Daer South Florida at Hard Rock Aims to Set Clubbing Standard

The exuberant Guitar Hotel at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino opened last week, and it did not skimp on any detail. The $1.5 billion expansion includes a new "dayclub" and nightclub. Set to debut on Halloween, Daer South Florida will offer partygoers a club trifecta.

Hard Rock Hollywood's Daer is the concept's second outpost; the original is located at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City. But South Florida's Daer will offer two clubbing experiences and a rooftop bar. The dayclub and adjacent nightclub offer their own styles and flair.

“We are trying to bring an elevated day and nightlife experience, and we want world-class service,” says Matt Minichino, the Hard Rock's corporate vice president of nightlife/daylife. “We want a daylife model that may not exist currently in the market or even in the state.”

The 21,000-square-foot dayclub offers three pools, cabanas, daybeds, and hot tubs. The DJ booth is equipped with a 40-foot LED screen for guests partying amid tables of bloody marys. The VIP area boasts bungalows that provide amenities such as private pools and bottle service.

"The number-one thing people have said to me is, ‘I can’t believe South Florida is finally going to have a real dayclub,'" Minichino tells New Times. “Not that I’m downgrading, but we have the ability to have a full-on experience that clubs on South Beach might not have.”

Daer’s nighttime venue is slightly smaller (18,000 square feet) and features an enormous LED centerpiece and a convertible indoor/outdoor space. The attached rooftop bar overlooks the lagoon and pool areas. Both clubs are equipped with Function One speakers, a touch that aims to please audiophiles.
Daer will kick off its opening week with EDM royalty: This Thursday, Halloween, the nightclub will open with DJ Five and a “sexy costume contest” offering more than $50,000 in cash prizes. Friday will bring Dillion Francis. The following day, guests will get their first chance to experience a proper dayclub vibe with Tiësto at 1 p.m. Closing out the weekend will be a Sunday-afternoon set by the Chainsmokers — the duo's second South Florida show in less than a month.

Minichino was tight-lipped about future bookings, but he suggested that previous shows at the Atlantic City locations might serve as a guide. Perhaps, then, South Florida can look forward to seeing Alesso, Drake, J. Cole, and Marshmello. Minichino promises a lineup announcement for November and December will be out soon. “South Florida will be the blueprint moving forward,” he adds.

General admission to both clubs will cost about $35. The dayclub’s hours are Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The nightclub will operate Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m. till “late."

Daer South Florida. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood; 954-779-4750; hardrocknightlife.com.