Hard Rock Las Vegas Construction Rises Quickly from Ashes of the Mirage

^{When you build a giant guitar sandwiched between Caesars Palace and Treasure Island, subtlety is clearly not the goal. (Photo: Explore Vegas on Facebook)} 

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas skyline is literally changing in front of our eyes with the addition of the giant guitar-shaped Hard Rock Hotel on the Strip. Living in Las Vegas, construction has a strange way of bending time. It often feels like you blink on your morning commute, and suddenly a steel skeleton has become a finished building. 

I remember driving down Durango when it felt like I blinked, and the Durango Casino was suddenly done. These projects go up much faster than expected, and the Hard Rock seems to be moving with that same level of speed. It’s a sight to be seen for both locals on their commute and visitors walking nearby. 

While the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino isn't scheduled to open until the fourth quarter of 2027, the project is making massive visible progress. The last time we checked in on the progress, the structure was just beginning to rise from the foundation. Now, it is impossible to miss. 

A Loud Landmark on the North Strip 

Construction crews are working to reshape the space where the classic Mirage once stood, replaced with a massive, guitar-shaped hotel tower. Construction has already reached 28 stories, with 14 more to go. Once completed, it will stand 660 feet tall totaling roughly 42 stories in total.  

The lower 100 feet will house the first five floors of the hotel, while the upper tower will hold approximately 600 more rooms and suites. 

A rendering of Hard Rock Casino and Hotel final design. They may have scrapped the atrium, but we can only hope that the sparkles in the photo end up in the final design, right? (Photo: courtesy of Hard Rock International)

It isn't just the new tower that is changing on the site: the existing Mirage towers are getting a complete overhaul too. The classic gold-tinted windows that helped it stand out on the north Strip are being replaced with sleek blue glass for a more modern look under Hard Rock’s ownership. This is Hard Rock’s second guitar hotel. The design will be new for the Las Vegas Strip, but the first one is in Hollywood, Florida. 

While early renderings of the place had suggested it would include an atrium, that idea never became part of the final design. 

The Mirage officially closed its doors on July 17, 2024, following its purchase by Hard Rock International for $1.075 billion in December 2022. When it reopens, it will make history the first Strip resort owned by a Native American tribe, operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

When completed, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino will sit right between Caesars Palace and Treasure Island, offering: 

• 3,600 total rooms and suites 
• 175,000 square feet of casino space 
• New retail shops 
• Multiple pools, and two spas 
• A variety of dining options and music venues. 

For now, construction crews continue to bring the skeleton of a guitar shape to life. But even while the Hard Rock Casino is being built, it is making great strides as a new centerpiece of the north end of the Strip.