As reported by: The Orlando Sentinal
Hard Rock Cafe International, the Orlando-based global pioneer of the theme-restaurant business, is moving closer to remaking its image as a hotel-casino brand.

The company's two high-profile Florida gambling venues -- ventures with the Seminole Tribe -- are opening soon, and ground has broken on a Las Vegas-style casino in Mississippi. But the deals are licensing arrangements only, with Hard Rock reaping revenue for the use of its name.

Hard Rock won't hold the gambling licenses, and for now that's the ongoing game plan, according to Hard Rock Chairman Phil Clement.

"There's been a conscious decision not to be an operator [of casinos] in the U.S. at this time," Clement said recently. "But we are using our brand to participate."

The company has used its brand to get a toehold in the hotel business as well, allowing experienced operators to own or run hotels flying the Hard Rock brand in Orlando; Pattaya, Thailand; Bali, Indonesia; and, most recently, in Chicago.

"The hotel in Orlando has been a smash success, and that's given us more confidence," Clement said, to invest in projects such as an 11-story hotel that will accompany the casino in Biloxi, Miss.

The project, valued at $235 million, also will include a Hard Rock Cafe and a Hard Rock Live performance venue. It is scheduled to open in 2005, and is Hard Rock's first joint-venture with Premiere Entertainment LLC, which will own and operate the hotel and casino, while Hard Rock will own and operate the cafe.

Hard Rock's parent company, Rank Group PLC in London, is the United Kingdom's largest gambling operator, and that partly explains the Orlando-division's gradual expansion into gambling in the United States.

U.K.-based casinos, though are "membership" based -- no one can just walk in -- and that essentially eliminates the tourist market. But deregulation is forecast to make it easier for people to gamble in the U.K. and that could boost Rank's interest in the field.

Rank has never ruled out the possibility that Hard Rock will seek a gambling license in the United States, however, and Clement notes coyly that "at this point, we're not actively pursuing it."

Clement, who lives in Chicago and part time in Orlando at the Hard Rock Hotel, was appointed chairman about a year ago, after then-chairman and CEO Pete Beaudrault was ousted in what the company described as a streamlining. Clement said the company still plans to fill the vacant chief executive position.

Makeover

The Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld has completed a $4 million renovation of its 36,288-square-foot convention center ballroom and 12,000-square-foot convention center foyer.

General Manager Ralph Schmitz said that in addition to new carpeting, furniture and wall coverings, the changes improve the flexibility for meeting planners. New touch-panels, for example, allow meeting planners to easily change lighting and audio levels and program lighting scenes in advance to coordinate with the agenda. The interior designer was Stella Abdoulin of Barry Design.

New in town

Buffalo Lodging Associates LLC recently opened its first Hilton Garden Inn in Orlando, at 6623 Hospitality Way, off International Drive and one mile from Universal Orlando. Based in Buffalo, N.Y., the company operates three other hotels in Orlando and 23 in all, in partnership with Benderson Development.

Happy birthday

Kalina, a killer whale at SeaWorld Orlando, gave birth to a 7-foot, 350-pound calf in Shamu Stadium on Feb. 9 after a seven-hour labor.

Within moments, the baby whale instinctively swam to the surface of the water for its first breath of air, SeaWorld officials said. The calf began nursing within hours.

It was the fourth calf born to Kalina, a nearly 18-foot, 6,000-pound killer whale. SeaWorld animal specialists haven't determined the calf's sex.

Park guests can see the baby whale during special presentations at Shamu Stadium.

Kalina, who was born at SeaWorld in 1985, was the first killer whale born and successfully raised in captivity. Her calf is the 19th killer whale born at SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio, Texas. Of those, 12, including Kalina's new calf, were born at the Orlando park.