LAS VEGAS — The iconic Mirage volcano erupted for the final time on Wednesday, marking the end of an era for a Las Vegas resort that redefined the casino landscape and reshaped Vegas into a premier tourist destination since its opening in 1989.
“What would The Mirage be without one last volcano eruption?” Joe Lupo, the current property president of The Mirage, remarked during the closing ceremony. Hundreds gathered to witness the event, including 137 employees who had been with the 3,044-room resort since its inception.
Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming, the new owners of the property, announced that work would commence “literally tomorrow” to dismantle the volcano, a fixture that had rumbled and erupted nightly for almost 35 years.
Plans are underway to construct a striking 600-room hotel shaped like a guitar. Renderings depict a towering purplish structure reaching 660 feet (201 meters), adorned with beams resembling guitar strings that will illuminate the night sky. Allen promised further details regarding the ambitious project in the coming months.
Lupo, who will remain property president under the new ownership, confirmed that the Hard Rock Las Vegas, featuring the guitar hotel, is slated to open in 2027.
Elaine Wynn, philanthropist and former spouse of casino magnate Steve Wynn, the visionary behind The Mirage, reminisced about the resort’s early days. She recalled that Siegfried & Roy’s performing tigers were the first “guests” to enter in November 1989. The initial visitors were captivated by the lush tropical foliage and the domed glass ceiling of the entry atrium, complete with a subtle piña colada fragrance.
The Mirage’s final week saw enthusiastic crowds vying for a share of $1.6 million in slot machine progressive jackpots, mandated by state regulations to be disbursed before closure. Daily prize pots reached up to $250,000, attracting slot players eager to try their luck. Official figures regarding the jackpot disbursement were unavailable, according to Nevada Gaming Control Board spokesman Michael Lawton.
Built at a cost of $630 million, The Mirage transcended the typical gambling establishment. Upon its opening, it was the world’s largest hotel, greeting guests with bronze mermaid statues leading to a check-in desk backed by a large shark and fish tank.
The resort boasted upscale boutiques, restaurants helmed by celebrity chefs, and grand showrooms that hosted legendary performers such as Johnny Mathis, Kenny Rogers, and Dolly Parton. Illusionists Siegfried & Roy entertained audiences with their tiger magic for 14 years, until 2003. Subsequently, the venue became home to Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles-themed show “Love,” which concluded its impressive 18-year run earlier this month.
Steve Wynn, in a statement titled “An Homage to Lady Mirage,” released through his Las Vegas attorney, Donald Campbell, shared his recollections of the resort. He highlighted the departure from neon signs, opting instead for “a garden of dozens of rich Canary Island palm trees and a cool refreshing waterfall.” Wynn, who did not attend the closing ceremonies, emphasized The Mirage’s innovative approach.
Wynn pointed out that The Mirage was the first new hotel in Las Vegas in several years, launching amidst competition from Atlantic City casinos and the growing tribal gaming sector in California. He credited The Mirage with sparking a decade-long construction boom in Las Vegas, propelling the city to become one of the fastest-growing in the United States.
“To call The Mirage a catalyst would be an understatement,” Wynn stated.
By the year 2000, over 30,000 new hotel rooms were added to the Las Vegas Strip, with the emergence of resorts like Excalibur, Luxor, Treasure Island, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Monte Carlo, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Venetian, and Paris Las Vegas. Many of these projects were financed through Wall Street bonds. Wynn himself acquired and demolished the Desert Inn, a 50-year-old establishment, to construct his eponymous Wynn Resort, which opened in 2005.
Wynn, now 82 and residing in Florida, paid a $10 million fine to Nevada gambling regulators last year and severed ties with the industry he profoundly influenced. This action concluded a protracted legal battle stemming from 2018 media reports alleging sexual harassment and assault against women at his hotels, allegations he has consistently denied.
Bo Bernhard, director of the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, studies the global expansion of the “fun economy.” He asserts that The Mirage established a benchmark for resort development in locations worldwide, including Singapore and Sydney.
“The Mirage changed the image Las Vegas projected to the rest of the world,” Bernhard explained. It signified “much more than just gambling” and “transformed everything,” setting the stage for the Guitar Hotel Las Vegas and other future innovations.
The Seminole Tribe acquired the Hard Rock brand in 2007 in a deal with MGM Resorts International valued at nearly $1.1 billion. This acquisition made them the first Native American operator on the competitive Las Vegas Boulevard. The tribe also operates seven casinos in Florida and owns the Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos enterprise, with locations spanning 76 countries. In 2016, they secured naming rights to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, further solidifying their brand presence.
An off-Strip Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, under separate ownership, was acquired in 2018 by a group including billionaire Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, for approximately $500 million. Following renovations, it reopened in 2021 as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
“Las Vegas always reinvents itself,” observed Michael Green, a UNLV history professor whose father was a blackjack dealer at casinos like the Stardust and Showboat. “The Mirage is no longer state-of-the-art.” This continuous evolution is exemplified by the upcoming guitar hotel las vegas, poised to capture the attention of a new generation of visitors. The transformation of The Mirage into the Hard Rock guitar hotel represents not just a change of ownership, but a bold step forward in Las Vegas’s ongoing quest to redefine entertainment and hospitality.
