- Hard Rock International unveiled the new renderings for the redesign of The Mirage.
- The company is planning a massive “billion-dollar” renovation of the property after 2023.
- Hard Rock International acquired the operations of The Mirage for $1.075 billion from MGM Resorts.
Hard Rock International unveiled the new renderings for the redesign of The Mirage during a Las Vegas Gaming Control Board held last Wednesday.
Latest rendering of what Hard Rock International plans to do when they take over The Mirage in Las Vegas pic.twitter.com/J8riiuTxfL
— Kurt Blakeway (@Hey_Blakeway) December 7, 2022
The plans were revealed and discussed by Hard Rock International CEO Jim Allen.
According to Allen, the property would continue to operate as The Mirage in 2023 but after that, it will be closed and renovated over 24 to 30 months. The resort would then reopen as the Hard Rock Las Vegas.
Per Allen, Hard Rock International is anticipating to spend billions of dollars to develop a new resort on the Las Vegas Strip.
The Mirage Would be Stripped Down to its Concrete Shell
During the three-hour presentation, Allen told the Board that The Mirage would be “stripped down to its concrete shell”. Most of the surrounding spaces, including the pool areas and outside grounds along the 77-acre site will be torn down and reconfigured.
One of the new features will be a guitar-shaped tower at the front of the property alongside the Las Vegas Strip. That means that the faux volcano, which has been the main attraction of the tropical-themed resort since its inception, will be demolished. Two other features at Mirage, the Secret Garden and the Dolphin Habitat, have been closed to the public and will also be torn down as part of the redevelopment.
The remodeled property is expected to have 3,700 rooms and suites while its casino floor will be expanded from 94,000 square feet to 174,000 square feet to add 1,164 new slot machines and 161 table games. The convention space will also get an additional 50,000 to 85,000 square feet of area. Meanwhile, the renovated resort will have 21 restaurants and a new Hard Rock Live Entertainment space.
Mirage Employees Will Continue to Operate the Property in 2023
Allen also told the Board that The Mirage’s 3,600 employees will continue to operate the property in 2023. He said that Hard Rock and MGM are working for a smooth transition for the employees with the expectation of similar or more generous benefits.
Per Allen:
Last month, however, Hard Rock announced that it was hiring “key positions” under finance, human resources, and information technology departments via obs-hardrock.icims.com. The company added that only selected applicants will be invited to the invitation-only events in the coming months.
Hard Rock Acquires Mirage
Before 2020, Hard Rock International – which is owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, had no previous involvement with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. However, Hard Rock International acquired the licensing and naming rights for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas in May 2020 and vowed to bring back the iconic brand to the Las Vegas Strip when the right opportunity presented itself. That’s when The Mirage entered the picture.
In December 2021, Hard Rock International announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the operations of The Mirage from MGM Resorts International. Under the deal, Hard Rock would pay MGM Resorts $1.075 billion and then enter into a long-term lease agreement with VICI Properties Inc. which owns the resort’s real estate assets at an annual base rent of $90 million per annum.
Built by Steve Wynn for $630 million, The Mirage opened in 1989 and was one of the first megaresorts that would come and dominate the Las Vegas Strip. The resort was the home of Siegfried & Roy for 14 years and also hosted several big boxing events, including the third fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran in 1989.
