By Jacquelynn D. Powers, Photographs: Theodore Marienthal

lthough he owns one of the hippest hotels in the world, Peter Morton wouldn't fit in with the flashy, brash guests (mainly male) who worship his music-inspired Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. He eschews publicity and the trappings of fame and gossip. In fact, he is a reluctant interview subject, repeatedly steering the questions back rather than answering anything too personal.

When he does reply, he does so in succinct, isn't-that-obvious? sentences.

And although he makes me feel welcome with perceptive fashion comments about my outfit (a hot-pink Betsey Johnson dress, by the way), it's a struggle to get a sense of the man who created the Hard Rock Cafe empire 30-plus years ago.

It would be easy to label him as a Baby Boomer with the heart of a hippie and the soul of a businessman, but he is more complex than that. If he were merely a hippie, he would have deserted his empire to save the rainforests in Brazil. And if business were his sole pursuit, he would have erected a megatower on the Strip, replete with all-you-can-eat buffets, formulaic entertainment and bland architecture. Instead, he built a niche property that catered to the rock ‘n' roll generation—and built it away from the proven safety of the Strip. It was a risky move in 1995, and still is today.

But Morton will never back down from the principles and instincts that guided him to launch an offbeat hotel in the midst of Las Vegas. More tellingly, he is dumping his profits back into the Hard Rock with a new hotel tower, which is being created by the much respected architect Richard Meier; Body English, the chic nightclub that recently replaced the waning Baby's; and innovative rooms, such as the Rock Star suite, which has its own bowling alley. He is also surrounding himself with the next generation of cool, including his son Harry; comedian Jeff Beacher, who has injected a buzz back into the Hard Rock; Brent Bolthouse, a nightlife whiz from Los Angeles; and Phil Shalala, a marketing executive who knows how to have fun. "The Hard Rock is going to be a lot better," Peter says of the changes. "We're constantly trying to improve the product."

Already, the entire town is talking about Body English, the renovated, amped-up watering hole that has hosted Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, Tori Spelling, Adrien Brody, Tara Reid and Matthew Perry. Inspired by artist Edward Ruscha's drawing of the same name, Body English has been a hit from day one. While most denizens of the club have no clue who Ruscha is, Morton likes the fact that his new venture has artsy roots. "Ruscha is probably one of the most important contemporary artists," Peter notes. "He has a drawing show at the Whitney Museum in New York. Larry Gagosian represents him. I've been a big collector of Ruscha, and he had a little drawing named Body English. My girlfriend and I were at Larry's art gallery in New York and we thought it would be a cool name for a nightclub." ...

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