POKER LIFESTYLE

5 of My Favorite Things About the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Hotel and Casino

By Mike Patrick
December 01, 2022

The World Poker Tour Rock N Roll Poker Open is in the books, with Andrew Wilson running away with the title for $785,000 and his first WPT title, while Chad Eveslage took over the lead in the WPT Player of the Year race with his 3rd place finish.

It’s been an amazing week all around with the perfect combination of an incredible tournament series put on by the World Poker Tour and its incredible team, and an outstanding venue in the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Hotel & Casino.

My first time here has been memorable for many reasons, and I can’t wait to come back, a sentiment echoed by many players, such as Raminder Singh, who cite this venue as one of their favorites, too.

Here’s a look at my five favorite things about the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Hotel & Casino (in no particular order).

My Spacious, Luxurious Room

As you may have seen in my opening piece about what I was looking forward to, a room in the famous Guitar Hotel was on the list. Unfortunately, with the high demand here this week, that wasn’t possible. However, what I did receive was even better!

Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Florida Room pic

I was set up in the original Hard Rock Hotel, which has been fully renovated with luxurious, spacious rooms, of which I had a plush king bed with super cozy bedding and pillows, a large bright bathroom with a deep bathtub and shower, a 55-inch smart tv, a comfortable desk with plugs, HDMI and USB ports, and a small sitting area in front of a large window…with a view of the Guitar Hotel!

Guitar Hotel from room

If you’re staying in the hotel, how are you supposed to see it and marvel at its architectural glory?

Plentiful Food and Beverage Options

Any good casino resort has an abundance of options in this area, and the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood more than qualifies.

Starting with a food court containing options such as pizza, burgers, hot dogs, Chinese food, and a kiosk of healthier options, there are plenty of choices for times you need to grab and go.

Food court Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Florida

Then scattered throughout the property are plenty of contemporary restaurants, including Rise, where I had many a good and quick breakfast, The Bol, a quality spot for delicious Asian cuisine, and of course, the Hard Rock Café, to name just the places I enjoyed personally.

As for fine dining, there are plenty of great options as well, including Abiaka Wood Fire Grill overlooking the massive pool area (more on that coming up…), Cipresso, which serves Italian-American fare, and the Council Oaks steakhouse bringing diners top-quality steak and seafood.

Cipresso Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Florida

When it comes to bars, lounges, and other spots for a beverage, they too are spread throughout the property with options for all tastes, including a pair of nightclubs, classy cocktail lounges, and a pair of sports bars, both on the casino floor, and the PLA sports bar in the shopping area not far from the poker room which also offers interactive gaming for patrons.

PLA sports bar Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Florida

The Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Poker Room

I mean, what’s a poker trip without playing some poker right? Along with my first foray into the incredible SHR Hollywood poker room, of which I did a full review, a second session was far more successful, which allowed me a trip to South Beach the following day on other players’ dimes.

Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood poker room chips

The room instantly became one of my favorites anywhere, and I’ll be looking forward to my next session here ASAP.

The Pool(s)

A resort without a good pool is no resort at all. Based on my evaluation of the pool here, I can safely say that the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood is a RESORT!

Poolside Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Florida

A sandy beach area, loungers, cabanas, palm trees, waterfalls, multiple crystal-clear pools, and even little tables for writers to put their laptops on! All in the shadow of the Guitar Hotel, and that’s only the main pool area!

Poolside writing Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Florida

The secondary pool area at the opposite end of the property near the original Hard Rock Hotel was under construction but promises to be re-opened in January 2023, offering more fun in the sun for visitors to the resort.

Cool Music Memorabilia Everywhere

A staple of any Hard Rock Hotel, casino, or cafe is the amazing amount of music memorabilia filling every corner of the property. With a space as massive as the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, the amount of cool stuff to check out could fill a museum.

Steve Aoki

Along with being greeted by a mural of WPT ambassador Steve Aoki at the elevators on my floor, I had a great time scouring the property, trying to find items from my favorite artists, and was happy to find a guitar signed by the late Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters.

Hawkins Guitar

Instruments, outfits, and even vehicles can be found throughout the property, each bearing a plaque explaining their significance.

On top of that, visitors to the Guitar Hotel are greeted in the lobby by The Oculus, a massive 35-foot high waterfall that transforms into a musical show, as songs by artists such as the Police, David Bowie, Maroon 5, and many more are synced to the waterfall and a massive screen behind it, providing a very cool water and light show every 20 minutes.

Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Florida

Honorable Mentions

While those were my favorite things that I got to experience first-hand, there’s still much more worth discussing, starting with the massive casino floor which includes over 3,100 slot machines, and nearly 200 table games with stakes for all players.

Casino Sports bar Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Florida

Just off the casino floor is a full shopping area with several high-end stores, a cigar shop and of course the Hard Rock store to grab merchandise to remember your trip by.

There’s just so much to enjoy at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood. With multiple WPT stops and their own series throughout the year as well, it’s a location that should be at the top of any poker player’s list of places to visit.

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Mike Patrick poker author
Written By.

Mike Patrick

A veteran of both the Canadian sports media industry and poker scene, Mike has made the jump into poker media with cardplayerlifestyle.com. Having worked his way from intern to television producer and from home game hero to semi-professional poker player, Mike brings knowledge and a competitive outlook from his experiences in the newsroom and at […]

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