Since Hard Rock International paid a bit more than $1 billion for the Mirage, fans of the property have not gotten a lot of good news.
The new owner plans to close the famed Mirage Volcano and has already shut down the Siegfried and Roy Secret Garden and Dolphin habitat.
Essentially, the old Mirage will disappear, though the main resort/casino building will remain after a complete renovation. The signature property at the eventual Hard Rock Las Vegas will be the company's signature Guitar Hotel.
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While the Mirage Volcano has not closed yet, it will be soon as the Guitar Hotel will be built on that property. Once completed, the tower will be more than 600 feet (183 meters) tall, reshaping the Las Vegas skyline.
That's going to take some time, however, and the new owners, who purchased the property from MGM Resorts International, (MGM) have been clear that they're not closing the current property while construction takes place.
"The 3,044-room casino resort will continue to operate as The Mirage Hotel & Casino until the renovation and rebranding of the property to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas is complete," Hard Rock said in a news release.
"The process is anticipated to take an extended period, but ultimately will dramatically reimagine every aspect of the resort."
At the same time, many tourists might opt out of staying there during the construction -- and HRI has a plan for that.
Image source: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Mirage Goes After Las Vegas Locals
Few people want to pay full price to stay in a hotel that could be a construction zone. The uncertain timeline for Mirage's complete overhaul will likely scare many tourists away.
So the new owners want to fill that gap by offering something neither MGM nor Caesars Entertainment (CZR), the dominant players on the Las Vegas Strip, offer: fully free parking for locals.
Caesars offers Nevada residents with a valid ID free parking for three hours, as does MGM, That's perhaps enough time to eat a meal but not a long enough period for most Strip casino/resort visits.
Nevada residents showing ID will get free parking at the Mirage as well as discounts on shows, dining, and certain Happy Hour deals.
One catch: To get these perks, locals must sign up for the Hard Rock Hotel Unity Rewards Program. Once they do that, they will be bumped up to the "Legends" level, which comes with those benefits.
The idea isn't just to drive business to Mirage but also to help launch Hard Rock, Mirage President Joe Lupo told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“I know that the market has grown, and I wouldn’t be doing my part if I wasn’t trying to do everything I could to grow the database for Hard Rock,” Lupo told the paper. "I want people to understand what a great property this is. I think it obviously hasn’t been the priority in the past."
Mirage Is Business as Usual (for Now)
So far, aside from the animal habitat being closed down, nothing at Mirage has changed. In fact, the new owner has said that the brand will remain for the "foreseeable future," noting that all room reservations and group bookings will be honored with no action required by guests or group organizers.
In addition, Hard Rock has made a deal to keep the long-running Cirque Du Soleil show "The Beatles LOVE" for the long term.
The new owner, which has the rights to use the Mirage name for three years as part of its deal with MGM, has not disclosed an exact timetable. Its construction plans have been approved by Clark County.
In addition to free parking, locals will also get 20% off the Beatles show as well as the same deal on Shin Lim’s “Limitless” illusion production at Mirage Theater.
