Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, a remodel of former Hard Rock Las Vegas, said Thursday it would open on March 25.
The off-Strip property originally was scheduled to open in the fall, but the date was pushed to 2021 due to COVID-19. The pandemic drastically reduced visitation in Las Vegas and the property’s operators, including Mohegan Gaming, which will operate the 60,000 square foot casino space, continued to push back the opening.
The announcement came landed within minutes after Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak unveiled a gradual loosening of the 25% capacity restrictions state casino operators had been working under since November. By March 25, capacity at casinos in Nevada will have been lifted to 50%.
“It has been a journey, but to finally reach this milestone and confidently announce our opening date would not be possible without our incredible partners and construction team,” said Richard Bosworth, CEO of JC Hospitality, which owns Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
The 1,500-resort will be part of Hilton Hotel’s Curio Collection. The property will also have 12 restaurants, a 4,500-seat theater, 130,000 square feet of convention and meeting space, and a 5-acre pool and outdoor space that includes The Event Lawn, a 13,000 square foot outdoor entertainment space for concerts, private parties, and events.
Mohegan Gaming – the casino arm of Connecticut’s Mohegan Indian Tribe – was licensed last year to operate the casino, becoming the first tribal gaming company to manage a resort in the nation’s largest commercial gambling market.
The casino will be known as Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Longtime gaming executive Joe Hasson will be the general manager of the casino.
Betfred USA Sports, the American subsidiary of United Kingdom-based Betfred Group, will manage sports betting at the property.
Investors in the project include British billionaire Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group. JC Hospitality the Hard Rock Hotel in 2018 for a reported $500 million and announced plans to turn it into a Virgin-branded resort. Bosworth has been quoted as placing a more than $200 million price tag on the renovation.
The Hard Rock was closed in February for the renovation.
“Today we are not only celebrating the fact that we finally get to welcome back guests to the most exciting resort to open in Las Vegas in years, but we also get to bring our team members back to work,” Bosworth said.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
