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LONDON 13 November - When there's a launch party, then you really know it's official. Today, Thursday, November 13, at the original Hard Rock Cafe (HRC) in London, England, a Launch Party will be held to herald the coming of the Bali Hard Rock Hotel & Beach Club directly across from the famed Kuta Beach in the exotic environs of Bali, Indonesia. Scheduled to open in the late Spring of '98, this luxurious waterfront resort and beach complex has already become one of the most eagerly anticipated locales in the hospitality industry. As a joint venture between Hard Rock Cafe International and the Singapore-based Leisure Ventures Ptc. Ltd (LVPL), the Bali hotel is the first in a series of luxury resorts to be developed worldwide; LVPL, is expected to develop a minimum of seven and up to twelve hotels and resorts over the next twelve years.

The Launch Party, which will draw several of the key "players" in this landmark deal, will feature a live performance by Midge Ure, the hugely talented frontman of the influential electro-pop band, Ultravox.

The Bali Hard Rock Hotel & Beach Club has been scrupulously conceived to incorporate the exuberant and energetic rock 'n' roll theme that has made the Hard Rock Cafe chain the preeminent leader in the theme restaurant industry. Among other unparalleled attractions, the 421 room resort will feature a 100,000 square foot swimming pool, surrounded by private cabanas, with underwater rock 'n' roll music piped in, as well as a sand island in the pool's center that will serve as a unique outdoor performance area. The resort encompasses a memorabilia-packed, two-story Hard Rock Cafe and Live Performance Venue that will attract today's top musical talent.

Naturally, in keeping with Hard Rock's historic attention to the culinary arts, there will be a myriad of dining options, including: a classic New York Deli; an Indonesian-style restaurant; a self-service Asian "Canteen"; the Cabana Club, an al fresco Mediterranean poolside spot; and Sunset Point, an extraordinarily picturesque terrace bar decorated with all manner of surfing accoutrements and offering Bali's best beach and sunset views.

A Hard Rock Beach Club Megastore, an extensive CD library; a well-equipped recording studio and a plethora of meeting and banquet facilities are just a sampling of the unique- and uniquely musical aspects of this spectacular, one of a kind resort situated in one of the most truly beautiful and exotic settings in the world.

A live performance by Midge Ure at the Bali Hotel Launch Party will no doubt amplify what is already promising to be a very lively and festive evening at the London Hard Rock, which opened its doors to instant fame back in 1971. Ure, a Grammy-winning Scotsman, is most familiar to music lovers as the phenomenal frontman of Ultravox, who are considered among the seminal proponents of the New Romantic/Electro-Pop movement of the early '80's. Eschewing straight guitars for keyboards and synthesizers, Ultravox conjured numerous hits, including "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes," "Love's Great Adventure" and the classic, "Vienna." Along with co-writer and Boomtown Rats founder Bob Geldof, Ure received huge acclaim for "Do They Know It's Christmas," which raised a staggering eight million pounds for the legendary Band Aid project, and for the poor and malnourished of Africa. Ure's latest album, Breathe, entered the American charts in an impressive 32nd position.

Hard Rock Cafe International, Inc., owns and/or franchises a worldwide network of 83 Hard Rock Cafes in 30 countries. Now, with international control of the Hard Rock Brand, Hard Rock has expanded into television with the Hard Rock Live weekly music series on VH-1, a Hard Rock Records Music label releasing its first two compilation albums in August 1997, Hard Rock Live Performance Venues currently under construction in Bali, Mexico City and Orlando, and Hard Rock Hotel & Beach Clubs, the first of which is now being built in Bali.

SOURCE Hard Rock Cafe International, Inc.