Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

As soon as you check out the Hard Rock clientele, you'll know you are in a Vegas hotel that's like no other. The body-fat percentage (and median age) plummets; the percentage of black clothing skyrockets. Yep, the hip -- including Hollywood and the music industry, among others -- still flock to the Hard Rock, drawn by the cool 'n' rockin' ambience and the goodies offered here. Our problem is that we are not famous pop stars and we do not look enough like any of the Kardashians to warrant the kind of attention that the staff seems to reserve for those types.

It's that Boomer-meets-Gen-X sensibility that finds tacky chic so very hip. Original rooms are spacious and almost painfully self-aware in how cool they are trying to be, with mod furnishings and funky amenities. Balconies are a nice touch here. The newer Paradise Tower has a touch more sophistication with a black-and-gray design scheme, contemporary furnishings, and bathrooms that are sleek enough to be in a nightclub (note they only have showers, no tubs). The HRH Tower is the pinnacle in terms of amenities -- and cost. The gleaming white suites are plush and feature multiple TVs and an entertainment system that allows you to plug your MP3 player into the wall and create your own playlist or listen to one of theirs.

The casino is loud and boisterous and there are several fine restaurants, including Pink Taco serving up funky Mexican food in fun, folk art-inspired surroundings; and Mr. Lucky's 24/7 a round-the-clock coffee shop, displaying rock memorabilia and old Las Vegas hotel signs. The Hard Rock Cafe is adjacent to the hotel. The Joint is a major showroom that often hosts big-name rock musicians and there are multiple nightclubs.

On the perimeter of the casino is a collection of rock memorabilia, ranging from sad (a Kurt Cobain tribute) to cool (various guitars and outfits) to useless (various other guitars and outfits).

If you've ever dreamed of being in a beach-party movie, or on the set of one of those MTV summer beach-house shows, the pool at the Hard Rock is for you. Multiple pools are joined by a lazy river and fringed in spots by actual sand beaches. You won't get much swimming done -- the water is largely so shallow that it won't hit your knees -- but there is swim-up blackjack (they give you little plastic pouches to hold your money), and a stage that features live music in the summer and is fronted by a sandy area, so you can make like Frankie, Annette, and Erik Von Zipper and do the Watusi. Or just pose in a thong bikini and new breasts. Whichever. On warm days and nights, this is the hangout scene.

A new spa facility mixes Moroccan details with stripper poles. Oh but that we were making that up. There is actually a room in the spa where you can practice your, um, technique under the disguise of exercise. Whatever makes you happy.

Plus there's a tattoo shop, so yeah, it's still that kind of place (or trying to be).

Note: At press time the hotel was fighting both foreclosure proceedings and a lawsuit seeking to strip it of its Hard Rock name (long story). Whether these have any long-term effect on the property is yet to be seen.

Facilities:
7 restaurants; casino; concert venue; concierge; fitness center; executive-level rooms; 2 outdoor pools w/lazy river and sandy-beach bottom; room service; spa

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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