Hard Rock Casino Tejon is preparing to add “hotel” to its name after the Tejon Indian Tribe and Hard Rock broke ground on the next phase of the project: a 15-story hotel planned to open in the summer of 2028.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place Wednesday morning, just ahead of the casino’s one-year anniversary.
Octavio Escobedo, chairman of the Tejon Indian Tribe, said the latest milestone felt different than previous ones.
“We’re not breaking ground on a promise, we’re building on a promise that’s already been delivered. What began as a vision has become a successful enterprise, a strong partnership and an economic presence that continues to grow. And now we’re taking the next step,” Escobedo said.
The project’s total cost is in the billions. “The entire project, hotel and casino, is a $1.3 billion project that is all privately funded by the Tejon Indian Tribe,” Kathy DeGolia, the vice president of marketing, said.
She said the expansion is expected to bring more jobs. “We’re going to be creating at least another 300 positions,” DeGolia said.
Escobedo and June Nachor, vice chairwoman of the Tejon Indian Tribe, said the casino and hotel have been more than 10 years in the making.
“The tribal elders that started this I’d like to say thank you for your drive, your vision, everything you did to get us here to this day. To the elders here today, we hope that you are proud of us, the work that we’ve done, the product that we’ve given you. I just hope everyone has a great time,” Nachor said.
The new hotel is planned to include 406 rooms and 119 suites.