Iowa Landmark
HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO SIOUX CITY Sioux City , Iowa
START WITH A CENTURY-OLD IOWA warehouse known for its weathered brick walls , commanding six-story clock tower ( complete with roof battlements !) and stunning views of the wide Missouri . Add an iconic entertainment brand and a 50-foot electric guitar . What have you got ? The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sioux City .
Sioux City Entertainment invested more than $ 128 million to transform the former Battery Building into an integrated gaming resort with a 54-room boutique Hard Rock Hotel , indoor and outdoor concert venues , a bevy of restaurants , bars and retail shops , and of course , a Hard Rock Shop . The Lobby Bar is a statement unto itself : the three-story marvel , with a towering liquor display filled with hundreds of bottles , replaces the traditional reception area and offers a unique welcome to guests .
Then there ’ s the casino . The 50,000- square-foot gaming floor , with more than 800 slot machines and several dozen table games , sports a purple leopard-patterned carpet , decorative light fixtures bearing purple drumsticks , and the trademark oversized
Hard Rock guitar . From every direction , guests can see iconic black-and-white images of their favorite rockers , including Jimi Hendrix , Janis Joplin , Billy Idol and Peter Frampton , and concert posters from bands like the Ramones , the Stones , Devo and the Cure . There ’ s plenty of rock memorabilia from stars like the Beatles , Michael Jackson and Kid Rock , and a stage costume once worn by Mick Jagger .
The rock ‘ n ’ roll theme continues at Anthem , an 800-seat concert hall with an old-style marquee at the entryway , and the World Tour Buffet , which includes a full wall of multicolored cassette tapes .
The 100,000-square-foot structure at Third and Water streets — a sterling example of Romanesque revival architecture — dates back to 1905 . It opened in 1906 as a manufacturing plant for scissors and cutlery , and in the 1940s became a battery factory .
Throughout the redevelopment , working in concert with Sioux City Entertainment ’ s nonprofit partner , Missouri River Historical Development , architectural firm Friedmutter Group of Las Vegas was careful to maintain the original brick and much of the original timber , giving the Hard Rock an edgy , industrial look inside and out . Massive archways , where cargo trains once pulled into the warehouse , have been preserved . Vintage brick has been retained even in the guest rooms , all of which have views of downtown Sioux City or the Missouri River .
Not surprisingly , the resort was an immediate hit with the public , artistically and economically . More than 214,000 people visited the casino floor in the Hard Rock ’ s opening month and wagered nearly $ 7.2 million , getting the new destination off to a great start . — MARJORIE PRESTON
OPERATOR : SCE Partners LLC , an affiliate of Warner Gaming
ARCHITECT / INTERIOR DESIGN : Friedmutter Group
INVESTMENT : $ 130 million all-in / $ 48 million construction
Sweet Dreams
CITY OF DREAMS Manila , Philippines
THE PHILIPPINE GAMING MARKET has been attracting much attention over the past year . With the opening of the Solaire in Manila ’ s “ Entertainment City ,” a four-resort complex on the shores of Manila Bay owned by PAGCOR , the Philippine casino operator / regulator , anticipation is building for the remaining three properties .
At the end of 2014 , City of Dreams Manila is slated to open , operated by Melco Crown , which also owns the Macau casino resort of the same name . Like its Macau cousin , CoD Manila will host multiple hotels and other non-gaming amenities .
Included in Manila , as in Macau , will be a Crown Tower and a Hyatt . But CoD Manila also will feature the first Nobu Hotel in Asia . The partnership between Melco Crown and Nobu Hospitality includes the internationally renowned chef , Nobu Matsuhisa , actor Robert DeNiro and Hollywood producer Meir Teper . The hotel will include a Nobu restaurant and offer a fusion of laid-back luxury , high-energy nightlife and exclusive guest room retreats and spa services .
Melco Crown has also struck a deal with the “ King of Clubs ,” Michael Van Cleef Ault , who will bring his nightclub brands Pangaea and Chaos to the CoD Manila . Both brands are known for hosting “ A-List ” celebrities and will transform Manila into a true nightclub haven in Asia .
Another first for CoD Manila will be the only DreamWorks “ edutainment center ,” a collaboration with DreamWorks Animation . An integrated space of live and digital play spaces , the center will stress learning through play .
“ DreamPlay by DreamWorks ” is a revolutionary approach to family entertainment . Each experience is designed exclusively for City of Dreams Manila by the artistic and creative forces of DreamWorks Animation and iP2 Entertainment to combine the best elements of the DreamWorks library with the hands-on activities of an educationinspired play center to create a truly one-ofa-kind family adventure . Children will interact with characters from DreamWorks Animation ’ s franchises including Kung Fu Panda , Shrek , Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon .
The debut of City of Dreams Manila demonstrates how the Philippine market is growing . In addition to two more resorts scheduled to open at Entertainment City ( Kazuo Okada ’ s Tiger Entertainment and a second Philippine resort owned by Genting / Travellers ), Caesars Entertainment has proposed a $ 1 billion resort adjacent to Manila ’ s Ninoy Aquino International Airport .
— ROGER GROS
OWNERS : Belle Corp . Leisure and Resorts World Corp ., and Melco Crown
ARCHITECT OF RECORD : ASYA Design Partners
GENERAL CONTRACTOR : Leighton Contractors ( Philippines ) Inc .
INVESTMENT : $ 1.3 billion
casinodesignmagazine . com 7