Clark County commissioners approved plans to replace the Mirage volcano attraction with Hard Rock International‘s guitar-shaped hotel tower. The County Commission members discussed and approved the Las Vegas casino project on Mar. 22.
They unanimously approved The Mirage operator Hard Rock’s plans for the 660-foot-tall project along Las Vegas Boulevard. President of The Mirage, Joe Lupo, said:
“Hard Rock thanks the Clark County Commission and staff for the approval of the 600-Suite Guitar Tower as we continue to move forward with this iconic property.”
Turning the Mirage into a Hard Rock-branded Las Vegas casino
According to Las Vegas Review-Journal, Hard Rock representative Jennifer Lazovich told commissioners the highrise would be built “right where the existing volcano is.” She emphasized the company plans to “modernize and theme” the rest of the property to match the guitar tower. It also plans to change The Mirage to a Hard Rock-branded resort.
Lazovich, a land-use attorney with Kaempfer Crowell, wrote the letter to the county. It reads that the new tower will resemble back-to-back guitars with “brightly lit strings” and would feature “floor-to-ceiling glass panes.”
Executives presented plans to build the new tower and proposed renovations in December 2022. The new hotel tower will include:
- 600-rooms
- 48,234-square-feet
- 36 levels with occupied rooms within the tower
- 4,500 additional parking spaces
- Multiple “potential” pedestrian bridges
Their plains also include the existing hotel of 3,044 rooms. New renderings show that the resort will also feature:
- A theater with nearly 3,000 seats
- New restaurants
- Shops
- Pools.
Hard Rock is known for its giant decorative guitars resembling the brand. Its 450-foot-tall guitar-shaped hotel tower already exists in Florida and looks like the one planned for Las Vegas.
The Mirage dates to 1989
Hard Rock bought The Mirage’s operations from MGM Resorts International in December 2022 for more than $1 billion in cash.
Casino landlord Vici Properties is The Mirage’s real estate owner. They said its lease with Hard Rock calls for an initial annual rent of $90 million.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida owns Hard Rock. The Tribe unveiled its plans for a guitar-shaped tower on the property in late 2021. That’s when they first announced the acquisition of The Mirage.
After two years of construction, casino magnate Steve Wynn opened The Mirage in November 1989. It was the world’s most expensive resort that came at the cost of $630 million. Being the Strip’s first modern megaresort, it immediately drew huge attraction. It became famous for its volcano and lengthy run of Siegfried & Roy performances.
