Virgin Hotels Las Vegas

The resort originally opened in March 1995, as the Hard Rock Hotel.[2] In January 2018, majority owner Brookfield Asset Management was in discussions to sell the Hard Rock to a group of buyers, including Virgin Hotels, Bosworth Hospitality, and investment firm Juniper Capital Partners.[3] The three companies had partnered together a year earlier to begin looking for an existing casino resort property in Las Vegas.[4] The Hard Rock Hotel sale was finalized on March 30, 2018.[5] On the same day, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson hosted a party-like news conference at the Hard Rock pool,[5][6] announcing that the resort would be renovated and rebranded as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas by the end of 2019.[7][8] The resort would retain the Hard Rock name until the completion of renovations, which would be done in phases, allowing the property to remain partially open.[6][7]

For more than 20 years, Branson had wanted to get into the Las Vegas casino industry.[2][6] At the time of the purchase, the company operated one hotel, the Virgin Hotels Chicago, and there were plans to add approximately 10 more hotels. With around 1,500 hotel rooms, the Hard Rock was the largest property of Virgin's hotels, but it was also small compared to resorts on the nearby Las Vegas Strip. The resort fit Virgin Hotels' desire for a smaller, boutique hotel in the Las Vegas market.[6] The newly renovated resort would compete against newer hotels such as Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Delano, and NoMad.[9]

Richard Bosworth was named as the new chief executive officer of the resort.[6] Bosworth and Juniper Capital were longtime business partners.[4] The two had previously wanted to purchase the unfinished Fontainebleau resort in Las Vegas, and they approached Brookfield as a possible equity partner in early 2017. Plans to buy the Fontainebleau did not work out, and Bosworth and Juniper Capital ultimately began discussions with Brookfield about buying the Hard Rock instead.[10] The resort was purchased for $500 million, in part with a $200 million loan from JPMorgan Chase. Ownership was split between seven investment companies, four of them being Canadian.[11][12] The majority owner was Laborers' International Union of North America's Central and Eastern Canada Pension Fund, which contributed more than $100 million to the purchase of the Hard Rock.[11] By January 2019, JC Hospitality had become the majority owner of the resort.[13] It is a joint venture of Bosworth Hospitality, Juniper Capital, and Virgin.[14] It is led by president and CEO Bosworth, and by Virgin Hotels, the latter of which would manage the resort following renovations.[13]

Base Entertainment had been building a stage facility on the property to host The Voice: Neon Dreams, a live concert show. Base Entertainment pulled out of the project following the Virgin purchase, leaving the facility only partially built.[13]

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has a modern design with a desert oasis theme.[15][16][17] The design phase was underway in June 2018.[10] Renovation work was originally scheduled to begin and end in 2019, but the amount of work was increased as additional improvements were deemed necessary. During the first year of ownership, Bosworth and the other owners observed how the Hard Rock operated, which helped them in their renovation plans. The design changes increased the cost of renovations from $150 million to $200 million. In April 2019, it was announced that the renovation project would now begin in February 2020,[18][19] with a grand opening celebration at the end of the year.[20] Design work was nearly finished at the time of the announcement. The design team included Klai Juba Wald Architecture + Interiors, Rockwell Group, and Studio Collective. McCarthy Building Companies and Taylor International Corporation were selected as the general contractors.[18][21]

It was announced in August 2019 that the Hard Rock would close entirely for about eight months beginning in early February 2020, to allow for the renovations to take place. Although there were initially plans to keep the resort partially open during renovations, Bosworth said, "We determined that a phased closing of four months, followed by a total closure of four months was not efficient from a construction process nor could we provide a hospitality service experience our guests deserve."[22][23] A former Hard Rock Cafe building, located on-site, was demolished in November 2019, to make room for valet parking and ride-sharing vehicles.[1][24] The Hard Rock Hotel closed on February 3, 2020, allowing for renovations to begin.[15][25]

In 2019, a grand opening celebration was planned for mid-November 2020, shortly after the U.S. presidential election. The opening date was chosen to increase publicity for the resort, as Bosworth felt that the opening would be overshadowed if it were to occur during the presidential campaign season.[20] The resort was later scheduled to open on November 6, 2020.[26] Construction remained on track despite the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the state.[25][27] However, Bosworth announced in August 2020 that the opening could be delayed because of the pandemic, which had resulted in poor economic conditions. The pandemic had also imposed restrictive health precautions such as limited customer visitation.[27]

