Morgan Freeman, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry and Joe Manganiello on the red carpet at Official Grand Opening of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood (Florida)

The iconic Guitar Hotel at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has officially opened as part of a $1.5 billion expansion that catapults the integrated resort and casino to world-class status as an unrivaled gaming and entertainment destination.

Complementing the 450-foot high Guitar Hotel are a state-of-the-art Hard Rock Live performance venue for 7,000 persons, an expanded and updated casino with 195,000 square feet of gaming space, a 13.5-acre pool and lagoon experience with overwater cabanas, an ultra-luxury spa and fitness center that spans 42,000 square feet, the extensive DAER nightclub and dayclub complex, more than two dozen innovative dining, lounge and entertainment options, a collection of high-end retail stores and more than 150,000 square feet of meeting space.

Dozens of A-list celebrities crowded an elevated red carpet at the base of a massive video wall to kick off the grand opening celebration at the Oculus, a stunning design feature at the entrance from a new grand porte-cochere. The Oculus encompasses elements of lush greenery, light and water, choreographed to music.

The signature Hard Rock Guitar Smash signaled the official opening of the expansion including the world’s first-ever Guitar Hotel. The Guitar Smash followed greetings of welcome from leaders of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Seminole Gaming, which own and operate Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.

“The Guitar Hotel will attract visitors from throughout the nation and around the globe,” said Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming and Chairman of Hard Rock International.  “They will experience a world-class entertainment, gaming and dining destination.”

The premiere of the Guitar Hotel’s show-stopping light show extravaganza followed the Guitar Smash, with a series of orchestrated outdoor music and light shows that capitalize on LED lights built into every side of the Guitar Hotel.  The lights are programmed to change color and intensity, with changes timed to music.  Six fixed high-powered beams of light project at least 20,000 feet into the night sky. The six lights mimic guitar strings of an imaginary guitar neck.

To round out the weekend’s festivities in true Hard Rock style, Maroon 5 will be the first to take the stage at the all-new Hard Rock Live on Friday, Oct. 25.

For more information on Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood or to book a stay, visit seminolehardrockhollywood.com or call 954.797.5888.