Hard Rock Hotel

Hard Rock Hotel Casino Atlantic City opened its doors on June 28, 2018. Since then, the massive entertainment complex whose extreme makeover had a reported half-billion-dollar price tag, has established itself as one of AC’s most vital and action-filled properties.

Located on the Boardwalk site that housed Trump Taj Mahal, Hard Rock’s most notable aspect may be the astonishing transformation it underwent. While I was a frequent Taj visitor throughout its 26-year lifespan (it closed in 2016), the first time I entered Hard Rock, I was temporarily disoriented, so complete was the renovation project. Virtually every inch of the building save for walls, floors and support beams, was completely redone. This includes all 2,000-plus hotel rooms and suites and both ticketed-entertainment venues, the now-7,000-seat Hard Rock Live at Mark G. Etess Arena (still named in memory of the Trump casino exec who died in a 1989 helicopter crash) and the 1,400-capacity Sound Waves (formerly the Xanadu).

One of the most prominent changes was the addition of the Lobby Bar, a centrally located live-music spot that animates the Hard Rock’s main floor with a “Hey! The party’s over here!” vibe.

The standard hotel rooms—all of which offer water views--feature modern styling and amenities including 55-inch flat-screen TVs upon which Chromecast users can stream programming.

A convenient touch is the bedside panel with two power outlets and two USB ports (a serious consideration in these high-tech times). And wannabe rock stars can actually avail themselves of a Fender guitar, amplifier and headphones for use in their rooms.

As with any contemporary mega-casino, dining options are numerous. Leading the pack are Robert’s Steak House, Il Mullino New York and its more-casual sibling, Trattoria Il Mullino, all of which are holdovers from the Taj, as well as two Hard Rock-owned dining rooms, Kuro, a fabulous and adventurous Asian-fusion outlet and Council Oak Seafood, a brightly appointed salon that looks out on the Boardwalk. The carnivores among us should note that Robert’s, as it’s been since its 2012 opening, is a “gold-standard” operation as casino beefeterias go.

Of course, no overview of Hard Rock is complete without the casino’s signature attraction: its priceless collection of nearly 500 pop music artifacts that range from the immense and flamboyant (Elvis Presley’s Rolls Royce) to the small and mundane (a tattered address book owned by Jimi Hendrix). There are also articles of clothing worn by the likes of Pink, Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga, and assorted instruments including guitars once played by such legends as Hendrix, Prince, Bob Dylan and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.

All of which has made Hard Rock, in just one year, an Atlantic City institution.