Las Vegas casino openings over the past decade have predominantly been renovation projects, turning old into new, ideally something different.

Downtown, Fitzgeralds became the D in 2012, and the Lady Luck turned into Downtown Grand in 2013. At the heart of the Strip, the Barbary Coast changed its name to Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and then renovated into the Cromwell in 2014, the same year the Quad changed its name to the Linq after a huge makeover from the Imperial Palace a couple years earlier.

Then came the big three remakes. The Sahara transformed into SLS in 2014, and then into a different version of the Sahara in 2019, a wild ride that’s still not over as the north Strip property continues to renovate. The Monte Carlo evolved into Park MGM without fully closing, a complex project that more or less wrapped in 2018. And the Palms completed its full face-lift and refurbishment in 2019 without a brand name change.

All of these projects were attempts to generate fresh Vegas excitement without the old Vegas process of imploding a huge building and spending millions or billions creating a brand-new one. Some were clearly more successful than others, and for the big three, it will take more time to assess whether a new identity has truly been constructed.

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas officially opens its doors March 25 at 6 p.m., launching a new era at a property visitors and locals remember as the Hard Rock Hotel, which debuted on March 10, 1995. The old place arguably had one of the strongest personalities of any Las Vegas resort, but the new ownership group and its partners have already demonstrated a unique approach and an impressive arsenal of resources in the quest for that elusive sense of newness.

They have the powerful Virgin Hotels lifestyle brand, connected to the multinational conglomerate founded by mogul Richard Branson, encompassing hospitality, travel, retail, media and more. The 1,500-room hotel is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, and the 60,000-square-foot casino is operated by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, marking the first tribal gaming operation in Nevada.

Perhaps most importantly, they’re not trying to make anyone forget about the old place. They’re hoping to harness its power and nostalgia and show you a more refined, easy-flowing vision of what a cool Las Vegas resort can be today. And they’ve continued to work toward that goal during a globe-altering pandemic.

“There is so much that went into every aspect of this conversion,” says Richard “Boz” Bosworth, president and CEO of the property’s ownership company, JC Hospitality. “The most important thing to us is getting people back to work and opening as soon as possible in a very safe environment. We are very appreciative we were able to keep going with construction, so we could build this beautiful resort. Everywhere you go here, you’ll see a bit of a story.”

As you move through Virgin’s different spaces, you might sense some gentle pulses of familiarity, echoes of parties past in its storied structure. But there’s no doubt, the majority of this remade resort is as different as any of those other renovation projects, especially evident upon arriving at the casino’s main entrance and the vast backyard pool and event complex. The overall design is bright and warm, and some areas are excitingly unrecognizable.

“It’s very colorful from where it was previously. When it was the Hard Rock, it was a lot darker, a lot more rock ’n’ roll,” says Gary Scott, JC Hospitality’s chief operating officer. “We really wanted to reidentify the property and make sure we gave Virgin Hotels Las Vegas its own history moving forward.

“We’ve redone food and beverage with a fresh new take, added a lot of stellar restaurants and operators from around the country,” Scott continues. “We’ve got a considerable investment going into the backyard, so the pools are being completely reimagined. We have the brand-new event lawn outside, and all suites and rooms have the same kind of design inspiration—a new perspective from what’s been done in Las Vegas. There’s a tremendous amount of color, meant to [feel] like that road trip coming into Vegas.”

If you recall, the bustling main entrance of the Hard Rock emptied straight into the casino, with the fondly remembered Center Bar acting as a magnetic force. By dramatic contrast, the Virgin porte cochere is open and airy, leading into a grand entrance and lobby area, where the sunset hues of the casino welcome visitors. Registration is to the left, and the cozy Bar at Commons Club and hidden, swanky Shag Room lounge are to the right.

New venues—the Kitchen at Commons Club, Kassi Beach House, Afters Ice Cream and 24 Oxford (the live entertainment space formerly known as Vinyl)—join holdovers Nobu and Pizza Forte, along with some retail shops, in encircling this wing of the casino.

Stretching down the hall where Vinyl and the Pink Taco restaurant once stood are new eateries Casa Calavera and Olives, along with the Manor, a flexible meeting and event space with a terrace that leads to the event lawn. Bosworth has described that versatile, 1,500-capacity space as a possible home to outdoor, sit-down concerts and private events like weddings and corporate gatherings.

“Everything at the hotel is a full departure from the other hotel,” says David Werly, the resort’s executive chef and Vegas fine dining veteran. In his new role, he’ll support Virgin’s restaurant partners, run the Kitchen at Commons Club and supervise in-room dining, banquet, dayclub and resort pool food and beverage. “The pool will be something very unique and completely different from what it was, and I’m really looking forward to that, and the huge event lawn where we can do big banquets and other exciting stuff.”

