Thirty four years ago, in a vastly different Las Vegas Strip than today’s, the Mirage Hotel and Casino opened its doors to unveil the work of architect Roger Thomas and the shared vision of Steve and Elaine Wynn. The Wynns desired an innovative attraction that could stand out in a city that was becoming one of the world’s top tourist destinations.
To achieve this goal, Thomas went to work incorporating a tropical paradise theme that included the widely recognized volcano display, along with an atrium of lush greenery in the Mojave Desert. The Mirage slowly became one of the Strip’s most popular casino resorts; and many of the employees who helped to achieve what the Wynns first set out to accomplish were in attendance when the property officially ended operations on July 17 2024.
Hard Rock International acquired the Mirage from MGM Resorts for $1.075bn in 2022, announcing plans to update the hotel and casino back in November of 2023. The rebranded property has an early estimated opening set for 2027, following a complete overhaul of the site with a new 700-ft guitar-shaped hotel set to be featured in the center of the Las Vegas Strip.
“This is the first time I’m at an ‘adjustment’ of one of my own properties. I didn’t really realize until I walked into the building today and looked around,” Elaine Wynn said in her ceremony speech.
“We refresh, we reinvest and we make Las Vegas one of the greatest cities in the world for that. We don’t let our buildings get old, we just let the bosses get old.”
The Mirage officially closed its doors having celebrated its history with the woman behind its creation and 137 day-one employees who worked to build a legacy that will not be forgotten by Las Vegas. The casino resort’s President Joe Lupo and Hard Rock International Chairman and Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen were also in attendance.
Meanwhile, after its own 65-year journey, The Tropicana Hotel also saw its storied run in the entertainment capital come to an end, with the implosion of the property taking place on October 9. On September 27 2022, Bally’s Corporation completed its purchase agreement of the Tropicana from Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc. and Penn Entertainment for $148m. The Tropicana site will become the future home of the new Oakland Athletics’ baseball stadium, which is set to host between 30,000 and 35,000 fans every game day.
Bally’s issued a statement reflecting on the history of the hotel and its impact on the city, having said, “From its Rat Pack-era heyday and the glamorous Folies Bergère to now the future home of the Athletics and a cutting-edge entertainment complex by Bally’s Corporation, the Tropicana’s history reflects the spirit of reinvention and excitement that defines Las Vegas.”
While the Mirage and Tropicana sites will play home to new additions on the Las Vegas Strip, the Durango Casino and Resort lies nearly 20 minutes away from where the two properties currently reside. The latest Station Casinos’ project, Durango opened its doors on December 6 2023 to a large crowd of awaiting guests looking to get a feel for what GM David Horn calls “affordable luxury.”
After nearly a year of being in operation, Horn spoke to Gaming America about how Durango is constantly evolving and learning from previous Station Casino debuts in areas such as Red Rock and Boulder City. Seeing the excited faces of visitors and special guests, including Red Rock Resorts President Scott Kreeger, Horn seemed to understand the opportunity that was placed in front of himself and his staff. “That positioning to try and elevate what a locals casino is moves us into a unique sector, where we’re trying to not just appeal to the residents in our area, but to try and add some of those Strip-like amenities as well,” Horn said.
“Opening day, all of our ATMs were emptied by 3pm which, to see a response like that right away, was very eye-opening to myself but provided the confidence that we were going to be very successful. Our process puts us in a really excellent position to be in an area with magnificent growth that’s still going on either in commercial or residential. And I think that’s what works as the pin for us, to not only provide a really good product over here but have success for the coming years also.”
Durango boasts roughly 2,300 slots and 63 table games in a rectangular casino floor set off by floor-to-ceiling windows that let in an unusual amount of natural light for a Las Vegas casino. At its “Eat Your Heart Out” food hall, visitors can sample a variety of cuisines in a communal dining experience including an Irv’s Burgers, a Prince Street Pizza, an 'Ai Pono Café and more. It is features such as these, Horn believes, that have helped push Durango to the forefront of local casinos in the Las Vegas area, as well as a sportsbook that looks to create more of a “date night” atmosphere than what is typically seen on the Strip.
Horn also spoke on the hiring process that led to what he believes is best-in-class hospitality, “How we went about marketing, recruiting and hiring was really unique. There was a lot of commentary on what we did there, and we had to change quite a few rulebooks we had internally, to get the people ~that have helped us to become a slam dunk success.
“The look of the lights, the tile floor, what kind of art we have on the walls, they could all subside in time. But the guest service has to be a mainstay, and that hiring process has helped to really set us apart over our first year in the industry.”
Having helped to open the Boulder Station Hotel and Casino, Horn was able to take lessons from the earlier properties and incorporate them into his new destination. Working with Kreeger for a number of years has also helped the Durango GM analyze how his casino resort can continually adapt. “You’re not moving forward in this industry if you’re not learning from what you’ve done in the past, be it mistakes or good decisions. Those earlier processes help to build a more stable and successful property such as Durango,” Horn tells us. “That was the purpose and the intent when building Durango, to make sure we did learn as much as we could from the properties we’ve opened in the past, and take what did and didn't work to include the best of each one.”
When asked if there is any friendly competition between the Station Casinos’ properties, Horn was sure to joke that there is plenty of “smack talking” between himself and the executives who run their respective locations. However, he also spoke on how every market is different, even in Las Vegas, which Horn described as a “big city that is actually quite small in the grand scheme of things.”
“You can see how a Boulder may not react to the changes in gaming or food and hospitality if it doesn’t affect their area. The same as how Red Rock and Sunset don’t react in a similar way to how Palace would,” Horn said.
“There are things each will do internally, either from a marketing standpoint or offer standpoint, which would be similar to one another so they can continue adapting. But there are the little changes we have to keep making that help differentiate us from the other properties, while also being mindful of what the other resort casinos in our family are doing.”
Horn believes the future for Durango is continued expansion to the property’s site, especially with an ownership that “wants to win.” He detailed how a second hotel tower, new parking garage and extended spa areas are all on the docket for 2025 and that, once construction begins, residents of Las Vegas should be prepared for things to move quickly.
