Hard Rock Las Vegas’ Guitar Hotel Construction Strums Past Midpoint

Posted on: January 6, 2026, 02:04h. 

Last updated on: January 6, 2026, 02:15h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Restaurants, Vegas Myths Busted.
  • Construction of the new Hard Rock Guitar Hotel on the Vegas Strip is progressing on pace
  • The new structure, which replaces the Mirage, is expected to open in late 2027

Hard Rock International’s Guitar Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip has surpassed its halfway mark, continuing on schedule for its planned Q4 2027 opening.

A view of the Guitar Hotel under construction on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Image: Corey Levitan/Casino.org)

With the framework for 28 stories already laid, and 14 to go before the neck starts climbing to 660 feet, construction has reached the waist of the giant electric six-string’s body and is already blocking views.

The 42-story Guitar Hotel will dominate the Las Vegas Strip when it debuts in 2027. (Ignore the atrium in the rendering, which Hard Rock International decided to scrap after this image was rendered. (Image: Hard Rock International via Nevada Gaming Control Board)

The first to be sacrificed are those facing southward from the lower floors of Treasure Island and northward from Caesars Palace. In addition, in several locations travelling southbound on the Strip, the half-guitar blocks views of the Trump International Hotel.

Then again, many consider a front-row view of the Guitar Hotel an attraction of its own.

Like a Phoenix from the Volcanic Ash

The Vegas skyline’s newest addition is the highlight of Hard Rock International’s full reimagining of the former Mirage, the operating rights for which it purchased from MGM Resorts for $1.075 billion in cash in December 2022.

The artificial volcano in front of the Mirage, which Steve Wynn opened in 1999, erupts on July 16, 2024, a day before the casino resort closed for good. (Image: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The Guitar Hotel rises directly from the ashes of the former property’s beloved volcano, which was demolished beginning a month after the Mirage closed its doors on July 17, 2024.

Already visible from both ends of the Strip, the Guitar Hotel is being skinned in two tones of blue glass, with nearly a dozen floors already sporting the panels. Its first five floors will occupy the lower 100 feet of the structure, while the remaining 560 feet will hold 675 guest rooms and suites.

The Mirage’s former three-winged tower has already been gutted and is in the process of being reclad. Instead of the gold favored by Mirage founder Steve Wynn, it will shimmer in blue glass matching the Guitar Hotel.

When finished, the resort will offer close to 3,600 rooms, roughly 175K square feet of gaming space, two spas, multiple pool complexes, live entertainment venues, and a wide lineup of restaurants, bars, and retail.

Hard Rock International is owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.