Don’t Be Surprised If Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas Is Sold

By Scott Roeben, on March 04 2017
2 min read 6 comments
Las Vegas Las Vegas Casinos Las Vegas Hotels

We fully realize we’ve been light on the rumors and speculation lately, but we’re about to make up for it.

From what we hear, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas is being sold.

Hard Rock casino Las Vegas
Hard Rock International boasts 80,000 pieces of music-themed memorabilia. Hard Rock Las Vegas has about 2,000.

The Hard Rock in Las Vegas is currently owned by Brookfield Asset Management. It’s operated by Brookfield and Warner Gaming.

Insiders say there have been a number of internal organizational changes at the Las Vegas Hard Rock, several pointing toward a sale of the resort.

Hard Rock casino Las Vegas
The off-Strip Hard Rock casino in Las Vegas opened in 1995.

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is not to be confused with its neighbor, the recently-shuttered Hard Rock Cafe, just outside the casino. The Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas, which leased the name but wasn’t affiliated with the hotel, shut down on Dec. 31, 2016.

The Hard Rock Cafe had been in operation for 26 years. The Hard Rock Cafe was snapped up by Brookfield and would presumably be part of the sale to Hard Rock International.

Hard Rock Cafe closes
The former Hard Rock Cafe sign.

Hard Rock International owns or licenses venues in 74 countries, including 175 cafes, 24 hotels and 11 casinos.

The Hard Rock brand was consolidated in October 2016, after being split between a variety of owners for 30 years.

The Hard Rock resort recently unveiled a renovated Center Bar, which we’re really only including here because we know how much you like pretty pictures of Las Vegas bars.

Hard Rock Center Bar
Fancy AF.

As rumors go, the potential sale of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas is an especially juicy one. We’ll keep an eye on the potential sale as the story unfolds. Then we’ll fold it up again, because we’re tidy like that.

Update (8/16/17): Bolstering the rumor Hard Rock is being sold is the fact Teamsters Union Local 986 has picketed to encourage Hard Rock to “retain its workforce if the hotel is sold.” Learn more.

Update (11/2/17): It’s been reported Richard Branson is looking to enter the Las Vegas market. Just saying.

Update (3/29/18): Yep, sold.

Update (12/20/18): Hard Rock owners have shared the resort will close for four months of an eight-month renovation. The new Virgin Hotel Las Vegas will debut in 2020. Read more.