Property waiting to open

Owners of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas are considering a delay in opening because of the current tourism market in Sin City. In a press release this week, JC Hospitality stated that it has met construction deadlines for the property as planned, but the company is reconsidering its previous decision to open this fall.

CEO Richard “Boz” Bosworth said the construction side remains on schedule and the keys to the property should be turned over by November. The hotel will have 1,500 guest rooms and will be connected to a casino operated by Mohegan Gaming.

COVID-19 regulations, market conditions as setbacks

In the statement, Mr Bosworth pointed out that several factors are being weighed when considering a potential delay in opening. COVID-19 regulations, as well as market conditions and the recent cancellation of events and conventions in the area, are being evaluated. He added:

The ownership group expects to have a date identified by mid-September at which time we will provide full details.”

The announcement by the resort owners comes at a time when Las Vegas tourism is struggling to recover amid the pandemic. Casinos have seen lower tourist traffic stemming from coronavirus fears. The casinos shut down in mid-March, but most have been up and running since early June.

A casino to come

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas will be home to a casino as well, operated by the Mohegan Indian Tribe of Connecticut. The casino arm of the tribe, Mohegan Gaming, announced a deal in late 2019, becoming the first tribal gaming company to manage a resort in Las Vegas.

Known as the Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, the casino will be 60,000 square feet in size. The property will include traditional casino gaming as well as sports betting, with services provided by Betfred USA Sports.