WFCN –
The 34-year run of a world-renowned Las Vegas, Nevada hotel and casino has come to an end, and its loyal following is still not happy with what has taken its place.
Constructed over the foundations of the demolished Mirage Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is drawing the ire of locals in Las Vegas.
All operations at the world-famous Mirage Hotel and Casino will conclude on Wednesday.
With the demolition of the three thousand room hotel, one of Hard Rock’s trademark guitar-shaped structures will rise in its stead.
It was a bittersweet occasion for the townspeople as the iconic volcano of the Mirage erupted for the final time on Tuesday night.
On a video of the final eruption, Edgar Tuttle said, “It’s sad to see Vegas destroying everything that made Vegas, Vegas.”
“It’s heartbreaking to witness a piece of Las Vegas disappear,” another viewer concurred.
Hard Rock was the company that was being taken over, which disturbed some people.
“That was a terrible decision…Wouldn’t anyone rather not see a gigantic guitar atop a volcano? Yet another Facebook user questioned the owner’s sanity.
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For the second time, the Hard Rock has tried to establish itself as a mainstay on the strip.
The company’s former hotel and casino in the city was renamed Virgin Hotels by Las Vegas after it closed in 2020.
“Why demolish the stunning Mirage and then build a second Hard Rock hotel?” a resident said.
Staff members from the hotel’s past and present gathered on Monday to honor the establishment’s rich history.
The volcano served as a backdrop for dozens of cocktail waiters from the Mirage as they bid farewell to the hotel and took one more photo.
My heart is crushed, and I’m sure you’re aware of it. The story is Las Vegas history,” Tonia Rocheleau, a cocktail waitress at the Mirage since 1998, told the local ABC affiliate KTNV.
No, they’re more than that; they’re family.
“We know each other’s families, spouses, children, and the whole story of our lives.”
After a nearly $1.1 billion cash transaction in December 2022, Hard Rock International acquired the Mirage from MGM Resorts.
The chairman of Hard Rock International, Jim Allen, made a statement expressing gratitude to the Las Vegas city and team members for their warm reception of Hard Rock following 34 years at The Mirage.
The Mirage announced on Facebook that Hard Rock Las Vegas will “ignite the Strip with entertainment, innovation, and world-class hospitality,” thereby launching an exciting new chapter for the Strip.
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