There’s a new vibe on Lake Tahoe’s south shore—and lots of new meeting space to go with it. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino opened on January 28 in the shell of the former Horizon Casino Resort, just across Highway 50 from Montbleau and next door to Harveys Lake Tahoe. A $60 million top-to-bottom revamp has changed the look of everything in the building, from the 539 guest rooms (including an Elvis suite) to the 14,300 square feet of meeting and convention space.
“The Hard Rock brand brings excitement—it’s new, it brings a twist, and Tahoe is in need of something new. The community is very excited,” says Corinna Osborne, the property’s director of nongaming operations.
While a rock ’n’ roll theme extends throughout the hotel, meeting spaces have been kept modern, unthemed and functional. Premieres, trade shows, and corporate and social events for as few as 24 or as many as 800 attendees can be accommodated. “We have two main ballrooms, and each can be divided into smaller parts,” Osborne says. “We can do large events, but in this market we get lots of meetings with breakouts. We’re looking at really pushing the incentive and corporate markets, and believe we have the space and amenities to compete.”
Special features include the largest pool experience at Lake Tahoe and an indoor-outdoor dining venue, Fire Break, named for an iconic out-ofbounds ski area at nearby Heavenly Mountain Resort.
