The Newest Resorts in Las Vegas – Open & Coming Soon!

Key Points:

• The newest resort on Fremont Street is Circa, which opened in 2020.

• The newest resorts on the Strip (currently open) are Fontainebleau and Resorts World, which opened in 2023 and 2021, respectively.

• Hard Rock will be the newest resort on the Strip when it opens in Q4 2027, occupying the former Mirage site.

Las Vegas is constantly reinventing the status quo and never growing stagnant.

Resorts here have a notoriously short lifespan and are imploded and reborn as new, re-imagined mega-resorts with mind-numbing frequency.

Given the level of anticipation and excitement that accompany resort projects at every stage, I thought it would be fun to track the progress of projects currently in the pipeline and celebrate the new casinos that have crossed the finish line.

Projects In Progress

The following Las Vegas resort projects are at various stages of development, ranging from mere renderings to near completion.

Of course, it’s never a given that a planned resort property will cross the finish line. Rarely is it advisable to get too attached to a concept until meaningful progress is observed.

Hard Rock Las Vegas

In December 2022, Hard Rock International purchased Mirage’s operations from MGM Resorts for $1.075 billion, bringing the well-known brand to the Strip.

Details around what Hard Rock has planned for the resort are murky, but they’re currently building a 600-suite, 660-foot-tall guitar-shaped hotel tower.

As you can see in the rendering below, the new tower will easily offer some of the best views of the Strip.

The Mirage closed on July 17th, 2024, and will reopen as Hard Rock in late 2027.

While there was once a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, now Virgin, away from the Strip, Hard Rock International wasn’t involved with the property in any way.

Tilman Fertitta’s Unnamed Strip Resort Project

Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Houston Rockets and Golden Nugget among other holdings, has filed plans for a 43-story, 2,400+ room casino & hotel on the corner of Harmon and the Strip

Formerly occupying this plot of land was a TexMex restaurant, a Travelodge hotel, and a rather depressing mini-mall.

Although Clark County approved plans for a new resort in October 2022, The Nevada Independent recently quoted an executive associated with Fertitta as saying, “It’s very expensive to build right in an inflationary environment”, adding that Tilman is still weighing his options.

In May 2024, the Tex Mex Bar & Grill was demolished, clearing the way for construction activity that never happened.

As of January 2026, the parcel has been paved over and is a parking lot.

Recently Completed Resorts

Fontainebleau Las Vegas

It’s been a long and winding road since the initial groundbreaking over 15 years ago, but Fontainebleau Las Vegas is open for business.

The resort has been through a lot.

Construction came to a screeching halt in 2008 due to the Great Recession, and the tower sat partially completed until recently, changing hands multiple times over the years.

In the end, she landed back with Jeffrey Soffer at Fontainebleau Development, in partnership with Koch Real Estate Investments, who were able to get the project across the finish line.

I stopped by Fontainebleau on opening day and was impressed with the luxurious vibe, broad assortment of dining options, rooftop pool, and art incorporated into the resort.

Durango

Durango opened in 2023, serving the locals market in southwest Las Vegas.

The resort has an 83,000+ square foot casino, natural lighting, meeting space, a 200+ room hotel, and one of the most beautiful indoor/outdoor sportsbooks I have ever seen.

Dining options include 4 sit-down restaurants (a steakhouse, Mexican, American, and a brunch spot) in addition to the upscale Eat Your Heart Out Food Hall with an assortment of fast-casual options.

The property is similar to other higher-end properties in the Station portfolio, like Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch.

I stopped by Durango a couple of weeks after their grand opening and left impressed!

Resorts World Las Vegas

Just south of Circus Circus and across the street from Encore, Resorts World opened on June 24th, 2021.

The $4.3 billion resort boasts 3,500 guest rooms, a 5,000-seat theater, 110,000 square feet of gaming, and 270,000 square feet of dining/shopping.

While the casino accepts cash, the Resorts World Phone App allows guests to go completely cashless if that is their preference. Everything from slot machines and table games, to retail and restaurant purchases, can be funded via your phone.

Attracting plenty of attention on opening night was Resorts World’s Famous Foods Street Eats, a food hall offering a wide range of cuisine from around the world, including a speakeasy bar.

Resorts World’s rooftop pool deck incorporates 7 unique pool experiences overlooking resorts on the Strip to the south.

In the spirit of going big, Resorts World has also incorporated an enormous 100,000-square-foot LED screen into the hotel’s west tower. The screen has been used for advertising, broadcasting sporting events, and welcoming VIPs.

I’ve had the opportunity to stay at all 3 brands at Resorts World, including Conrad, Hilton, and Crockfords – All are impressive.

Stalled/Dead Vegas Hotel Projects

It’s easy to announce a new resort in Vegas, but much harder to get it across the finish line.

Here are some recent projects that have petered out, stalled, or died:

The Dream – Just south of the Pinball Hall of Fame, The Dream’s foundation was poured but funding ran dry.

Wynn West – Wynn still owns the lot of land north of the Fashion Show Mall, but has no immediate plans to develop the plot.

Atari – Announced in 2020, the Atari-themed hotel never progressed past initial renderings.

The King David Hotel – Announced in 2024, the resort was intended to attract Jewish tourists and to even host a synagogue. There’s been no news following the initial proposal.