October 25, 2012 – Philadelphia – Hard Rock International, owner of one of the world’s most iconic brands, with interests in cafes, hotels, casinos, and live venues throughout the world, announces an agreement with Bart Blatstein and Tower Entertainment, LLC to manage the first destination casino/hotel in downtown Philadelphia. The proposed casino/hotel project, to be named “The Provence”, will be located on North Broad Street.
“We are thrilled to be working with Tower Developments on this project,” said Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International. “We look forward to bringing years of casino experience to downtown, with many on the executive team having Philadelphia roots. The state-of-the-art venue will provide world-class entertainment with the convenience of the downtown location.”
The new project will also be a boost to the local economy. “The multi- faceted amenities of this unique resort and casino complex will make it a regional tourism attraction that will push the prosperity and boundaries of Center City north on Broad Street,” said Bart Blatstein, President and CEO of Tower Developments.
Internationally recognized as a world-class entertainment and lifestyle brand, Hard Rock’s current Hotel and Casino properties include two of the most successful resort casinos in the United States, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, both in Florida. Recent expansion has brought the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino brand to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and Hard Rock Hotel brand to Panama and two properties in Mexico. Hard Rock International also has licensed Hotel and Casino properties in Macau, Las Vegas and Biloxi, as well as a portfolio of standalone hotels and destination resorts operating throughout North America and Asia.
The project is contingent on Tower Entertainment, LLC being awarded the appropriate licenses and obtaining financing.
About Hard Rock International
With a total of 178 venues in 55 countries, including 139 cafes and 18 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world’s most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Pattaya, Bali, Macau, Penang, Singapore, Punta Cana, Panama, Cancun and Vallarta. Additional hotel and casino projects planned to open include Riviera Maya in 2013 and Abu Dhabi in 2014. Additional announced hotel and casino projects include Aruba, Hungary, Northfield Park, Shenzhen and Haikou. Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com or www.facebook.com/hardrock.