In Cincinnati, Hard Rock International plans to invest $70 million in renovations

Hard Rock International, a company that runs casinos in the United States, allegedly plans to invest over $70 million to build a new 300-room hotel at its Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati site.

The company, which is owned by the federally recognised Seminole Tribe of Florida, reportedly plans to add a spa and fitness centre, as well as a handful of luxury rooms for VIP guests, to the downtown Cincinnati facility, as reported by local television channel WCPO-TV on Saturday.

Wanted location:

The Chief Operating Officer of Hard Rock International, Jon Lucas (pictured), allegedly told the newspaper that the planned revamp is intended to help the business become more appealing to gambling enthusiasts dispersed throughout the states of Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. In addition, he supposedly revealed that the future hotel will be constructed on the development's vast front lawn or in a surface lot to the north of the existing parking garage.

The rumoured words of Lucas 

As we expand the property's entertainment offerings, it is essential that we have this. Visitors from nearby areas may come here for the evening without having to make the long commute home after seeing a performance, trying their luck at the tables, and filling up on meals. They are welcome to stay the night.

A plethora of names:

Once known as the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, this two-story Hamilton County facility with a 100,000 square foot gaming floor was opened in March 2013 by Jack Entertainment in cooperation with Caesars Entertainment Corporation. Hard Rock International then paid the new landlord, Vici Properties, Inc., $187 million in September of 2019 to assume management of the Ohio venue.

Future Aims:

According to WCPO-TV, Hard Rock International has 13 casinos, 34 hotels, and 238 cafes and rock shops in operation. These include the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and the much bigger Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City. The tribal operator is said to have revealed that it has already invested some $40 million to expand the dining options and concert facilities at its Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, while concurrently developing a sportsbook in anticipation of the possibility that Ohio legislators could one day legalise retail sportsbetting.

Tense contest:

Hard Rock International's reported move coincides with rival Churchill Downs Incorporated's $148 million expansion of its own Turfway Park horseracing development in Florence, Kentucky, just 13 miles away, so that it can house up to 1,500 slot-like historical race wagering machines. Despite this, Lucas is reported to have confidently stated, "We have already completed a feasibility study and met with our partners," so the time frame for the Cincinnati expansion should "be pretty quick."

It has been said that Lucas said 

We build a full-fledged entertainment complex with several attractions apart from the usual casino fare. It is impossible to attract customers who are just interested in playing because they happen to be nearby, but we can attract those who are looking for a nice meal, drink, and/or show. That is what I think sets us apart from the competition.