Hard Rock International Announces Participation In Athens Integrated Resort RFP

Chairman and CEO of Hard Rock International, Jim Allen, unveils two new donations from Greek music artists to Hard Rock's music memorabilia collection.

News provided by

Hard Rock International

Aug 26, 2019, 11:11 ET

ATHENS, Greece, Aug. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, Hard Rock International officially announced the company's participation in the Greek Government's RFP process to issue a license for an integrated resort and casino at the former Hellinikon Airport site in the historic city of Athens, Greece.

During a local press conference at the company's Hard Rock Cafe in Athens, Chairman and CEO of Hard Rock International, Jim Allen shared the company's vision for Hellinikon. "We have always believed Athens to be one of the world's great gateway cities and Hard Rock International envisions creating a must see destination that will help draw from the over 120m annual guests across 74 countries, driving year-round tourism and being an economic driver for Greece. This marks another step in the Company's efforts to expand our world-class brand of entertainment and hospitality to Europe."

The announcement follows over a year and a half of work on the project and if awarded, construction for the project is estimated to take 24-26 months.

Allen continued, "This announcement continues to illustrate Hard Rock's commitment to Greece and the great city of Athens following our investment in the Company owned Athens Cafe when no one else was investing during the financial crisis in 2014."

Allen surprised guests at the local press conference by unveiling a donation from renowned Greek songwriter and composer Mikis Thedorakis, who donated a handwritten orchestral score from the work "Refusal," which was versified in 1960 in the poetic work of Nobel Prize winning Greek singer and songwriter, Giorgos Seferis. The lyrics were then reworked into song for the first time in 1962 by Grigoris Bithikotsis. Mr. Allen then revealed a second donation - the beloved chaplet of Grigoris Bithikotsis. These cherished pieces of memorabilia that pay homage to the Country's musical heritage will be added to Hard Rock International's largest and most valuable collection of music memorabilia in the world.

For more information, visit HardRock.com.

About Hard Rock®:
With venues in 74 countries, including 188 Hard Rock Cafes, 240 Rock Shops®, 29 hotels and 11 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's most valuable collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise available in global Rock Shops and online at https://shop.hardrock.com. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands including Hard Rock Live performance venues. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes known for their award-winning Legendary ® Steak Burgers in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company's two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, FL., both owned and operated by HRI parent entity The Seminole Tribe of Florida. Another exciting Hotel & Casino location includes Atlantic City. Hard Rock Hotels are located in vibrant city and resort destinations such as Bali, Cancun, Daytona Beach, Desaru Coast, Ibiza, London, Los Cabos, Orlando and Shenzhen. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include Kathmandu, Nepal, Gran Canaria, Spain, New Castle, United Kingdom, Asuncion, Paraguay, and Chandigarh, India. New Hard Rock Hotel, Casino or Hotel & Casino projects include Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Dublin, Madrid, Maldives, New York City, Ottawa, Sacramento, Dalian and Haikou in China. In 2018, Hard Rock International was recognized as a Forbes Magazine Top Employer for Women and Land Operator of the Year at the Global Gaming Awards. In 2019, Hard Rock International was honored as one of Forbes Magazine's America's Best Large Employers, Forbes Magazine's Top Employers for Women and No. 1 in J.D. Power's 2019 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study among Upper Upscale Hotel Chains. For more information on Hard Rock International visit www.hardrock.com.