The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 279

THE BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE MAY 21, 1995 Rock 'n' rolling the dice at new Las Vegas hotel! By Rick Sylvain KNIGHT-RIDDER SERVICE Rock on: Las Vegas' cool little Hard Rock Hotel is behind the Hard Rock Cafe roughly a mile from the Lay-' Vegas strip (that a liability or bust- fully isolated, depending on your of view). Rates: Rooms range from $85 mid- week to $125 weekends; suites from beach to elevators that whisk guests to '50s-moderne guest floors. Name acts perform in the Joint, Hard Rock's handsome concert venue. Keeping with Hard Rock's "Save the Planet" gospel, profits from one bank of slot machines are donated to a rain-forest fund. Which makes losing less painful.

Theoretically. Past showcases of Beatles and Rolling Stones memorabilia and surfboards autographed by the Beach Boys, guitar-handle doors open to the Hard Rock Beach Club ringed by cabanas and faux boulders. Hotel guests can swim in the lagoon where music plays underwater. David Moreno of Los Angeles was lounging near the beach, a red bag of just-purchased Hard Rock T-shirts at his side. "Unlike the big hotels and casinos, this is just the right size," he chirped.

"This is great." It was also the chance to add to his Hard Rock wardrobe. "I'm thinking about the leather jacket at $275." Like other guests, Moreno could enjoy a spacious bedroom with French doors that opened to the desert air. Decor is cool. On your TV you can punch up channels that just play music, from legends to rock to passion. Unlike those busy and brass-railed Hard Rock Cafes, the rock and sports memorabilia don't smother you here.

Sni'3 in their Hard Rock caps and sweatshirts, parents and kids breeze among Peter Frampton and Eric Clapton displays, drums used by the Stone Temple Pilots and Buddy Holly's autographed boots. Motown memories pour from the "Soul Case" featuring outfits from the Supremes, Temptations and Smokey Robinson videos. Two of the more sobering displays are the Kurt Cobain showcase (into which fans have slipped notes and loose change) and part of the private plane that carried Otis Redding to his death in 1967. Near the "In Rock We Trust" bank are the only two options for casino dining. Mortoni's is fast becoming one of the best Italian restaurants in Vegas.

Lucky's 247 is the open-anytime coffee shop. And always, always, the music plays. Rock 'n' roll never dies at this perky little casino hotel. Room keys are laminated "All Access" passes. Forget vapid "Do Not Disturb" signs, too.

What hangs instead from doorknobs: "I hear ya knockin' but ya can't come in." Nirvana, ZZ Top and seemingly everyone else who ever made music. Showcases of concert outfits from Aeros-mith, Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Van Halen and others are like altars drawing worshipful fans. A cathedral-like Gothic facade in the Viva Las Vegas Lounge is inset with screens showing music videos. Church ladies will be mortified. Compared with the MGM Grand and other mega-resorts lining the famed Las Vegas strip a mile away, the Hard Rock is tiny -only 340 guest rooms and a circular, casino.

Which is the kind of hip, little hotel owner Peter Morton wanted. Morton founded the first Hard Rock Cafe in 1971. "We broke a lot of rules," said spokeswoman Laura Herlovich. Bettors won't find poker tables, live keno, lounge acts, bargain menus or cheapo guest rooms. No Vegas glitz, either.

Halls, walls and gaming areas are stylish. Public areas are done in fine woods and tasteful carpeting. Planners lavished the casino in hot rods, cool costumes and blue globes (Hard Rock's "Save the Planet" theme). Music themes are everywhere, from the guitar-crowned porte cochere to the pool complete with sandy LAS VEGAS -1 am down to my last $25' Jimi Hendrix Haze" chip, and Elvis is singing "It's Now or Never." An hour ago, it was the craps table, tumblin dice and Steely Dan warbling "Rikki Don't Lose That Number." It's weird here. Yeah, and there's roulette on piano-shaped tables, "Riders on the Storm" slot machines and sports betting near a chandelier made of gold saxophones.

What's goin' on? The new Hard Rock Hotel is a $100 million wager that rock and roulette not only mix, they're downright fun. Lavished with $2 million in music memorabilia, the world's first rock 'n' roll hotel opened last month as the logical spinoff of those Hard Rock Cafes that dot every corner of the world (including one 200 yards from here). So with wads of rock-star chips (Bob Seger is $5) or with the pull on a guitar-armed slot machine, one can gamble amid gold-lame jacket, Harley Davidsons from Motley Crue and Guns N' Roses, and gold records and guitars from Pearl Jam, $250. Shopping: Like lemmings, guests and visitors line up for Hard Rock tfc-J tel sweats, T-shirts, jackets, mugs, balls even Hard Rock colognes and wines. Hard knocks: Not many, except $75 is a lot to reserve a cabana, Room reservations: Call (800) HRD-ROCK anytime (remember that ROCK uses the letter and not the number "0" for operator), or your trav el agent RICK SYLVAIN lMf mmmmmmmm- I r-v ll r.cl i i i i 7 Introducing Our Ocean.

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