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

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.

Considering the level of anticipation and excitement that accompany resort projects in all stages, I thought it would be fun to track the progress of projects that are 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 and range 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 getting too attached to a concept advisable until meaningful progress is observed.

Hard Rock Las Vegas

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

Details about what Hard Rock International has planned for the resort are still murky, but it is known that they plan to erect a 600-suite, 660-foot tall guitar-shaped hotel tower right on the Strip where Mirage’s volcano currently sits.

As you can see in the rendering below, the newest hotel tower in Vegas will easily boast some of the best views of the Strip.

In a press release, Hard Rock International indicated their Las Vegas property would open in 2025.

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

A rendering of Hard Rock's guitar shaped hotel sits illuminated along the Strip in Las Vegas
Rendering Courtesy of Hard Rock International

Dream Hotels Las Vegas

Dream Hotels has started construction on what was once a vacant parcel of land located at the south end of the Strip near the Pinball Hall of Fame and the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.

Dream plans to offer a 20,000-square-foot casino, 531 rooms & suites, 12,000 square feet of meeting space, a fitness center, and a spa.

There will be 7 dining and nightlife options, including a 24-hour diner, coffee shop, day club, lobby bar, and nightclub.

Dream’s pool will be 12,000 square feet and be found atop their roof on the 3rd floor.

The official groundbreaking took place in July of 2022 and Dream intends to welcome their first guests in late 2024.

Although construction has started, work came to a screeching halt in March of 2023 due to a financing snag per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. According to that article, a new financing deal was supposedly in the works and was to be secured within a matter of weeks.

Unfortunately, as of October 2023, there is no new activity at the construction site.

I’m choosing to remain hopeful, but time will tell.

Exterior rendering of Dream Las Vegas with the Welcome to Las Vegas sign in the foreground
Credit: DLR Group
Dream hotel exterior rendering
Credit: DLR Group

Horseshoe Las Vegas

Work to transition Bally’s into Horseshoe Las Vegas began in the spring of 2022 and continues although the property has already officially changed its name to reflect the new identity.

The rebranding includes a number of new food and beverage offerings.

Ole Red will be a live country music venue located in the Grand Bazaar Shops along Las Vegas Blvd. The live music destination, which is currently being built, is the ideation of Blake Shelton and will feature up-and-coming performers.

A rendering of Ole Red, which is positioned at the front of Bally's Grand Bazaar Shops.
Courtesy of Ryman Hospitality Properties

Bottled Blonde, a $50 million “sports, entertainment, and nightlife” hub, will be built along the Strip right next door to Ole Red. The chain will offer a full menu, beer garden, and open-air rooftop lounge.

A rendering of the new Bottled Blonde venue in front of Horseshoe's hotel tower.
Bottled Blonde – Courtesy of Evening Entertainment Group

Jack Binion’s Steakhouse has already joined the culinary lineup and is serving up steaks nightly. Jack, of course, is the son of the legendary Benny Binion.

The gaming floor has also gotten an upgrade, and features “tooled leather, dramatic colors, and the brand’s signature gold horseshoe iconography”.

Bally’s was in desperate need of attention, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the re-imagined Horseshoe brings to the table when finally completed sometime in early 2024.

A rendering of the gaming floor at Horseshoe Las Vegas
Horseshoe Las Vegas Rendering – Credit: Marnell Companies/Caesars Entertainment

Oak View Group Casino/Hotel/Arena

The Oak View Group recently announced a 25-acre land acquisition south of the Strip at the intersection of I-15 and I-215 to build a $10 billion entertainment complex.

The yet-to-be-named project will have a casino, hotel, and a 20k-seat “NBA Ready” arena.

Unlike the Raiders and A’s, Oak View Group is not requesting any public money for the project, which is likely to attract an NBA franchise.

Groundbreaking is anticipated to occur in 2024, and I’ll be sure to share more details as they emerge.

Tilman Fertitta’s Unnamed Strip Resort Project

This one’s exciting.

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 Las Vegas boulevard.

Formerly occupying this plot of land was a TexMex restaurant, 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.

