On July 3, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa opened its doors with its signature Guitar Smash, which is the brand’s own modern version of the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony. Executives, dignitaries, and community leaders all joined the stage for the event. David Foster and Katharine McPhee performed as part of the opening celebrations, and in a headline concert to bring the opening celebrations to a close, on July 5, singer Avril Lavigne was the performing act.
The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is the first fully integrated hotel and casino in Canada and features more than 150,000 feet of entertainment and hospitality offerings to guests and locals. Below is an in-depth look at this new addition to the iconic Hard Rock brand.
This spacious casino offers traditional table games, such as blackjack, roulette, and craps, and ultimate Texas hold’em, mini baccarat, and high card flush. If you fancy a break from the tables, or even if you want to avoid them altogether, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino spoils you with a choice of more than 1,500 slot machines. There’s even a Whitney Houston slot!
While online casinos in Canada have had a recent surge in popularity, you can often miss the atmosphere you find at a venue like this. The resort’s staff are highly trained, and, like other traditional casinos, the resort goes that extra mile to look after customers and retain them. Hard Rock casinos and others offer an experience and atmosphere that online casinos struggle to match.
Online casinos don’t let traditional establishments have it all their own way when it comes to attracting and retaining customers. To compete and provide extra value, online casinos run a variety of promotions and offer lots of different bonuses, such as welcome bonuses, which is often free credit or, in the case of slots, free spins. They also provide demo versions of their games (or virtual versions of table games) so players can learn how the games work and play without risking any cash before taking part in real games.
If you’re looking to stay at the hotel, you can book one of 159 stylish guest rooms, including 22 luxury suites. Deluxe rooms offer 389 square feet of space; a Silver suite rewards you with 773 of space, a lounge, and a king-sized bed; and a Gold corner suite, the most VIP of the range, gifts you with 825 square feet of space. Importantly, only guests 19 years or older can stay at the hotel, allowing guests to avoid disturbance by young children or teenagers and really relax.
Anyone needing to fill a small corner doesn’t have to go far. The resort offers six different eateries, including the brand’s traditional Hard Rock Café.
Guests can grab burgers and more at the café; steaks or seafood at the Council Oakes Steak and Seafood; pizzas and light bites at the casino’s signature Brick’d Italian kitchen; Asian street food, including freshly made noodles and slow-simmered broths at YOUYU; coffee, pasties and gelato at Constant Grind; or shawarma and Mediterranean-inspired dishes at Shawarma.
Overall, visitors to the eateries have had nothing but good things to say about the catering, although the shawarma and curries have failed to impress some guests. The pizzas, on the other hand, have received a big two thumbs-up.
Guests who have worked up a thirst at the tables or elsewhere in the casino can relax with a drink and acoustic sounds at the sophisticated Council Oak Lounge or go for something more up-tempo at the Hard Rock Center Bar. Along with your cocktails, on Friday and Saturday nights, you can watch rock bands, soulful acoustic sets, and more, and generally enjoy a higher energy vibe. The bar is open each night until 2 am.
Players aren’t short of entertainment either. Hard Rock LIVE is the casino’s main entertainment venue, with seating for up to 1,900 guests and a maximum capacity of 2,200, and hosts big acts, tribute bands, and more. For something lower key but just as entertaining is The Joint, which hosts live performances, including comedy and music, for 25 to 400 people. If shows aren’t your thing, you can catch some harness horse racing at the casino, which takes place on Wednesdays and Sundays.
The new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, in Ottawa, is now welcoming guests eager for a taste of the Hard Rock experience, whether it’s gaming, dining, or entertainment. Best of all, the resort is giving guests even more to look forward to, as work on the original Rideau Carleton building, with full completion and integration, which will include extra gaming areas and eateries, is expected to be finished by the end of 2025.
