Cooler Than Ever
March 1, 2009
Hard Rock GM says a combination of the brand's hip music vibe, top-notch service and a $750 million expansion will enable the Las Vegas property to grow its business without alienating its customer base.
Mark Gore is casino general manager for the Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino in Las Vegas.
A gaming industry veteran, Gore has held high-level marketing and operations
positions with Bally’s, Rio and Harrah’s
Entertainment. In an interview with Casino Journal Editor Marian Green, he
discusses the Hard Rock’s challenges and opportunities as well as its $750
million renovation and expansion project expected to be completed in late 2009.
The expansion will include the addition of approximately 860 guest rooms, including
an all-suite 15-story south tower called HRH, a new north tower called Paradise tower, approximately 65,000 square feet of
meeting and convention space, and approximately 65,000 square feet of casino
space. The project also includes the expansion of the Hard Rock’s award-winning
pool, several new restaurants and bars, a new nightclub, a new, larger Joint
live entertainment venue, multiple new retail outlets, a new spa and health
club, and a renovation of the Hard Rock’s existing suites and common areas.
Start
off with a little background about your gaming industry experience and how you
came to the Hard Rock?
GORE: I have been
in the industry for over 17 years in high-level marketing and operations
positions with Bally’s, Rio and Harrah’s
Entertainment. I spent the last five years on entrepreneurial pursuits. I was
involved in various ventures in online travel, technology and even a gaming
services company targeting high net worth individuals in the U.S and Europe. The Hard Rock was bought by Morgan’s Hotel Group;
they did not have a gaming license so they leased out the casino to Golden
Gaming while they applied for the gaming license. I was brought in to run the casino after
Morgan’s received the license. I was really excited about the opportunity to
reinvigorate the Hard Rock and help it reach its potential.
What
were your initial impressions of the Hard Rock and its impact/potential in Las Vegas? What are its
strengths and challenges?
The Hard Rock
is one of the top brands in the world.
It’s a brand that reaches all demographics because it means something to
you whether you are 21 or 81; we all relate to the music and a feeling of youth
which is what Hard Rock is all about. There is a vibe and an energy that no
other casino has. Our biggest challenge was a tired product. We are in the
midst of a huge expansion right now which will turn a lot of heads in the
industry. Our casino division had a great year even under construction and in
this economic downturn. We created
value, and our customers responded.
Who is
the Hard Rock customer today, and how is that demographic evolving?
Our customer
today is a mixed demo. Our all-suite tower will be a different product unlike
anything else in town. We are building a five-star product that will attract
the Hard Rock rejecters of the past. This product will help attract a much more
affluent crowd - but we will maintain the vibe. Our customers are
fashion-conscious, high-worth, risk takers looking to have a good time.
How is
the new ownership driving or changing the brand?
The Morgan’s
influence, along with the Hard Rock management team, are collaborating to
create a higher quality within the brand. Morgan’s really understands the
combination of vibe and service.
How
is the economic downturn
affecting the Hard Rock? What are you doing
to keep players coming?
Like everyone else we felt the pinch,
although not as much as some of our larger competitors. It’s certainly nice to
be small in a time like this. We react fast and respond to customer needs. We
are not “corporate.” Las Vegas
has potentially changed forever in the way we do business. Consumers are
searching for value, and we are responding by making the Hard Rock a place for
casino gamers. The Hard Rock of the past never put as much emphasis on the
casino as we did in 2008.
We are reaching out to an older more affluent demographic. I call them Hard Rock rejecters. They are customers who outgrew the Hard Rock or would never come to the Hard Rock because of the product. Some of these customers still stop by the Hard Rock when they want to let loose, but slept elsewhere. The new towers will give those customers the product and the service they are accustomed to. We are also putting some resources to the international market. We have just launched our Asian department and will be launching a Latin division in ’09.
Talk about the gaming propensity of your players.
Our customer is predominantly a table player. Blackjack is the game of choice at the Hard Rock today. We are expanding our casino to 140 table games to keep up with the demand for table game play. The new HRH product and expanded casino will allow us to create a slot area on the casino floor which the Hard Rock has never been able to do. Our HRH tower will have places that will make the slot customers more comfortable and by investing and we will have the latest and greatest technology. We are also making changes to our slot program to really go after the slot business unlike the Hard Rock of the past. We are expanding to 900 units -- almost double of what we have now. We realize that to have a successful casino we have to be successful in creating the slot environment for our customers.
Give us a picture of what the expansion will bring to the property.
That’s easy. The best concert venue in the city bar none. A kickass poker lounge. Signature restaurants. Unique retail shops. A casino floor that has life. This is the place that created the Center Bar concept and challenged traditional casino floor designs. And of course, awesome nightclubs. The Hard Rock may not have invented nightlife, but we certainly perfected it.
What are your hopes for the expansion and for the property going forward?
I would like to see the Hard Rock emerge as the top hotel & casino in the country if not the world. The team we have assembled here at the Rock certainly has the skill and the will to make that happen.
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