Hard Rock International Will Close the Mirage to Expand and Upgrade
The Mirage Volcano is legendary and was conceived by former Las Vegas gaming executive Steve Wynn. The Mirage itself is iconic in that it triggered the rebirth of the Strip. The New Strip that we see today was started by Steve Wynn's Mirage.
Hard Rock International plans to close The Mirage, gut the entire three-wing Hotel Casino, spend billions to expand, and upgrade the property beginning in late 2023 or 2024. The expanded and upgraded Resort would look to reopen in 2025 or 2026. Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Indian Tribe, took a major step toward acquiring The Mirage on Wednesday when the Nevada Gaming Control Board recommended approval of its $1.08 billion purchase from MGM Resorts International. If the sale is approved by the Nevada Gaming Commission on Dec. 22, Hard Rock CEO and President James Allen said that when the resort expands, it will increase from the 3,044 rooms The Mirage has to 3,640 rooms under the Hard Rock International brand. It also will expand the Casino from 94,000 square feet to 174,000 square feet and the Convention Center space from 200,000 square feet to 283,000 square feet. The number of Slot Machines will grow from 836 to 2,000 and the number of Table Games will go from 51 to 212.
The expanded resort will also increase the size of its Theater from 3,278 seats to 6,265 and boost the number of Food and Beverage outlets from 18 to 21.
Hard Rock also will replace one iconic feature at The Mirage — the volcano — with a 550-foot Guitar-Shaped Tower. Allen said he wanted to make the Guitar Tower even taller, to nearly 1,000 feet, but those plans were rejected by Clark County. Allen said current Mirage employees would be invited to retain their jobs when the property moves to Hard Rock ownership, adding that that because of the expansion, more workers are also expected to be hired. The Hard Rock has signed an agreement to keep the Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles-themed “Love” show at the property.