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As a lifelong passionate and dedicated sports fan, I hope to one day enjoy certain sports-related experiences. You know, like going to the Super Bowl, watching the World Series in person, watching Texas A&M win a national championship (in football of course)…
The list could go on and on (Rugby World Cup final) but sadly I know I will never check out many of the best players. why not? Because I could never defend myself, let alone my wife paying the ridiculous amount of money required to attend the Super Bowl.
But that doesn’t mean life has to be devoid of great sporting experiences. I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy a game in March 2024 during the 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournament (also known as March Madness).
It all started on a cold day in Noblesville, Indiana (March 21, 2024 to be exact).
When I woke up that morning, it was 35 degrees outside (felt like 29 degrees). So when I got dressed and headed to the airport for this event in Florida, I threw on a sweatshirt and pants. I had a bit of a cold, and the native Texan was more than happy to be heading somewhere warm.
But as the icing on the cake, I didn’t just go to Florida to escape the cold. No, I had a higher goal – to visit the Seminole Hard Rock Resort and Casino in Hollywood, Florida during the opening weekend of March Madness.
I’ve never been to a retail sportsbook, but I’ve heard there’s nothing better than watching the NCAA tournament inside. The competition is already intense, but when coupled with the thrill of winning money and the emotional intensity of a good college basketball game, it can reach new heights.
But Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is more than just sports betting. Let me tell you.
Place
When my plane landed, I expected it would take 45 minutes to drive to the hotel. But the hotel sent a car to get me there within minutes. When we pulled up in front of the hotel, I barely had enough time to finish a small bottle of water and check out my fantasy baseball list.
Is this an exception to the rule? not at all. When it’s time to return home to Indianapolis, I get to the airport just as quickly.
Room
Check-in was as smooth and painless as I expected, giving me time to enjoy my room before meeting some colleagues. But I quickly realized it would take a long time to appreciate all that this room had to offer.
First, I was on the 11th floor in Guitar (you’ll see what I mean in a moment), overlooking the pool area. The sun was about to go to sleep so all in all the views were spectacular. I ate sweets and drank ice-cold Icelandic water as I admired the view.
After a whole day of traveling, we finally arrived at our destination.
But I couldn’t focus on the scenery for long. why not? Because I got to check out the record (yes, records, you know – vinyl) collection and guitars.
Yes, my hotel room comes with a guitar that I can plug in and play (with headphones of course).
I prefer the ukulele, but I have to do my best to imitate Van Halen. This is the right thing to do.
My king size bed was so comfortable (I almost dozed off before dinner), but the bathroom! Well, what impressed me more was the shower. When I was younger I would throw a party with this thing! As for the water pressure, it’s perfect.
casino
I went there to see the sportsbook, but I walked around the casino a few times over the weekend to check it out (and people-watching at all times). Now, I could give you a bunch of numbers and tell you the square footage of the casino and how many slot machines and other gaming machines it has, but that wouldn’t sound real.
But trust me, the casino is huge and has hundreds of slot machines and other video game machines. In December 2023, live dice roulette will be added to the site. After a tutorial for our group at the hotel, I tried roulette.
Intoxicating (yes, I won).
There are plenty of blackjack tables, poker rooms, and high-limit slots rooms. If you want to spend some time at the casino, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel has everything you want.
sports betting
As a sports betting writer, this is the most fun part of the resort. I had never placed a bet in person before, but the person at the counter walked me through the process to make sure I didn’t screw anything up.
I know what you are thinking. How difficult is this? Well, placing a bet is not difficult. But do you want to find out later that you didn’t win or even lost because you made a mistake?
Do what I do and listen to them.
But anyway, I don’t need to bet over the counter. There are dozens of betting booths along the walls; every time I look, at least one is free. I just download the app, open an account, and don’t have to leave my seat.
Before discussing the app, let me introduce you to the sports bar behind the betting window. We were surrounded by huge big screen TVs with a row of smaller TVs below. Everywhere I looked, I could see one of the many NCAA games (I’ll have to come back to watch college football…).
