As soon as you check out the Hard Rock clientele, you'll know you are in a Vegas hotel that's like no other. The body-fat percentage (and median age) plummets; the percentage of black clothing skyrockets. Yep, the hip--from Hollywood and the music industry, among others--flock to the Hard Rock, drawn by the cool 'n' rockin' ambience and the goodies offered by a boutique hotel (657 rooms could be considered a "boutique hotel" only in Vegas). Put it this way: You can tell a lot about a hotel from its sundry shop, and as far as we know, this is the only one in town that sells Kama Sutra sensual products, Urban Decay makeup, Power Bars, and TastyKakes. The Hard Rock now has a permanent, if unwelcome and sad, bit of rock memorabilia for its collection--John Entwistle, bassist for the Who, died in one of its rooms on the eve of the start of a tour with the band.
It's that Boomer-meets-Gen-X sensibility that finds tacky-chic so very hip. Luckily, the "no-tell motel" look of the older rooms has been updated to more closely match the decor of the rooms in the new addition. The new and newly updated rooms are still a bit too '60's-futuristic hip to come off as posh, but they're certainly less immediately drab than the older versions, and they're more comfortable. Bathrooms are a big step forward--bigger, brighter, shinier; though in the older section, they can be cramped, space-wise, in suites. On a high note, the beds have feather pillows, and mattresses are surprisingly comfortable. Uncharacteristically large 27-inch TVs (most hotel sets are smaller, since they want you in the casino, not staring at the tube) offer special music channels.
If you've ever dreamed of being in a beach party movie, or on the set of one of those MTV summer beach-house shows, the reconstructed pool at the Hard Rock is for you. Multiple pools are joined by a lazy river, and fringed in spots by actual sand beaches. You won't get much swimming done--the water is largely so shallow that it won't hit your knees--but there is swim-up blackjack (they give you little plastic pouches to hold your money), and a stage that features live music in the summer and is fronted by a sandy area, so you can make like Frankie, Annette, and Erik Von Zipper and do the watusi. On warm days and nights, this is the hangout scene.
The newly refurbished spa is smaller than its Strip counterparts but is soothing in its posh Space Age Zen way, and the health club is plenty large and well-equipped, offering a full complement of Cybex equipment, stair machines, treadmills, massage, and steam rooms. There's a $15 per day fee to use the health-club facilities.
