLC and | PREMIER ENTERTAINMENT BILOXI LLC | Business Contracts | Justia". Justia. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Hard Rock Resort Comes to Biloxi : CEG". Construction Equipment Guide. March 5, 2004. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Casinos tally damage in Gulf Coast region". NBC News. August 30, 2005. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Hard Rock Cafe International Breaks Ground On Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Biloxi". Hard Rock Corporate Press. Archived from the original on June 9, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
  9. ↑ "Fig. 18. Hard Rock Casino barges enclosed by fixed exterior steel..." ResearchGate. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  10. ↑ Aucoin, Vanessa (June 29, 2026). "Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi: Where Rock & Roll Meets the Mississippi Gulf Coast". Coast Observer Magazine. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Hard Rock Biloxi's Parent Company Files For Bankruptcy". WLOX. September 19, 2006. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Hard Rock Was Hard Hit By Katrina". WLOX. June 1, 2006. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  13. ↑ Mary Perez (July 29, 2007). "Hard Rock Will Open a Week Early". Sun Herald. Archived from the original on July 1, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
  14. ↑ Hard Rock International (July 7, 2007). "Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi Announces Grand Opening". PR Newswire. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
  15. ↑ "Hard Rock Biloxi Opens With Some Help From 3 Doors Down". CelebrityAccess. July 20, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Hurricane Katrina". Sun Herald. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Hard Rock gets nod from city for expansion plans". Biloxi. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  18. ↑ Kessie, Brad (July 23, 2012). "Hard Rock will ask for tax breaks to build new hotel". WLOX. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Hard Rock Casino Hotel & Casino Biloxi announces expansion". Casino City Times. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Mississippi's Hard Rock Casino Biloxi's Platinum Tower, its $32.5 M Expansion, Opens Adding 154 Keys". Hotel Online. January 31, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Hard Rock Biloxi Debuts Platinum Tower". GGB Magazine. February 9, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  22. ↑ Paul Grimaldi (July 10, 2014). "Twin River completes purchase of Mississippi casino". Providence Journal. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  23. ↑ Richard Salit (December 15, 2013). "Twin River agrees to buy Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi, Miss". Providence Journal. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Purchase of Biloxi Hard Rock Casino 'important piece of puzzle' for Twin River". The Press-Register. Mobile, AL. AP. February 17, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  25. ↑ Clary, Gareth (December 16, 2013). "Rhode Island company to purchase Biloxi Hard Rock for $250 million". gulflive. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  26. ↑ Brad Allen (July 24, 2018). "Twin River acquires Dover Downs for sports betting and egaming expertise". eGaming Review. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Twin River completes Dover Downs acquisition and NYSE listing" (Press release). Twin River Worldwide Holdings. March 29, 2019 – via EDGAR.
  28. ↑ Brian Hallenbeck (July 23, 2018). "Twin River to merge with Delaware casino, trade publicly". The Day. New London, CT. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Q4 2019 Investor Presentation" (PDF). 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Twin River Announces Reopening Of Its Hard Rock Biloxi Casino". Bally's Corporation. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  31. ↑ Patrick Anderson (October 13, 2020). "Twin River could soon become Bally's". Providence Journal. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  32. ↑ Katz, Dan (August 11, 2021). "Bally's Corporation to Rebrand All but One Casino With Bally's Name - Poker News Daily". Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  33. ↑ Donna Rovins (January 4, 2023). "Gaming and Leisure Properties acquires real estate assets of Bally's properties". Pottstown Mercury. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  34. 1 2 Staff, WLOX (August 28, 2025). "Hard Rock employee recalls chaos and comeback after Hurricane Katrina". WLOX. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  35. ↑ WXXV (December 11, 2014). "Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi to Add Half Shell Oyster House". WXXV News 25. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Targeted Sales Leads - Retail & Restaurant Leads | Chain Store Guide". Chain Store Guide. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Tennessee Franchise News". Franchising. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  38. ↑ "MTV celebrity to open Hard Rock Casino Biloxi's new restaurant". Sun Herald. March 11, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  39. ↑ II, Mark Simmons (April 1, 2024). "Center Bar: The center of the action!". Coast Observer Magazine. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  40. ↑ Aucoin, Vanessa (June 29, 2026). "Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi: Where Rock & Roll Meets the Mississippi Gulf Coast". Coast Observer Magazine. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Hard Rock Live Biloxi - 2026 show schedule & venue information". Live Nation. 2026. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
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