‘Sad’ goodbyes as last Mirage hotel guests depart

As guests and visitors said their goodbyes to The Mirage on Monday morning, the shared sentiment seemed to be one of gratitude and appreciation.

There was also the requisite amount of sorrow for the loss of something so familiar to so many.

Sunday night was the last time anyone would ever stay at the iconic Mirage, and as people checked out of the hotel, there were mixed emotions.

Chika McTier, a Las Vegas resident who grew up in Minnesota, was one of the lucky guests who spent the night in style. McTier was upgraded to a penthouse suite Sunday, a fitting way to make one last memory.

“It was an awesome experience,” McTier said. “I grew up coming out here with my family and this was one of the hotels we stayed at, and I’m really sad to see it go.”

The Mirage will close on Wednesday after 34 years on the Las Vegas Strip. Hard Rock International, the property’s current owners, are planning a multiyear construction project that will transform the “Oasis in the Desert” into the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas. The new property is tentatively scheduled to open in 2027.

Brad Cam, of Colorado, and Bella Cas, of Michigan, also spent the night at The Mirage on Sunday. It was a fitting finale for the friends since The Mirage was the first hotel they stayed at when they made their initial visit to Las Vegas in 2021.

They started planning their final Mirage trip in March.

Cam said he always appreciated the “outdoorsy feel” of the place.

“I really like the pool, and there’s a lot of nice scenery,” he said. “I hope Hard Rock keeps that.”

Jamie Little and Keeley Newby, of Manchester, England, did not stay at The Mirage on Sunday. The duo was staying across the street at The Venetian. Earlier in the morning, they watched as work crews took down The Mirage letters from the sign along Las Vegas Boulevard.

“It’s a bit sad, I suppose,” Newby said.

Little and Newby took some time to explore The Mirage during their first visit to Las Vegas.

“It’s an awesome hotel,” Little said. “It doesn’t look outdated. … We were quite impressed.”

Obviously familiar with the Hard Rock brand (which got its start in London in 1971), the British pair said they would be coming back to Las Vegas in the future, and a stop at the new casino-hotel would be on the itinerary.

They had optimism that a new Hard Rock could be successful on the Strip.

“It’s a well-known brand,” Newby said. “They’ll always attract customers.”

McTier, the Las Vegas local who moved here from the Midwest, said The Mirage will always hold a special place in her heart because of family memories, including those made with her niece, who she called “her baby.”

“I’ve had awesome vacations and experiences here, and I just wanted to relive that one last time,” she said while departing Monday.

As to whether she would visit Hard Rock when it opened in a few years, McTier was decidedly less enthusiastic.

“Begrudgingly,” she responded. “I guess I’m just not excited about Hard Rock. They could’ve chosen somewhere else … but they had to take The Mirage.”