Nov. 25–The Hard Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe will open for business Jan. 29 following a $60 million overhaul of the former Horizon casino.

Hard Rock officials said Monday the property will hold a grand opening for VIPs on Jan. 28; the general public can book rooms for the following evening.

The Horizon, which had become symbolic of Tahoe’s sagging tourism market, has been closed for renovations since March.

Tourism officials at Tahoe hope the Hard Rock makeover, along with a more modest renovation taking place at the nearby MontBleu, can help revive the south shore travel market. Travel to the lake has slipped by an estimated 30 percent since 2000, when California legalized full-fledged Indian casinos.