Firms selected to transform Hard Rock to Virgin Hotels Las Vegas

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has announced the design partners that will reimagine the Hard Rock Hotel property.

Five companies have joined forces to help develop the new hotel: Rockwell Group, Klai Juba Wald Architecture + Interiors, Studio Collective, Taylor International Corp. and McCarthy Building Companies.

“We look forward to delivering a fresh, modern desert oasis to the Entertainment Capital of the World,” said Richard “Boz” Bosworth, president and CEO of JC Hospitality and Hard Rock Hotel, in a statement last week.

The partners

Designs are “nearing completion,” according to the statement, with construction set to begin in February and the remodeled resort slated to open toward the end of 2020.

The Virgin Hotels Las Vegas will include 1,504 “chambers,” grand chamber suites and penthouse suites, a 60,000-square-foot casino, more than 5 acres of poolside space and outdoor event venues, and more than 110,000 square feet of meeting, event and convention space.

New York-based Rockwell Group has worked on other Las Vegas projects, including the KAOS nightclub and Bobby Flay’s Shark at the Palms. Gaming resort design firm Klai Juba Wald Architecture + Interiors is leading design efforts at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s phase three of expansion, among other projects.

Venice Beach-based boutique design agency Studio Collective and Taylor International Corp. — the company that constructed the MGM Grand, Caesars Palace and more — are also partners in the design, along with McCarthy Building Companies.

Desert inspired

Adam Goldstein, design director and partner at Studio Collective, said the agency will be looking for inspiration from the natural and synthetic landscapes of the American Southwest, creating in an aesthetic he describes as “desert modern.”

He said the guest rooms are made to accommodate a wide demographic, and will feature “a mix of natural and warm materials,” including white oak wood flooring and millwork alongside desert-inspired color schemes. The choices are intended to make the rooms feel lighter and more comfortable, he said.

“We are hoping the guestrooms can offer guests a respite from the high energy of the casino floor, bars and restaurants, pool and other areas on property,” he said. “We feel like the rooms will be unlike other offers one can find in Las Vegas.”

Rockwell Group partner Greg Keffer said his team is also looking for inspiration in the Nevada’s landscape.

This partnership helps “further develop the brand’s signature playful spirit while tapping into the wider context of the desert landscape,” he said in the statement.

The property, located on Paradise Road, is set to shut its doors in February for approximately eight months as it goes through its transformation to become the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in 2020.

Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0233. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.