In its heyday, off-Strip Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (1995-2020) was the place to party like a rock star. The Rolling Stones played here twice. The five-acre tropical pool was the hottest day club scene in town, including world-famous bacchanal Rehab.
Reopened this March as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, the attractively reimagined retreat at the corner of Paradise Road and Harmon Avenue is aiming to restart the fun by way of a multi-party construct.
The Virgin-branded resort is owned by JC Hospitality, itself formed from a set of partnerships. Curio Collection by Hilton operates the hotel. Connecticut-based Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment becomes the first tribal gaming operator in Vegas by running the property’s Mohegan Sun Casino, with access to Mohegan’s Momentum loyalty rewards program.
Other team-ups include entertainment leader AEG and British bookmaker Betfred. Local hospitality veterans Jason “JROC” Craig and Michael Fuller are behind the new five-acre Élia Beach Club, scheduled to open this June.
Here, Richard ‘Boz’ Bosworth, president and CEO of JC Hospitality, and Danny Hughes, Hilton’s executive vice president and president of the Americas, share their respective rationales and expectations for the multi-player model.
[Related: New and Improved Meeting Offerings Set Las Vegas Up for Post-Pandemic Success]
Meetings Today: What attracted you to the project?
Richard ‘Boz’ Bosworth: You can acquire and transform an existing asset for significantly less than building a group-up resort. With the appropriate amount of convention and event space and room to expand, the property checked all the boxes for us.
Danny Hughes: We are always looking for the right partner to help us offer our guests the right hotels in the right places at the right time. Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Curio Collection by Hilton hits all these points. The hotel offers a distinctly authentic, one-of-a-kind Vegas experience at a time when travel continues its recovery. Las Vegas and Hilton have both played an important part in each other’s history, and we could not be happier to solidify our expansion efforts in the city in such a big way. We are all in on our commitment to the destination.
What synergistic strengths does your collaborative model create?
Bosworth: Looking at how to compete with long-established operators like MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, Wynn and Sands, we based our business plan on recognized operators. If you look at the evolution of a casino-integrated resort in Vegas, it takes time to build up the database. Our job as owner and overall property manager is to ensure that these all-stars bring their best to the property, including their database and marketing reach, and that we work as one team with one goal and one voice.
Hughes: We truly value our partnerships where all parties share similar goals. The Curio Collection by Hilton brand coupled with Virgin Hotels and Mohegan Sun Casino brings together the strength of three brands with hospitality leaders devoted to providing extraordinary, creative experiences that highlight people, culture and innovations. The power of these brands and the strength of Hilton’s commercial engine will introduce new guests, our 112 million Hilton Honors members, and groups to a fabulous new hotel in a most desirable convention location.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas Property Highlights
- 1,500-plus lifestyle-focused “chambers” (rooms) and suites in three towers.
- More than 130,000 square feet of flexible, modern indoor and outdoor space for groups of 10 to 10,000.
- Unique venues include the outdoor Event Lawn and 4,500-capacity Theater.
- Twelve food and beverage outlets, including Nobu; Todd English’s Olives; One Steakhouse from brothers David and Michael Morton of the famed restaurant family; and Thai-driven Night + Market from star L.A. chef Kris Yenbamroong.
- Inviting social spaces include the den-like Shag Room.
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