Hard Rock Ottawa officially has an opening date.
The new hotel and casino said Monday that it will open its doors July 3, eight years after it was first announced that the international brand would take over the Rideau Carleton Casino.
The company said in a press release that the Ottawa location is the first fully integrated Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Canada and that it hopes the property will bring “a bold new energy to the city.”
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“Ottawa is a milestone moment for us,” Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International, said in the release. “It’s our first fully integrated resort in Canada and a key step in our global growth strategy.”
The project was first announced in May 2017 with a $320-million budget. After multiple delays, including changes to the original plan and challenges due to COVID-19, shovels broke ground on the site in June 2023.
In March of this year, Christine Crump, president of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa, welcomed OBJ for a behind-the-scenes look at the renovations.
Ultimately, the entertainment complex cost $350 million and features a six-storey hotel with 150 guest rooms and 22 suites and a 150,000-square-foot entertainment and gaming space with 1,500 slot machines, 40 table games and a high-limit gaming area.
The property also features an 1,800-seat live performance venue as well as 10 restaurants and bars that include the Hard Rock Cafe and Council Oak Steaks & Seafood.
In the release, Christine Crump, president of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa, said the opening date marked the beginning of festivities that will be “infused with legendary Hard Rock energy.”
“This is more than a launch — it’s the start of something incredible for our city; our capital!” she said.
According to the press release, construction is “nearing completion” while Hard Rock continues operating the existing casino. Renovation on that space, it said, will begin once the new facility opens, with plans for the original building to be fully renovated and integrated by the end of the year.
