The Seminole Tribe has plans to spend $700m (£524m) to expand the Seminole Hard Rock Casino Tampa, including more slot machines and table games, along with new hotel guest space and more.
The Hard Rock Casino Tampa is already one of the largest casino resorts in the world, offering a gaming floor of around 200,000 square feet. The casino provides players with over 4,000 slot machine games and 125 table games, with plenty of gaming variations to choose from. The gaming landscape is about to become even more vast when the Seminole Tribe completes its major expansion plans. Nearly 1,000 more slot machines will be added to the gaming floor, along with an additional 75 table games.
Non-gaming additions
While the 24-month expansion will include a large increase in gaming options, the Seminole Hard Rock Casino Tampa’s main focus is on non-gaming additions. Most of the expenditures will go toward adding new hotel space, retail options, an event center, new pool deck, dining, and more.
The casino will add a new 15-story hotel tower that is already under construction. This tower will be located next to the existing 12-story tower. The new hotel tower will include 564 guest rooms plus 79 suites. The new tower will include a private gaming parlor on the top level open to VIP guests. A private elevator will take gamers to this exclusive gaming area.
In between the two hotel towers, the Seminole Tribe has decided to add a new pool deck that will include three swimming pools as well as the Pool Grille restaurant. The new deck will be close to the size of a football field and will be host special events for day and nighttime activities.
On the pool deck level, the Hard Rock Casino Tampa will also include a new Rock Spa and Salon. The spa will be located indoors and consist of 25,000 square feet of relaxation space. The spa will also offer poolside services.
The casino will also be adding a new Italian restaurant that will open in the fall and the existing restaurants will be updated. The Fresh Harvest Buffet, food court, Hard Rock Café, and Plum VIP Lounge will all undergo a refresh as part of the expansion plans. As far as retail spots are concerned, the expansion will include six new shops being added to the property.
Event center and parking
Even more changes are included in the massive expansion plans for the Hard Rock Casino Tampa. The property will add a new Seminole Hard Rock Event Center, which will contain 30,000 square feet. The event center will have a ballroom that will host concerts, poker tournaments, trade shows, and more throughout the year.
Parking is always an issue when it comes to large casino properties. At the Tampa venue, finding a parking spot can be tricky. The expansion will hopefully solve this problem with the addition of 700 parking spaces. In total, the casino will have 6,000 parking spots available.
New employment opportunities
Because the Hard Rock Casino Tampa is expanding, there will be new jobs available at the resort. A total of 1,000 employment opportunities will be on offer after the expansion project is completed. President of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Joe Lupo, said: “Our team members are the backbone of our operation, and we value their attention to detail and focus on guest care. In addition to enhancing our guest experience and offering a premier resort entertainment destination, this expansion will offer more growth opportunities for our team members.”
With all the changes included in the major expansion, the Seminole Hard Rock Casino Tampa is set to become even more of a destination for visitors from across the United States as well as abroad.