The permanent Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol in Virginia marked its official grand opening on Thursday with a guitar smash ceremony. The $500 million resort now occupies the site of the former Bristol Mall, offering a blend of gaming, entertainment, and dining designed to attract tourists from across the region and beyond.
Located at 500 Gate City Highway, the 620,000-square-foot resort boasts nearly 1,500 slot machines, over 50 table games, a sportsbook, and dedicated high-limit and non-smoking gaming areas. In addition, the facility features a 303-room hotel, seven dining options, two Rock Shops, and the 23,000-square-foot Hard Rock Live, a premier venue for live entertainment.
“This is such a monumental moment for the Bristol community and Hard Rock,” said Jon Lucas, COO of Hard Rock International. “Hard Rock’s music heritage is a natural fit for Bristol, the ‘Birthplace of Country Music.’ We look forward to serving Bristol and the surrounding region with world-class gaming, dining, and entertainment offerings.”
The project’s realization stems from years of collaboration and determination by local business leaders, including Jim McGlothlin, chairman of The United Company, and Clyde Stacy, president of Par Ventures. The two spearheaded efforts to bring casino gaming to Virginia, securing approval from the state legislature and a local referendum in 2020, where over 71% of Bristol residents voted in favor of the project.
“With Hard Rock’s help, we went to work here in Bristol. We came up with this slogan, ‘We’re betting on Bristol,’” McGlothlin shared during the opening ceremony. “We talked to everybody, religious leaders, civic leaders, and knocked on doors.”
The temporary casino, which operated as “Bristol Casino – Future Home of Hard Rock” from July 2022 to November 2024, laid the foundation for the permanent facility. During its run, the temporary venue attracted over three million visitors, paid $68 million in gaming taxes, and contributed nearly $1 million to local nonprofit organizations.
“This milestone brings great pride to Bristol,” McGlothlin and Stacy remarked in a joint statement. “Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol is creating well-paying jobs and generating new tax revenue across Southwest Virginia, and local businesses in the Tri-Cities region are already seeing increased tourism and spending.”
In addition to gaming, the new casino offers dining options too. Dining options include the iconic Hard Rock Cafe, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, and YOUYU Noodle Bar, among others. Music fans can also explore authentic memorabilia throughout the property, reinforcing Hard Rock’s cultural identity.
“We are not a gaming company,” said Hard Rock Chairman Jim Allen. “We are an entertainment company that creates entertainment. The amazing power of Hard Rock has the ability to bring in a Blake Shelton or a Pitbull to come to this stage — not just tonight but in the future.”
Blake Shelton inaugurated the Hard Rock Live stage with a sold-out performance on opening night, with Soul Asylum set to follow on Saturday.
The development created between 900 and 1,000 construction jobs and is expected to support over 1,400 full-time and part-time positions moving forward. For Allie Evangelista, president of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, the journey has been transformative. “It’s hard to believe it’s been about three years since I first came to Bristol, to learn about the project and about Hard Rock, about old malls,” she said.
With its diverse offerings, the resort aims to be a major tourism driver for Southwest Virginia. McGlothlin and Stacy expressed their gratitude to the community, calling the casino their gift to the city and region.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/noticias/2024/11/15/85422-virginia-permanent-hard-rock-hotel-casino-bristol-opens-transforming-former-mall-into-500m-resort
