A rock 'n roll restaurant and casino brand known around the world is about to be dealt in Coquitlam.
Yesterday, Great Canadian Casinos (GCC) announced it will revamp its Boulevard Casino into Hard Rock Casino Vancouver.
Its launch will happen this winter at the United Boulevard venue - the first time Hard Rock Casino will have a Canadian facility.
"It's a great opportunity to give ourselves a new property and it's something exciting for everyone in Metro Vancouver to want to come to," GCC vice president Howard Blank told The Tri-City News on Tuesday.
The rebranding and partnership with Hard Rock Casino will mean more top-notch entertainment - White Snake and Toni Braxton are scheduled to appear this summer - and dining; however, there will be no expansion of the 80,000-sq. ft. casino floor that has 950 slots, Blank said.
As well, there will be memorabilia throughout the gaming centre that will focus on Canadian music acts. "Whether you're 19 or 99, we're going to have something for you here," Blank said.
As for the 1,000-seat Red Robinson Show Theatre, Blank said it will be included in the property but the name likely won't stay. Still, GCC will have a tribute area within the facility to the famous radio personality and company ambassador, Blank said.
Asked about the name Hard Rock Casino "Vancouver" - rather than "Coquitlam" - Blank said the title is for tourists. "When you travel away, [people] say 'What city are you from?' You say, 'Vancouver.'"
Blank also wasn't firm about when its planned hotel will be built. Last year, Coquitlam city council approved a development permit for GCC to build accommodations - with a lounge, spa, pool and fitness facilities - and a convention centre at Boulevard Casino.
"We have no date yet," Blank said of the hotel construction. "Right now, we've been spending millions of dollars redoing the entire property first. [The hotel] is something when our executive and board feels ready is something we will look at."
A spokesperson for the city of Coquitlam was unable to say how much more money the rebranding will mean for the municipality, which receives 10% of net gaming profits. Since it opened in 2002, Coquitlam has been granted $89 million as a result of "hosting" the Boulevard Casino. It also reaps around $1.4 million in annual property taxes.
"I think it will be really well received by our citizens," Mayor Richard Stewart said. "It's an exciting 'tweaking' of the facility. Although I'm not in favour of gambling, it seems like a great business move for the casino."
And Stewart said he isn't bothered by "Vancouver" in the title. "You can be in a hotel named after the bigger city," the mayor said. "If you name it after the suburb, people won't stay there because it's not in the Google search."
Stewart said GCC has promised to include the name "Coquitlam" within the venue.
Owned and operated by GCC, Hard Rock Casino Vancouver will be under licence from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, which is owned by an affiliate of Brookfield Property Partners, and has its flagship property in Las Vegas.
"The expansion of the Hard Rock Casino into the Vancouver area is an important milestone for us," said Jody Lake, chief operating officer of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, in a statement. "We look forward to working closely with the Great Canadian Gaming team as they transition their property to a Hard Rock Casino."
