Hard Rock Expects Barcelona Mega Casino Plans to Progress

The international restaurant, hotel, and casino company Hard Rock International is hoping to see plans progress on a European development that has been in the offing for a decade already. Barcelona will be the site of the company’s latest investment venture, and the local governmental authorities in Catalonia originally announced the scheme back in the 2010s. Should all go to plan, a nearly two-decade-long saga could soon see its end, delivering a brand-new entertainment complex to the Mediterranean seaside resort.

Camp de Tarragona may not exactly be Barcelona city center but this will still present a prime opportunity for both the investors and those vacationing in the region. The proposed Barcelona World resort will be home to a hotel in the shape of a guitar that will be able to host more than 1,000 people at any one time. On top of that, the plans include a shopping center and a massive swimming pool. Hard Rock casino fans will also be buoyed by the proposals including what is described as a “megacasino” with more than 100 table games. With such exciting plans, it’s encouraging to see that the Socialist Party of Catalonia, the devolved government in the region, is putting its backing behind them, suggesting that moves to get started could be afoot.

 

Where do the Current Plans Stand?

Many will feel that there should be an element of caution applied when discussing the plans for Barcelona World, given that there has already been a decade of wait since they were first proposed. However, there’s reason to believe that 2023 could very well be the year that, while it probably won’t see the resort open its doors, ground will be broken on its construction. In the first week of February 2023, the Generalitat of Catalonia gave his approval to a budget of around $2 billion, which also includes proposals for the construction to begin in the first half of the year. However, despite the positivity around the current state of play, there may be a spanner in the works in the form of pressure from a section that opposes the specifics of the plans.

Opposition concerns

Environmental concerns are at the forefront of concerns, given the rural area that the proposals will see being built on. In fact, the Ministry of Climate Action for the Catalonia region released a report in which they looked for concessions to be made by those behind the entertainment complex plans, including offering “environmental compensation” and “ecological connectivity”. It remains to be seen if these concessions will be granted or if they could prove to be a legitimate stumbling block that sets development back another decade or more. In the ever-more environmentally-focused landscape we find ourselves in, it’s of little surprise that more consideration is being given to the impacts of development.

That isn’t the only potential hurdle that the development will have to clear if it is to open, though. Opposition is also being provided in the form of pressure groups taking an adversarial stance towards the proposals. Aturem BCN World [Catalan for Let’s Stop BCN World] has placed itself firmly in the ‘against’ camp based on a number of bases. These include the aforementioned ecological concern, as well as issues with the possible economic effect that such a large-scale development could mean for the autonomous Spanish region. They also quote a lack of public input on the plans, worrying that locals aren’t being heard when it comes to their concerns with the potential long-term ramifications of a super complex on their doorsteps. There have been no real signs that these could completely derail the admittedly scant progress but opposition should always be taken seriously.

 

Europe a Growing Home for Hard Rock

Should everything go to plan, Barcelona World will be just the next step in the Hard Rock expansion into Europe. In 2020 and 2021 alone, the company expanded its Irish presence with a brand new hotel in the capital city Dublin’s Temple Bar area, as well as employing Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi – a household name in Europe, plying his trade in the soccer leagues there – as their brand ambassador. Barcelona, previously home to the mercurial magician Messi, would only serve as a further step towards establishing an impressive catalog on the continent, especially outside the UK.

It may still not yet happen but there’s reason to expect that 2023 could be the start of something great in Barcelona. If it does all go ahead, it’ll serve as a further expansion on the city’s already world-famous reputation for entertainment and holidaymaking. Either way, it will be worth keeping an eye on the unfolding news here, especially if the development passes any potential legal battles in the coming year.