Werly sounds equally excited about the Virgin customer experience. “I’ve been in this industry and traveling for quite some time, and sometimes I get upset when I go to a hotel and pay a $40 resort fee or at the minibar … it’s double or triple the price for a pack of M&Ms. Those are some of the things Virgin is addressing.”

The resort made headlines recently by announcing it would open with no resort fees and free self-parking and Wi-Fi. Virgin Hotels’ “no nickel and diming” policy also includes “street priced” minibars. Those might seem like small details, but establishing such standards from the start, when many Strip resorts have been criticized for resort and parking fees in recent years, could strike a chord with visitors excited to return to Las Vegas post-pandemic.

“You can work from your bed; you can book a room just for the day to do business; and you can do self check-in for arrival and departure,” Werly says. “Convenience is the definition of new luxury, in a way. That’s my luxury, and that’s what got me excited about Virgin in many ways.”

The beloved, 4,500-capacity venue formerly known as the Joint will be known, for now at least, as the Theater, though it could have a new name and sponsorship attached when it hosts its first event. It will continue to be programmed by AEG, one of the major producers of live entertainment in Las Vegas, and the company has reinvested to renovate the room by adding new flooring, facades and a main-floor VIP space, updating the second-floor suites and upgrading the bars on the second and third floors.

“It’s always had great bones, but it needed some love, and we addressed those things,” says Bobby Reynolds, AEG Las Vegas’ senior vice president. “We have some newly imagined VIP spaces and some brand-new VIP spaces … but we didn’t lose any [general admission] capacity. The vast majority of customers will still pay that lower ticket price.”

The Joint, which previously existed as a smaller but similarly designed room at the Hard Rock, has been a Las Vegas favorite since the ’90s, and Reynolds says concertgoers should expect more of the same in terms of programming.

“We had one of the more diverse and eclectic lineups,” he says. “We did classic rock, comedy, metal, hip-hop, alt-rock … we were all over the map. We had a good mix of touring artists coming in for a night or two and residencies, and I see that being similar.

“This venue services the local market and the tourist market, and I think it’s wise for us to keep both of those business models present here.”

Over in the casino’s west wing, where the Hard Rock expanded in 2010 with a third hotel tower, the new Betfred sportsbook leads to high-limit slots and table areas, the revamped One Steakhouse and LA restaurant transplant Night + Market.

“The first thing Boz and his team said to us was that they wanted to create a hotel with a vibe,” says Kris Yenbamroong, chef and founder of Night + Market. “We think along the same lines. We’re not just serving food; we want to create this awesome experience.”

Stroll farther down that path to wrap back around the pool complex and you’ll discover hybrid sportsbook, bar and nightlife spot Money, Baby! That two-level venue is one of five restaurants with expansive outdoor space—a feature surprisingly rare at Strip resorts.

The still-in-the-works 5-acre backyard will include landscaped pathways weaving around those patios, the resort pool and the event lawn, along with a separate, multilevel dayclub expected to debut over Memorial Day weekend.

“The event lawn is where the old Rehab space was,” Bosworth says, referring to the infamous Hard Rock pool party. “We literally buried Rehab. We didn’t have a ceremony, but we buried it and built this unique area near our conference facility, because in Las Vegas, we all know how important Sunday-through-Thursday business is.”

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As an off-Strip option, Virgin will strive to host meetings and events, but with its strong entertainment component and portfolio of restaurants, the property’s draw should be diverse.

“When I think of off-Strip [gaming], this business really needs convention trade and travel to thrive in a hotel environment,” says casino general manager Joe Hasson, a gaming industry veteran. “But at the same time, we have what also made this casino in its past life appeal to locals.”

The prominence of the Mohegan Sun brand should also play a significant role, Hasson, says. Mohegan Sun operates casinos and properties on the East Coast, in Louisiana and Washington State and is now developing the $5 billion resort Inspire at Incheon International Airport in South Korea.

The tribal company’s approach to the industry differs from that of other gaming operators, and seems to align well with Virgin’s overall philosophy. Creating a new experience that resonates with visitors and locals is a natural extension of hospitality.

“The tribe recognized when they first came into contact with other people that cooperation was a better root for sustainability and their future than was conflict,” Hasson says. “It permeates their thinking today.

“The concepts of welcoming people, of mutual respect, of taking a long view toward relationships—when I heard that … I heard hospitality,” Hasson continues. “It’s taking a long view toward success through cooperation, a welcoming spirit and development of relationships that last longer than a short burst of time.”