Goodbye volcano? Hello Hard Rock guitar?
For all of the glory and groundbreaking innovations Hard Rock Hotel and Casino brought to Las Vegas, it was always missing one key feature: a Strip address.
Now, less than two years after the property was closed and converted into Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Hard Rock International is bringing the resort back. After purchasing The Mirage Hotel and Casino from MGM Resorts International, the company will give its forthcoming Hard Rock Las Vegas a new address at 3400 South Las Vegas Boulevard.
Goodbye volcano? Hello Hard Rock guitar? The second part we know to be true, as Hard Rock International plans to build a Strip-side “guitar-shaped hotel” somewhere on the site.
As for the fate of the volcano? That’s up in the air. But surely the new owners are aware of its icon status, just as they’re aware of certain classic Hard Rock Hotel and Casino features that should be brought back with this new version of the hotel.
Here are five that come to mind immediately.
5 Must-have Things at the New Hard rock
1. Center Bar
This one’s almost a sure thing, as the Center Bar concept is a fixture of the Hard Rock brand. In its heyday, Center Bar served as the ultimate meet-up spot for wild nights at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Maybe you know somebody who knows somebody who spent a night playing video poker next to a celebrity at Center Bar? When the new Hard Rock arrives, you can bet the next iteration of Center Bar will remain a prime spot for people watching.
2. The Joint
Another sure thing. Why would they name their concert venue anything else? For a quarter-century, The Joint played host to legendary and emerging artists – too many to list here. A new concert venue should retain The Joint name while offering guests the latest in audio-visual technology. Perhaps this is an opportunity for the new owners to take advantage of that augmented reality we’ve been hearing so much about?
3. Pink Taco
There are just too many good memories of Pink Taco at the old Hard Rock. As we’re certain there will be a healthy investment in food and beverage at the new resort, we just want to put Pink Taco out there again, just as a suggestion. Even if they want to update it for a new generation while keeping some of the original charm, kinda like Cobra Kai, we’d be good with that.
4. Rehab
Just as The Mirage changed the very idea of what a Las Vegas hotel could be, the Hard Rock’s Rehab was the originator of the city’s pool party scene. The Mirage already has an adult-friendly pool lounge in Bare, but it needs something bigger to attract the throngs of thong and board shorts-wearing partygoers that flock to Las Vegas in the summer months. Reintroducing a Rehab-like destination would go a long way toward winning over a thirsty demographic.
5. Tommy Lee Jones’ Leather Jacket
Another fixture of the Hard Rock experience is the music memorabilia, and the old resort was famous for its glass-encased instruments, rare photographs, and wardrobe exhibits. Among the latter was the aforementioned leather jacket actor Tommy Lee Jones wore in 1992’s Under Siege. Why that is considered a historical music artifact is a mystery to this day, but the jacket must come back, along with the rest of the memorabilia.
Honorable mention
Baby’s. Bring back Baby’s. Or call it Body English, whichever.
