Hard Rock to enter Puerto Rico gaming market with $850M San Juan integrated resort
Summary
Hard Rock International is set to develop an $850 million integrated resort in San Juan, Puerto Rico — its first casino-led project on the island. The partnership includes Misla Hospitality, Stonecrest Investment Management and The Interfin Companies, with construction slated to begin in mid-2026 and an opening targeted for 2029.
The waterfront development will blend gaming, hotel lodging, entertainment and branded residences. Designed by Klai Juba Wald and CMA Architects, the resort will draw on Puerto Rico’s musical and artistic culture, and feature around 415 hotel rooms, 58 suites and 186 branded residences, plus event spaces, a recording studio and multiple leisure amenities.
Key Points
- Hard Rock is investing $850 million to build its first casino-led integrated resort in Puerto Rico (San Juan).
- Project partners: Misla Hospitality, Stonecrest Investment Management and The Interfin Companies.
- Timeline: construction to begin mid-2026; opening scheduled for 2029.
- Scale and accommodation: ~415 rooms, 58 suites and 186 branded residences.
- Resort features: casino, event venues, recording studio, Rock Spa, fitness centre, three terrace pools and youth facilities (kids’ club, arcade, teen spaces).
- Design will celebrate Puerto Rico’s music and arts, incorporating community artists and local memorabilia.
- Economic impact: estimated 2,500 direct construction jobs and roughly 1,250 permanent positions once operational.
- Strategic location: views of San Juan Bay/Atlantic, near cruise ports, adjacent to Old San Juan and accessible to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.
Context and relevance
This development is a major milestone for both Hard Rock’s Caribbean expansion and Puerto Rico’s tourism infrastructure. It adds significant hotel and convention-capacity near cruise activity, which officials say will support international events and long-term destination growth. For the gaming sector, it represents fresh capital inflow and a new competitive property in the region’s resort market.
Why should I read this?
Quick and blunt: Hard Rock’s planting a massive flag in San Juan. If you care about Caribbean tourism, casino development or where big hospitality money is flowing next, this one changes the map — jobs, rooms, residences and event space all in a prime cruise/Old San Juan corridor. Worth a skim at least; industry folks should read properly.