The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa cut the ribbon on a new gaming area with 350 slot machines Thursday on the same day that the gambling destination reopened the Fresh Harvest Buffet.

These upgrades are complemented by a complete renovation of the hotel’s West Tower, a project comprised of 240 smoke-free rooms.

All of these improvements totaled $65 million and came from guest demand, said Steve Bonner, president of the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa. In reopening the buffet and unveiling the new slot area, these projects happened in a quick eight-week time span.

“I couldn’t go anywhere in Tampa Bay without someone asking me about the buffet. ‘When’s the buffet opening?’ they asked. It’s open,” he said during an interview in the new slot area. “Seven weeks ago, they were serving pizza right where we’re standing, and the buffet hadn’t been open for four years.”

The latest expansion follows a massive $700 million project in 2019 that included the new 14-story East Tower with 562 hotel rooms, three pools, a spa and salon, a huge casino expansion and the addition of Elvis Presley’s iconic 24-karat gold leaf plated 1928 Kimball grand piano to the lobby.

Buffet back by demand

When the hotel and casino were forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic for two months, the buffet was among the first things to go.

“The reality is we’ve been talking about reopening the buffet since the COVID-19 shutdown,” Bonner said. “We made the decision to do it about eight weeks ago.”

It took time for the “economics” and staffing to support this decision, but guests have eagerly awaited the return of the second-floor food stop that now has six live-action kitchens offering a range of cuisine from Italian pizzas and pasta, kebabs, sushi, a meat station, a raw bar and plenty of desserts.

The buffet’s reopening created nearly 200 jobs and brought the casino’s total restaurant count up to 13. Fresh Harvest will initially open Thursday-Sunday for lunch (or brunch on the weekends) and dinner with prices from $29.95-$49.95.

Hot slots

The new gaming area features 350 slot machines in the first-floor space formerly occupied by the food court. The casino focused on adding machines that are popular among guests in other areas of the gambling destination.

At the top of the list is Aristocrat’s Dragon Link machine, which paid 10 jackpots of $1 million or more in 2024. Overall last year, Tampa casino guests were awarded $2 billion in jackpots (each $1,200 or more) and more than $14 billion in total payouts.

Denominations for the new slots range from 1 cent to $5, with max bets up to $100.

The casino’s offerings now include more than 5,200 slot machines, 168 table games and a poker room with 46 tables.

Elevated Overnight

Several years after opening the luxurious East Tower, Seminole Hard Rock leaders determined it was time for the 20-year-old West Tower to receive a facelift. The result is 240 renovated non-smoking rooms, including deluxe queen, deluxe king, luxury king and gold suite arrangements.

This project brings the total number of rooms to 802, with unique artwork celebrating legendary musicians on each floor of the West Tower.

Guests can select from several extra amenity packages, including “Wax,” which provides a turntable and curated collection of vinyl delivered to the room, and “Picks,” which offers a Fender guitar to rent and play with headphones. The “Unleashed” program allows pets with a fee and welcome gifts for furry friends.

Bonner said the hotel and casino attracts about 12 percent of its business from Orlando and is planning accordingly.

“Orlando is a good feeder for us,” he said. “In the next three weeks or so, we’re going to have a helicopter that a certain level of VIP players can access.”

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