- Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has announced a March 25, 2021 opening date.
- The hotel has delayed opening twice due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Virgin Hotels Las Vegas casino will be run by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment with Betfred USA operating the sportsbook.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has announced that they will open for business on March 25, 2021. The property was originally slated to open in Fall of 2020 but that was pushed back twice due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Las Vegas’ tourism market. In September, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas (VHLV) announced a January 15, 2021 opening date. That date was pushed back once again in December with the new date given as ‘TBA’.
The VHLV property is on the site of the former Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and they’re very much in mind that they’ve got some big shoes to fill. The Hard Rock was a very influential and transformational addition to the Las Vegas market and at the announcement of the acquisition by Virgin Hotels the iconic Sir Richard Branson spoke of the goal of ‘putting some magic back into the property’.
On paper, it looks like they definitely have a shot. It won’t be possible to assess whether or not Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is ‘bringing the magic back’ until it opens. That being said, they’ve made some intriguing moves that will at the very least bring some much needed innovation to the ossified Nevada casino industry. Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment will operate the casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. This will be Mohegan’s first entry into Nevada and their selection is an even bigger deal as they become the first tribal casino presence in Las Vegas history. Betfred USA Sports will run the sportsbook–they’re already in Iowa, Pennsylvania and Colorado and any new blood in Nevada’s stagnant sports betting ecosystem is a welcome development. The restaurant lineup also looks solid with some familiar names (Todd English’s Olives and Nobu) and plenty of newcomers including The Kitchens at Commons Club described as a “contemporary American eatery laced with British Brasserie sensibility”. Even more promising–it’ll be open 24/7.
Richard “Boz” Bosworth, president and CEO of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas parent company JC Hospitality, made the announcement:
“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. 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.”
Here’s the blurb about the property from the opening date press release:
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is a reimagined and re-conceptualized casino resort. The property will be a part of the Curio Collection by Hilton™. The integrated resort will intermix a passion for food and beverage with music and culture and features three hotel towers totaling over 1,500 Chambers and suites; the 60,000 sq. ft. Mohegan Sun Casino, operated by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment; a five-acre desert pool oasis
including a multi-functional event lawn; live music and entertainment theater with 4,500 capacity; 24 Oxford showroom accommodating 650 guests; an exclusive portfolio of twelve food and beverage venues including Todd English’s Olives, Kris Yenbamroong’s Night + Market, the legendary Nobu, Michael and David Morton’s One Steakhouse, Kassi Beach Club from restauranteur Nick Mathers, Casa Calavera by global hospitality company Hakkasan Group, the sportsentertainment, daylife and nightlife venue Money, Baby! from Justin Massei and Mikis Troyan of Clive Collective, famous Afters Ice Cream, Pizza Forte by the Ferraro Family and signature Virgin Hotels restaurants and bars including The Kitchen at Commons Club, The Bar at Commons Club, The Shag Room and Funny Library Coffee Shop. The property is owned by JC Hospitality, LLC, in partnership with Juniper Capital Partners, Virgin Group, LiUNA, Fengate Asset Management, Dream and Orlando Development. The off-Strip playground, located at 4455 Paradise Road, is currently closed for renovations and scheduled to open on March 25, 2021.
According to Las Vegas Review-Journal business reporter Bailey Schulz, the VHLV is taking reservations with bookings available starting April 7. Room rates start at a very reasonable $155 per night.
