VenuesNow 2026 All-Star Honoree: Emmanuel “Manny” Thomas

Emmanuel “Manny” Thomas
General Manager
Hard Rock Live Hollywood (Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino)

MENTOR-IN-CHIEF
“A fearless, polished black American family man who believes in life-work balance and leads with empathy, patience, humility, and authenticity. Oh, I got it: Barack Obama.”

In some situations, it may seem like you can never get a hold of a manager when you need one. On the other hand, Emmanuel “Manny” Thomas says his team at Hard Rock Live Hollywood likes to joke that the GM is almost too accessible to guests.

“I like to always have business cards and comp drink tickets on me in case I come across a guest in distress,” Thomas says. “From time to time, I enjoy asking my family, friends, colleagues, etc. to be what I call ‘Secret Snoopers.’ I ask them to come in and critique things about the venue, whether that be security, cleanliness, operational aspects, etc. … I ask them at the end of the night to send a detailed email about their entire experience with no
bias.”

Thomas and his team live by the company’s “Save the Planet” motto, including folks from all departments taking part in quarterly beach cleanups near Hollywood, Florida.

“Some Saturdays, I get my family to go out on our own time and pick up litter scattered across our beaches,” he says. “My next goal is for HRL Hollywood to partner with our global social responsibility and F&B departments and look into more recyclable materials that we can utilize throughout our venue to better the environment.”

Thomas’ other goals include creating a space for hospitality activations for artists.

“A lot of artists don’t have the desire for materialistic things but
are more so enjoying activations that the whole tour and crew can experience,” he says. “For example, Cuban coffee is a huge part of the South Florida culture and something we are looking into and partnering with a local stand nearby to provide Cafecito and pastelitos back of house. The crazy million-dollar idea is to build a wellness lounge with massage chairs, vitamin and hydration
IVs, cold plunges and saunas, etc., on the roof of Hard Rock Live with a giant canopy to create some shade for our VIP guests. I’ll most likely have to settle for something much smaller, but I’ll get us there eventually.”