The iconic Mirage Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, which helped redefine town as an ultra-luxury resort vacation spot, is about to shut on July 17, 2024. This closure marks the tip of an period for a property that has been a big a part of Las Vegas’ transformation over the previous 34 years.
A landmark in Las Vegas historical past:
Developed by former on line casino mogul Steve Wynn, The Mirage opened in November 1989 with a Polynesian theme. It was the primary megaresort on the Strip, sparking a constructing growth that continued by means of the Nineteen Nineties. The Mirage launched many options that grew to become synonymous with Las Vegas luxurious, together with the well-known volcano fountain, which was one of many first sidewalk sights on the Strip. This function predated the Venetian’s canals and the Bellagio’s dancing fountains, setting a brand new commonplace for leisure and spectacle in Las Vegas.
The Mirage was additionally identified for internet hosting high-profile exhibits, such as Siegfried and Roy’s white tiger act and the Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil present. The latter, which reunited Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr for public appearances, can even shut in July after an 18-year run.
The closure of The Mirage will enable for main renovations and the development of a brand new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, set to reopen in 2027. The new property will function a lodge tower within the form of a guitar, hovering practically 700 toes above the guts of the Strip. Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International, expressed gratitude to the Las Vegas neighborhood and Mirage crew members for his or her help over time.
As the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports, Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, bought The Mirage from MGM Resorts in 2022 for practically $1.1 billion. Since then, the property has been operated below the Mirage model whereas plans for its transformation had been finalized. The Mirage’s closure additionally comes with important workforce modifications, as greater than 3,000 workers can be laid off, with the corporate offering $80 million in severance.
The legacy of Steve Wynn’s imaginative and prescient:
Steve Wynn’s imaginative and prescient for The Mirage set a brand new commonplace for luxurious and innovation in Las Vegas. The resort’s success paved the best way for different megaresorts on the Strip, contributing to town’s evolution right into a premier world vacation spot for leisure and luxurious. Wynn’s subsequent tasks, together with the Bellagio, additional cemented his legacy as a transformative determine within the gaming and hospitality industries.
The Mirage’s closure isn’t just the tip of a lodge, however the finish of a chapter in Las Vegas historical past. Its contributions to town’s growth and its function in shaping the trendy Strip can be remembered as it makes manner for a brand new period with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
The Mirage’s final day of operations can be July 17, 2024, and it ceased taking bookings after July 14. Guests with reservations past that date will obtain refunds.
