While the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Bristol, Virginia is going to be officially opening later this year, its roots have been planted in the Tri-Cities area for almost two years. The new business hosted a soft open in July 2022.
Even before then, the site had been firmly entrenched as a Bristol icon.
Before 2017, the site that Hard Rock would reside on was the Bristol Mall’s parking lot. The mall had served the Tri-Cities area since 1975. One of the main reasons it did not stay open was the rapid downfall of Sears, its main anchor tenant.
However, with new life as one of the few casinos allowed to open in the state, it seems to be built to last compared to its predecessor, with its wide variety of activities to do and places to go.
These will include the famous Hard Rock Cafe, a live entertainment center, slot machines and table games, as well as restaurants.
Before too long, the site of the former Bristol Mall will go from desolate and run-down to one of the major tourist destinations of Appalachia and the southeastern United States.