UNIVERSAL Studios in Florida has celebrated the official start of the construction of a new Hard Rock Hotel.
The celebration took the form of a traditional smashing of guitars on the “hard rock” that will form the foundations of the property.
The new hotel is due for opening in late 2000 and will have 654 rooms, suites and bungalows. It will be built on a 19-acre site.
Pictured, from left after Woody Woodpecker, are Rank Group’s vice-president, business affairs (theme parks) Anthony Ainsworth; Loews Hotel president and chief executive officer Jonathan Tisch, whose company will manage the hotel; Hard Rock Cafe International president and chief executive officer Jim Berk; chairman and ceo Universal Studios Recreation Group Cathy Nichols; and Universal Studios Escape president and chief executive officer Tom Williams.