In September 2020, Bosworth announced a new opening date of January 15, 2021, as the owners wanted to ensure that pandemic conditions and restrictions continued to improve.[28][29] Six weeks before the resort's scheduled opening, JC Hospitality delayed it again, due to the pandemic.[30] In Nevada, casino occupancy levels had been reduced to 25 percent due to a rise in COVID-19 cases. Bosworth said that under these conditions, the resort would not have been profitable had it proceeded with the January opening.[31]

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas eventually opened on the night of March 25, 2021,[32][33] with a 40-minute opening ceremony that included bagpipe players and a drumline.[34] Attendees to the opening included Mario Lopez, Jon Gruden and Dana White.[35] Branson did not attend the opening due to concerns about the pandemic.[35] By the time of its opening, casino occupancy levels had been increased to 50 percent. Because of the pandemic restrictions, the resort had a low-key opening.[17][36] An official grand opening celebration was expected to take place at a later date.[37] Certain amenities, including some restaurants and a small sportsbook, were not ready with the initial opening.[36][37][38]

After COVID-19 restrictions were eased, the resort held a grand opening weekend celebration from June 10-13, 2021,[39][40] marking the completion of nearly all facilities.[41][42] Attendees at the grand opening included Branson, Nevada governor Steve Sisolak, and singer Christina Aguilera, who performed in the property's renovated theater.[40][43][44] The resort's target demographic consists of people ages 25 to 48.[37] To attract guests, the property opened without resort fees and paid parking, both of which had become common in Las Vegas. It also offers free Wi-Fi.[45][46][47]

The resort includes approximately 1,300 former Hard Rock employees, making up the majority of the workforce.[48] Bosworth had sought to retain the Hard Rock's 1,850 employees after its closure, through a program that would give them a paycheck bonus if they returned for the opening of Virgin Hotels.[49][50] The resort also signed a three-year extension to continue hosting the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo,[51] although the 2021 expo was cancelled as an in-person event due to the pandemic.[52]

Virgin Hotels intended to revive the former Hard Rock's reputation as a top destination for entertainment.[15] The Joint, a music venue inside the former Hard Rock, was renovated and will be renamed.[67][68] The venue is tentatively known as The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, until a permanent name is chosen.[69] Because of the pandemic, the theater did not debut with the rest of the resort,[70] and instead opened in September 2021.[71]

Vinyl, another music venue at the Hard Rock, was renamed 24 Oxford, after the first Virgin Records store, which was located at 24 Oxford Street in London. JC Hospitality spent $500,000 to revamp the Vinyl space.[72] The venue opened in May 2021, hosting the "27" residency, which is dedicated to members of the 27 Club.[73][74][75]

The resort's five-acre pool area is surrounded by several restaurants and an event lawn that will host concerts.[76][77] The event lawn space was previously home to a separate pool area, which hosted the Hard Rock's Rehab pool parties. This pool area was buried beneath the new event lawn,[78][79] which has space for 1,800 people.[68] Élia Beach Club is an outdoor, two-story dayclub, separate from the pool area. It features DJs and electronic dance music,[68][80][81] and was opened in June 2021.[82][83]

The resort features 12 restaurants and bars.[34][36] Like other Virgin hotels, the Las Vegas property includes the Commons Club,[84][85] an upscale restaurant and lounge area built at the resort's main entrance.[1][86] The Commons Club measures 8,500 sq ft (790 m²) and includes The Bar and The Shag Room, two ultra-lounges located adjacent to one another. Both will offer live entertainment, and The Shag Room will also be booked for private events.[84][87]

The resort also includes a Thai restaurant named Night + Market,[88][89] and the Funny Library Coffee Shop.[90] Hakkasan Group operates Casa Calavera, a cantina offering food and drinks.[89][91] Kassi Beach House, an Italian poolside restaurant,[92][93] opened in May 2021.[94][95] Olives, a Mediterranean restaurant by chef Todd English, opened three months later.[96][97][98]

A sports bar and restaurant known as "Money, Baby!" opened in June 2021,[99][100] replacing the Hard Rock's Vanity nightclub.[28][101] It served as an alternative to the resort's primary sportsbook, which had yet to open.[37][92] The multi-level Money, Baby! consisted of 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m²).[102] The restaurant portion was overseen by chef Beau MacMillan.[103][104] Money, Baby! eventually closed in 2022.[105]

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas retained the Nobu restaurant, which previously operated inside the resort when it was the Hard Rock.[106] Nobu is operated by chef Nobu Matsuhisa.[89] Two other Hard Rock restaurants, MB Steak and Forte Pizza, were also retained.[20] MB Steak, owned by David and Michael Morton,[89] received a $1.5 million expansion,[107] and was renamed One Steakhouse.[108][109] Nobu was also expanded.[110][111]