After the official opening was postponed several times due to the coronavirus pandemic, Virgin Hotel Las Vegas’ owner announced that the launch date is now set for March 25.
The announcement was made by President and CEO of JC Hospitality Richard “Boz” Bosworth on Thursday.
Bosworth’s company purchased Hard Rock Las Vegas in the spring of 2018. The former Hard Rock facility was renovated to be transformed into the new Virgin Hotel Las Vegas.
The transformational process had to take eight months throughout 2020. In August, Bosworth announced that the facility was supposed to open in October or November but that it was very likely the opening date would be pushed back. The reason, as Bosworth explained, was the coronavirus pandemic, which affected the industry and caused inclement market conditions and construction delays.
The new opening date was set for January 2021. In a November internal memo to staff, Bosworth said that no matter how painful another delay might be, it probably was the right thing to do.
The delay was caused by projections made by the CDC and John Hopkins University that the next Covid-19 spike was due to occur in early January, right before the launch date.
Bosworth stated that although those projections were never 100% accurate, another spike might be disruptive for the opening.
Regarding the many delays in the schedule, Bosworth said: “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”.
He added: “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.”
Project Specifics
Virgin Hotel Las Vegas will be located off the Strip, on Paradise Road. The 60,000-square-foot renovated casino portion of the property will be run by Connecticut gaming and hospitality operator Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment. Mohegan stated last year that the gaming venue will be called Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and will offer slot machines, table games and a Betfred-operated sportsbook among others.
Meanwhile the hotel part will feature 1,500 rooms and suites in three towers – Opal, Canyon and all-suite Ruby Tower. The rooms and suites were designed by Studio Collective, a Los Angeles-based firm.
Virgin Hotel Las Vegas’ hotel operations will be part of Curio Collection by Hilton. It will also feature 12 food and beverage outlets.
Bosworth also promised that the facility will follow all health recommendations so that players can enjoy a safer experience.
Source: “Virgin Hotels Las Vegas to officially open in March”, KTNV Las Vegas, February 11, 2021