As of November 2023, the Tex Mex Bar & Grill is still standing tall. I’ll assume we’re onto something once the restaurant is leveled.

A photo of the Tex Mex restaurant exterior where the new resort will go.
That’s where she’ll go.

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 officially open for business.

The resort has been through a lot. Construction came to a screeching halt in 2008 thanks to the great recession and the tower sat partially completed until recently, changing hands multiple times throughout 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 feeling casino floor, broad assortment of dining options, rooftop pool, and art incorporated into the resort.

Fontainebleau's blue hotel tower extending into the sky.
A pathway on the casino floor. In the middle of the photo is the center bar with a stunning chandelier.
Fontainebleau's circular hotel lobby with illuminated columns extending from the floor to the ceiling.

Durango

Durango is officially open, 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 hall with 11 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!

Exterior of Durango Las Vegas.
Durango
Sportsbook at Durango.
Durango’s Sportsbook

Resorts World Las Vegas

Located just south of Circus Circus and across the street from Encore, Resorts World opened on June 24th, 2021 making it the newest casino in Las Vegas (for now, at least).

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 food hall, which offers a wide-ranging collection of cuisine from around the world including a speakeasy bar.

Resorts World Las Vegas Exterior

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

Pool at Resorts World
Pool with a fountain at Resorts World
View from Resorts World Las Vegas' Infinity Pool

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

I’ve had the opportunity to stay in both Resorts World’s Conrad and Hilton hotel rooms and have left impressed on both occasions.

Circa Las Vegas

The first new construction resort to be built downtown Las Vegas in decades, Circa has raised the bar on Fremont Street.

Sitting on the footprint of the old Las Vegas Club, Mermaids, and the Glitter Gulch gentlemen’s club, Circa is already wowing with unique, differentiated amenities.

Circa's exterior at night

Circa offers an upbeat two-level casino with over 1,300 slot machines and 55 table games.

While the gaming floor is beautiful, the crown jewel is the sportsbook screen, which measures in at 3 stories tall and 78 million pixels. The biggest in the world, the screen is almost omnipresent as you navigate either level of the casino.

Stadium Swim, the resort’s rooftop pool deck, is comprised of six heated pools, 2 swim-up bars, and a 125-foot TV screen – It’s impressive.

Circa Stadium Swim
Another angle of Circa’s Pool Deck with a view of Plaza
Circa Las Vegas Sportsbook
It’s better than the renderings. Overpowering, in the best way.

Circa has also incorporated the freshly refurbished Vegas Vickie (who previously sat above Glitter Gulch) prominently in the new resort.

Vegas Vickie at Circa Las Vegas
She’s still got it

In response to shifting transportation trends, Circa is the first Las Vegas resort to offer a dedicated rideshare pickup location in their parking garage dubbed “Garage Mahal”.

Circa is also an adult-only property – Leave the kids at home!

I recently stayed in one of Circa’s Single King rooms with a Stadium Swim View and the experience surpassed my lofty expectations.

At the end of the day, new resorts in Las Vegas have a history of going broke and stalling for an extended period of time, however, the recent openings of Circa, Resorts World, and Fontainebleau have me cautiously optimistic that the future is bright.

Related: A Guide to Who Owns What Resorts in Las Vegas.

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chas

Tuesday 20th of September 2022

its also probably not having the homeless w/o ID come in and ask people for money. like they do in the other Hotels

Carina Rogers

Friday 2nd of July 2021

How come Circa ask for identification?

Thursday 8th of September 2022

to catch card counters at the door

Wednesday 29th of December 2021

Maybe for credit card and identify thief protection!

Thursday 12th of August 2021

No because everyone has to have a vaild ID no matter how old your are

Jake

Tuesday 6th of July 2021

It’s also for security. People are a lot less likely to cause trouble when they know that you know who they are.

Tuesday 6th of July 2021

@Carina Rogers, They card everyone. I am late 50's and I got carded, my 82 yr old mother in law also got carded, and it couldn't be for age 21+. I have no idea why.

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