While it’s great in many ways, focusing on one game can be a bit of a challenge. As for the app, it’s clean and easy to navigate, operates smoothly, and makes it easy to bet on Texas A&M to win ATS vs. Houston.
spa
I was lucky enough to have a spa trip before my massage. My first impression – they have a very fitting robe. I’m a fairly large man and several spas I’ve been to over the years have not had proper robes, so when the Hard Rock Spa offered one, I was impressed.
I then had Rosemary’s Thai muscle melting massage. Words cannot express how calm, peaceful and relaxed I felt afterwards. Many of the standard aches and pains my 50 year old overweight body endured on a daily basis were gone!
This is amazing. While I could have stayed in the atrium and tried the sauna, hot tub, steam, etc., there was so much I wanted to see and do in the hotel.
pool
It rained a lot while I was there so I didn’t enjoy the pool as much as I would have liked, but I did go check it out. Rather than trying to describe it, let me show you some pictures.
food
Like any resort, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has multiple restaurants (16) scattered throughout the property. I eat breakfast at Constant Grind every morning. The line is always long, but the kind people behind the counter keep the line moving.
My egg white breakfast burrito and caramel latte were delicious! After eating the burrito the first morning, I didn’t want to try anywhere else.
As for dinner, I had the pleasure of going to:
- Council Oak Steak & Seafood: Your Classic American Steakhouse
- Kuro: Japanese restaurant
- Cipresso: A modern take on Italian-American cuisine
All three are great! I could go on describing the food to you in detail here, but it’s easier to just say this: Imagine the best meal you’ve ever had. Multiply the joy of that meal by 100 and you might be close.
Again, please allow me to let pictures speak for themselves.
entertainment
When you want to do something other than gambling, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino has a variety of options. On my first night as a band, we attended Shakira’s album launch party at their state-of-the-art entertainment venue, Hard Rock Live.
They often host concerts, but no one was scheduled that weekend. One night there was a boxing match and the Impractical Jokers performed a show on another (a TV show where these guys do terrible things to each other for fun).
Then there’s the Oculus Bar in the central lobby (where people watch and be seen). I didn’t go to the nightclub DAER, but judging from the expressions of the people in our group the next day, it must have been interesting. This is my Anderson drink from Oculus. It’s like drinking key lime pie.
Important events
You don’t have to be a fan of any particular artist or music genre to enjoy the different music memorabilia on display at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Now, there’s a reason I didn’t say “rock” memorabilia – because hard rock appreciates all genres and features work from a variety of artists. Throughout the resort, you can find items from music history, such as a signed Keith Urban guitar and apparel worn by Beyonce, Jay-Z, Prince, Rihanna, Shakira and Peanut (one of comedian Jeff Dunham’s characters).
My group was lucky enough to visit this vault, which houses over 40,000 items commemorating artists from various genres (rock, pop, country, rap, classical, etc.) dating back decades.
I’m talking hundreds of autographed guitars.
A car like this was featured in a Metallica video.
There’s also the bus used by the Beatles in the movie “Magic Mystery Tour.”
Jerry Garcia’s ponytail.
Serve
Everyone I’ve talked to and interacted with related to the hotel has been great. The entire staff is courteous, professional and personable which is a credit to the company. The resort may look stunning and feature all the amenities, but it’s the people behind the scenes who make your stay unforgettable.
Overall opinion
It was a long weekend I will never forget, but would I go back? Sure, but unfortunately they are not part of any credit card points program. However, you can have the bill debited to your account Capital One Entrepreneurship Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Ventures X Rewards Credit Cardor Capital One VenturesX Business Then delete your mileage purchase at 1 cent per mile. I have to wait until I hit 10 with interest or win the lottery because it’s not cheap (but it’s a luxury hotel and casino so I don’t expect it to be cheap).
But when I do hit the jackpot and plan my next trip, it will be in the middle of summer. Why? As the weather may cooperate, the kids can enjoy the pool. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, I’m in trouble. The swimming pool is the only kid-friendly feature at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
I get it. This is a casino, kids don’t gamble. But if Mom and Dad win big at the roulette table, they might send Junior to private school…
*Editorial Disclosure: Editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
