Bringing a little Vegas style to the Gaslamp Quarter, the 12-story, 420-room rock 'n' roll-themed Hard Rock Hotel opened across from the convention center in November. Rooms range from studios to 17 rock-star-style suites; one was designed with help from the Black Eyed Peas. The hotel has 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including the nearly 9,000-square-foot outdoor venue Woodstock, which has city views and holds 1,000; the Watchtower boardroom, with 16-foot ceilings, high-def TV, and an entertainment bar; and a 5,000-square-foot venue with a stage, V.I.P. areas, audiovisual equipment, and broadcasting capabilities, which seats 420.Rande and Scott Gerber have two nightclubs at the hotel: Sweetwater Saloon and Moonstone Lounge. On the ground floor, Sweetwater has a sleek wood bar and leather accents, white crocodile bar stools, and specially designed tables with individual beer taps for customers to serve themselves. The rooftop Moonstone Lounge has private cabanas, flat-screen TVs, minibars, lounge beds, and fire pits. For dining, there's an outpost of Nobu and the modern coffee shop Maryjanes; in addition, a Pinkberry is slated to open in January. The hotel also has a full-service spa and, naturally, a Rock Shop for those Hard Rock logo T-shirts and bedazzled jeans.
Photo: Courtesy of the Hard Rock Hotel
Photo: Courtesy of the Hard Rock Hotel
Photo: Courtesy of the Hard Rock Hotel
Photo: Courtesy of the Hard Rock Hotel
Photo: Courtesy of the Hard Rock Hotel
Photo: Courtesy of the Hard Rock Hotel
Photo: Courtesy of the Hard Rock Hotel