Hard Rock brand moves into hotel market

Leisure group Rank is to open a series of Hard Rock Hotels in the United States and Europe, it was announced today.

The group behind the Hard Rock Cafe brand has signed a joint venture with resort hotels group Sol Melia.

The Hard Rock brand, which has suffered from dwindling visitor numbers at its cafes, will be franchised to owners of four and five star hotels.

Sol will then manage the sites for a fixed fee, and it is hoped that after five years, the venture will cover about 3,000 rooms.

Hard Rock has pledged the management contract of a new 381-room Chicago hotel - due to open later this year – to the agreement, alongside contracts for over 1,300 rooms in the Caribbean and the US by June 2006.