The enduring Mirage Lodge & On line 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 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 points of interest on the Strip. This characteristic predated the Venetian’s canals and the Bellagio’s dancing fountains, setting a brand new normal for leisure and spectacle in Las Vegas.
The Mirage was additionally recognized for internet hosting high-profile reveals, reminiscent of 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, may even shut in July after an 18-year run.
The closure of The Mirage will permit for main renovations and the development of a brand new Laborious Rock Lodge & On line casino, set to reopen in 2027. The brand new property will characteristic a resort tower within the form of a guitar, hovering practically 700 toes above the center of the Strip. Jim Allen, chairman of Laborious Rock Worldwide, expressed gratitude to the Las Vegas neighborhood and Mirage group members for his or her assist through the years.
Because the Las Vegas Evaluation-Journal stories, Laborious Rock Worldwide, 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 beneath the Mirage model whereas plans for its transformation have been finalized. The Mirage’s closure additionally comes with vital workforce adjustments, as greater than 3,000 staff will likely 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 normal 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 international vacation spot for leisure and luxurious. Wynn’s subsequent initiatives, together with the Bellagio, additional cemented his legacy as a transformative determine within the gaming and hospitality industries.
The Mirage’s closure is not only the tip of a resort, however the finish of a chapter in Las Vegas historical past. Its contributions to town’s growth and its position in shaping the fashionable Strip will likely be remembered because it makes method for a brand new period with the Laborious Rock Lodge & On line casino.
The Mirage’s final day of operations will likely be July 17, 2024, and it ceased taking bookings after July 14. Friends with reservations past that date will obtain refunds.
