LAS VEGAS, Feb. 26, 2002 - Peter Morton, Chairman of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (�The Company�) in Las Vegas, announced today that Don Marrandino has been named President & Chief Operating Officer of his Las Vegas resort.  He will oversee all day-to-day operations of the company and will work closely with Morton.

Marrandino, most recently President of Station Casinos EAST in Las Vegas (includes Station properties Green Valley Ranch, Boulder, Fiesta Henderson, Barley�s and Sunset), will take over at the property beginning Monday, March 4th.  Prior to working at Stations Casinos, he worked at the Rio Hotel and Casino for six years where he eventually became the General Manager of the �off strip� property.  Marrandino graduated from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and has lived in Las Vegas for thirteen years.

�I am looking forward to working with Don and am thrilled to have him on our team,� said Morton.  �The combination of his operational strengths, strong management skills and understanding of the Hard Rock concept, will allow us to continue to provide the unique experience which both our customers and employees have become accustomed to.�

�To be the President of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is an opportunity of a lifetime for me that I�ve been dreaming about for many years,� explained Marrandino.  �Being the huge rock n� roll fan that I am, the Hard Rock Hotel will be a new and exciting environment for me.�

Peter Morton also named Yale Rowe as the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino�s Vice President of Marketing.  Yale joined the Hard Rock staff on Monday, February 25th and will oversee all facets of the Marketing Department.  With his vast knowledge in hotel and casino marketing, Rowe was the ideal candidate to lead the hotel in a positive direction.

Rowe most recently was the Director of Marketing for Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa in Las Vegas.  Prior to this position, he worked as the Director of Sales, Marketing and Entertainment for the Sahara in Las Vegas.
�The Hard Rock brand is a strong as it gets.  To work with Peter and Don on marketing the Hard Rock Hotel will be thrilling!� states Rowe.

In an exciting response to the extraordinary success and capacity crowds that the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino has enjoyed since it opened its doors in March of 1995, founder and owner, Peter Morton, has put the finishing touches on a $100 million dollar expansion of his Las Vegas property in May 1999.  With the creation of a sophisticated 657 room guest tower, five restaurants (including Nobu Matsuhisa�s world renowned restaurant - NOBU), over four acres of Beach Club and Pool with Swim-Up Gaming, the Rockspa and Athletic Club, Baby�s Nightclub, and the Joint Concert Venue, Peter Morton has affirmed the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino�s preeminent status as a complete destination resort.