Dayton Beach News Journal
Curtain rises on Daytona Hard Rock Hotel
By Clayton Park
By Jim Abbott
Updated Mar 2, 2018 at 6:41 PM
DAYTONA BEACH — Dorothy Featherstone clutched a pair of commemorative pins Friday, proof that the Ormond Beach resident was among the first to explore the splendor of the Hard Rock Hotel, the highly anticipated beachside gem that is now open for guests.
“I love the memorabilia,” said Featherstone, “I didn’t expect it, especially the Daytona connections. The locals are going to love it.”
Featherstone was part of a mixture of guests and curiosity-seekers Friday, most informed of the hotel’s soft opening at 3 p.m. Thursday in a social media post after the fact. They wandered the lobby and public areas, gazing at rock artifacts that projected a vibe that was part luxury hotel, part museum.
In the lobby alone, enormous glass display cases contained pop uber-star Taylor Swift’s bikini, worn by the singer for a holiday celebration on July 4, 2015; a yellow-and-red Adam Selman-designed touring outfit worn by singer Rihannon on her 2013 world tour; and a trio of flamboyant mermaid costumes used by Bette Midler and her backing singers during a residency at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
A nearby staircase was accented by a two-story helix-shaped sculpture of brass cymbals, a blend of large and smaller platters that tapered into a gentle spiral. In another case, an original MTV Moon Man award statue was accompanied by a nod to the music network’s association with Daytona Beach.
