Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is finally open after the property closed for the past 415 days. The newest casino and hotel in Las Vegas is located at the former home of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino just off the Vegas Strip on Harmon Avenue.
The new property is a reimagination of the casino that used to exist on this land. The beautiful new casino and hotel has a desert oasis theme. The property has natural tones, gems, and plants filling the lobby and the whole property.
There are bursts of color throughout the casino and hotel. Virgin looks and feels completely different than its predecessor. Recent visitors will notice some similarities to the old casino as the renovations include repurposing old spaces.
Virgin isn’t the only brand associated with this property that has more than one operator. This is a business model that has grown in popularity over the years but not often marketed as such. For example, the recent sale of The Venetian will bring different landowners and property operators.
The first thing to note is that the founder of the Virgin brand name, Sir Richard Branson, will have little to with the hotel and casino. A company called JC Hospitality actually owns the entire property.
Virgin will operate the hotel and amenities while Mohegan Sun will operate most of the casino. Each is a distinct brand for hotel guests and casino visitors. While the property bears the Virgin name, the casino has its own branding.
The dual brands should attract different customers. Virgin is an internationally famous brand with a popular hotel chain. Mohegan Sun is a popular casino name for gamblers in the north Atlantic states.
Altogether, the two companies and other associated partners make up Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Virgin Hotel
Every room at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has been renovated from the Hard Rock era. The new colors and furnishings are distinctly different. In fact, the hotel no longer has “rooms.” Virgin uses the word “chambers” instead. Take a look inside one of the hotel towers and rooms.
First look inside a @VirginHotelsLV guest room, via @KerryBilicki pic.twitter.com/Bsowt979np
— Las Vegas Locally 🌴 (@LasVegasLocally) March 25, 2021
The hotel room prices at Virgin stand out from most of Las Vegas by not charging a resort fee. The rooms aren’t less expensive but the price is slightly less confusing. Comparatively speaking room prices at Virgin are less expensive than Aria. However, the chambers are more expensive than some of the mid-range hotels that make up most of the Vegas Strip area.
Like most off-strip hotels in Las Vegas, self-parking is free. Not all parking is complimentary. Valet is available for a comparatively small charge. This service is $6 for up to 3 hours per vehicle with a maximum of $20 per day.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. This company powers the main hotel booking engine for the Las Vegas property. Hilton Honors rewards customers is one of the largest hotel rewards programs in the world.
Frequent Virgin Hotels guests at other cities can use The Know loyalty program but will have to book through the Virgin Hotels website.
Two loyalty programs may seem excessive but there’s a third just for gamblers.
Mohegan Sun Casino
Mohegan Sun is the first Native American tribe to operate a casino in the Vegas Strip area. The company is in charge of the vast majority of the 60,000 square feet of gaming space at Virgin. While Mohegan Sun controls the 650 slot machines and 50+ table games, it’s not operating the sportsbook.
Betfred will eventually operate the sportsbook when it officially opens this summer. The sportsbook is available to watch games today but the desk will be closed for betting later this year. The company will also release a new sports betting app.
While hotel guests can use Hilton Rewards and The Know, gamblers will use Momentum Rewards. The same rewards program that works with the other Mohegan Sun properties is connected to Las Vegas.
This will allow guests from the East Coast to use and earn rewards in Las Vegas and vice versa. Las Vegas has different benefits than Mohegan Sun properties outside of Las Vegas.
