Peter Morton
Hard Rock’s original Las Vegas hotel founder
Morton carried the Hard Rock name from a London cafe into a Las Vegas casino resort, then sold the hotel, land and related rights.
A music brand becomes a resort
Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett opened the first Hard Rock Cafe in London in 1971. Morton later founded the original Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, opened in 1995. The hotel business was distinct from the cafe interests he sold to Rank in 1996: the shared name did not mean that every Hard Rock property had the same ownership. [1] [2]
Agreement and closing are different dates
A May 11, 2006 announcement set out a $770 million acquisition package including the Las Vegas hotel and adjacent land. The buyer’s SEC filing confirms the transaction closed on February 2, 2007 through a Morgans Hotel Group and DLJ Merchant Banking Partners venture. It also records separate intellectual-property rights included in the acquisition. [2] [3]
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Sources for this profile and starting points for further research. Access notes mark links we could not open directly during the October 3–4, 2026 checks. Historical accounts describe their own period; they do not necessarily describe current operations.
- 1
History of Hard Rock Cafe
Read October 14, 2026. Supports Morton and Isaac Tigrett’s 1971 London cafe. This broad brand chronology is not used to establish the separate Las Vegas hotel’s ownership transfer.
- 2
Morgans Hotel Group Co. to Acquire Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and Related Assets for $770 Million
Full announcement read October 14, 2026. Identifies Morton as founder, the 1995 opening, hotel and adjacent-land package, and announced price. This is an agreement announcement, not the closing.
- 3
Form 10 registration statement, Amendment 1: acquisition of Hard Rock Hotel
Read October 14, 2026, Business—The Acquisition and financial-statement acquisition note. Confirms February 2, 2007 closing, Morgans/DLJ joint venture, approximately $770 million aggregate purchase price excluding costs and expenses, and separately transferred intellectual-property rights.