Q: I am writing to ask about the spotlights at the top of the Guitar Hotel. It seems that in the last year or so, the lights have been dimmed considerably. Now on most nights we have to strain to see the lights, when before they stood out like a proud beacon visible for miles around (I live about 7 miles away). Can you please check into this situation? — Chris Crowley, Fort Lauderdale
A: The Guitar Hotel at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, reaching 450 feet into the sky, is a dramatic sight that has become a symbol of South Florida. I especially love seeing it when I fly into Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport at night.
The hotel opened in 2019 as part of a $1.5 billion expansion of the resort and casino complex. The entire guitar is lit through a web of 2.3 million LED lights that cover almost every inch of the instrument/hotel.
The guitar can be illuminated in a single color or multiple hues for nightly light shows on the facade. The shows, accompanied by music, can be seen Sunday to Thursday at 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday at 7 and 7:30 p.m. The schedule will change on March 10, with the return of daylight saving time, but the new lineup is not yet available.
As you mention, six laser-light cannons that shoot vertical columns of light from the roof into the sky can be seen by South Florida residents from miles away. These cannons suggest the six strings of the guitar neck and can reach a height of nearly 4 miles. The lights are designed to appear as though they are rising from the hotel into the heavens.
According to Hard Rock spokesman Gary Bitner, the brightness of these cannons depends on myriad factors.
“The intensity of the guitar string lights is affected by humidity and other weather conditions, Saharan dust, length of time since sunset, and the distance between the viewer and the lights,” Bitner said. “Technicians also change parts and tweak the intensity from time to time.”
So the Hard Rock insists nothing major has changed. Either way, they are grateful you are paying attention: “We appreciate the interest and comments from your reader, and we are committed to meeting the expectations of all our viewers from around South Florida.”
Got a question about life in South Florida? Send to Lois at AskLois@sunsentinel.com.