Hard Rock Hotel & Casino president found dead in Las Vegas home

According to the Las Vegas Sun, police responded at 9:50 a.m. to his home and found a man dead of an apparent gunshot wound.

Morgans CEO Fred Kleisner said in a statement that he'd worked with Kwasniewski since 1995.  "I know few hotel and casino executives who have the knowledge, focus and work ethic that Randy possessed. I will miss him," Kleisner said in a statement. "I know I speak for everyone when I say we all mourn his loss. Randy was a dedicated husband and father, a friend to many of us, and a valued colleague. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family."

Kwasniewski joined Morgans Hotel Group in October 2006, the Wall Street Journal reported. Before that, he was a senior vice president of Starwood Capital Group, where he played a key role in the acquisition of Starwood brands such as Le Meridien.

The Hard Rock Hotel that Kwasniewski ran recently completed a major expansion, including a new tower with 1,500 rooms and a concert venue, where Carlos Santana often plays. The expansion opened as Las Vegas continues to struggle to recover from a drastic downturn. Revenue from both meetings - and rooms - at the Hard Rock is down about 25% vs. 2008 levels, but the stylish hotel was faring better than rivals, according to a recent Hotel Check-In post.