Hard Rock Hotel Vows to Return as Music Memorabilia Leaves Las Vegas

Image: PHOTO: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's music memorabilia leaving Las Vegas. (Photo courtesy of Hard Rock International)
Image: PHOTO: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's music memorabilia leaving Las Vegas. (Photo courtesy of Hard Rock International)
Laurie Baratti
by Laurie Baratti
Last updated: 4:36 PM ET, Tue June 16, 2020

Five 53-foot semi-trucks took their leave of Las Vegas today, loaded with some of the Hard Rock International (HRI) hospitality and entertainment brand's most prized pieces of authentic, music-industry memorabilia, which once adorned the walls of the now-shuttered Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.

Among the memorabilia items leaving Las Vegas were:

-Elvis Presley's Key to the City of Las Vegas

-Britney Spears' iconic schoolgirl outfit from her "...Baby One More Time" video

-Jimi Hendrix' jacket worn on the day of his death

-Prince's Cloud Guitar and Stage Outfit

-Johnny Cash's autographed and inscribed Martin Guitar

-Trent Reznor of NIN's autographed synth

-Nikki Sixx' motorcycle

"We are transporting some of the most valuable pieces of memorabilia in our collection, "Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming, said in a statement.

The iconic hotel-casino, which operated on Harmon Avenue just off the famed Las Vegas Strip for 25 years, permanently closed its doors in February 2020, destined for a large-scale renovation and rebranding as a future Virgin Hotels Las Vegas property.

However, Hard Rock Café Las Vegas, situated right on the Strip, remains open and keeps on jamming. It's even set to host s live-stream concert event, on June 17, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. PST, which users can join via Hard Rock's Facebook page.

In May 2020, HRI announced that it had acquired all rights to the Hard Rock brand and its related trademarks in Las Vegas, transferring rights to the company for developing a new Hard Rock-branded casino and resort within Clark County, Nevada.

"While the doors to Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas remain closed for now, we look forward to bringing the exciting Hard Rock atmosphere back to Las Vegas, which will always be one of the most iconic entertainment markets in the world," said Allen.


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Laurie Baratti

Laurie Baratti

Assistant Editor

Laurie Baratti is an Assistant Editor for TravelPulse. She is a San Diego-based journalist whose work has previously appeared in publications like TravelAge West, SPACE, Modern Home + Living, Montage, and Sandals Life magazines. Travel writing has long been her passion, and she is always looking for excuses to explore the world outside of her native California. Laurie is also a lifelong equestrian, a proud pet-parent, and an underground advocate of the Oxford comma.

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