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The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed much of the world down and changed the course of long-awaited plans. Yet construction in Las Vegas, Nevada, is soldiering on.

Sin City is marching forward, with not one but three new properties opening within the next year.

Casino resorts may change hands and get a refresh and rebranding, but it’s much rarer to get places that are brand-new and from scratch, as two of these three are.

Construction is an essential job in Nevada. So while casinos were closed to help slow the spread of coronavirus, many construction projects (thankfully) continued to move forward. Many tourists who traditionally visit Vegas a few times a year will now have something new and fresh to look forward to.

Those who love both Las Vegas and football may already be aware of the city’s biggest construction project this year that didn’t involve a casino: Allegiant Stadium, home to Vegas’ first NFL team, the Las Vegas Raiders. It was finished over the summer and recently made its television debut, opening without fans for the team’s first home game.

This is just the tip of the iceberg as work continues on new casinos set to open within a year in Las Vegas. Delays may have shifted opening times around, but progress continues on Circa Resort & Casino, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and Resorts World Las Vegas.

There is a little something for everyone, as all three new properties are in different parts of Las Vegas:

• Downtown Las Vegas: Circa Resort & Casino is downtown at the Fremont Street Experience.
• Off-Strip: Virgin Hotels Las Vegas occupies the land where the Hard Rock once stood just off the Vegas Strip.
• Vegas Strip: Resorts World Las Vegas is on the north end of the Vegas Strip, across the street from Wynn and Encore.

The opening timelines have shifted a little, in part due to the pandemic. Circa will open in phases, while Virgin will now open in January after previously being scheduled for sometime just after Election Day.

Meanwhile, Resorts World has changed its opening date since breaking ground in 2015. Summer 2021 seems to still be on target for the opening date range.

Circa Resort & Casino

Opening: Oct. 28 and Dec. 28, 2020

Circa Resort & Casino is the first ground-up resort development in downtown Las Vegas since 1980. The massive new property will occupy an entire block of the Fremont Street Experience. The land where Circa is being built used to be home to the Las Vegas Club Casino, Mermaids Casino and a variety of businesses like Glitter Gulch.

Downtown Las Vegas casino developer Derek Stevens is the brains behind Circa. He also owns The D Las Vegas and Golden Gate casinos on Fremont Street. In fact, Circa is across the street from the Golden Gate. All three properties will be connected by the Club One rewards program.

Construction on Circa started in early 2019, but the property faced challenges to opening before the end of 2020 as scheduled. Since there were capacity limits due to the spread of coronavirus, the focus on finishing the entire property at once changed.

Circa’s casino, its restaurants and most amenities within the property will open on Oct. 28. The hotel is taking reservations for rooms beginning Dec. 28, just in time for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

It’s also significant to note that when the property opens, it will be the only Las Vegas casino that requires guests to be 21 years or older. Typically, casinos allow patrons of any age to visit with the stipulation that they must be 21 to gamble.

Circa is an especially impressive property for its location, which is home to mostly smaller and older casinos. The hotel will be the tallest structure north of the Vegas Strip.

Circa plans on having 777 rooms eventually (only a limited number of floors will open in Dec.) and a massive 4,000-person-capacity rooftop pool deck called Stadium Swim. Plans for the number of hotel rooms could change, but plans for the pool area should remain intact.

Stadium Swim is more than just a pool area. This amphitheater and pool complex will feature six pools, cabanas, outdoor gaming, dining and a massive 135 x 41-foot video screen. Guests will be able to enjoy a relaxing time by the pool or an outstanding outdoor viewing area for sports and other entertainment.

The casino will have more than 1,300 video poker and slot machines, including 135 bartop machines. Circa will have 55 traditional table games and another 18 electronic table games. Machines and table games will be spread out over two levels.

The Circa Sports sportsbook will occupy three levels and should be the centerpiece of the casino. The sportsbook will have general admission seating, 350 stadium seats, couches with bottle service, a broadcast studio for VSiN and a massive 98 million-pixel viewing screen.

From the sportsbook to the “21 and up” rule, Stevens will showcase yet again how he’s one of a new generation of Vegas visionaries, shaking up the status quo and offering a new format of Vegas hospitality for both tourists and locals alike.

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas

Opening: TBA in 2021

Sir Richard Branson and a group of investors purchased Hard Rock Casino in 2018 with plans to make it the first Virgin Hotels property in Las Vegas. While Branson is only a small stakeholder in the property, it will bear his Virgin brand.

The building might look similar from the outside but will have a new look and feel inside when it opens within the first few weeks of 2021.

Virgin will operate the Hilton Curio Collection hotel, while Mohegan Sun will operate the casino. A new company in Las Vegas, Betfred, will operate the sportsbook. The property will use three loyalty programs altogether. The hotel will use Virgin’s “The Know” and Hilton Rewards. The casino will use Mohegan Sun’s Momentum rewards program.

The Mohegan Sun casino will be the first in Las Vegas for the Native American tribe. The casino floor at Virgin will have 60,000 square feet of gaming space. Specifics about the casino layout aren’t available yet, but it could be different than the Hard Rock.

Renderings of the lobby show that the iconic Center Bar will no longer exist. At least part of the casino floor will exist in this area of the property. It appears as though games will offer enough spacing for guests to move around more easily than previous incarnations of the property. The early renderings don’t offer much more information.

Much of the property will have a new look, but a few venues will remain intact. For example, the first Las Vegas outlet for Nobu will remain. The renovated sushi restaurant will include new furnishings and a larger bar area.

Virgin will also bring new brands and dining concepts to Las Vegas. Night + Market is a popular Thai eatery from Los Angeles making its Las Vegas debut at Virgin. Money, Baby! is a unique adult playground for sports fans.

The new sports and entertainment venue will include dining, drinking, viewing, games and of course sports betting. Money, Baby! will include indoor and outdoor spaces for fun in the sun or inside in the air conditioning.

Resorts World Las Vegas

Opening: summer 2021

Resorts World Las Vegas is the first venture in Sin City for international resort and casino operator Genting Group. The property across the street from Wynn Las Vegas has been in development off and on since first breaking ground as Echelon Place in 2007.

Genting broke ground on the $4.3 billion Resorts World Las Vegas in 2015. Construction on the project is in high gear this year, and it is on schedule to open in the summer of 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic did little to slow down the project, which is holding to its opening time frame next year.

Resorts World will be similar to other massive casino-resorts on the Vegas Strip. The property will have multiple tall hotel towers and a casino full of world-class amenities including a 5,000-person-capacity theater that should be home to big-name show residencies.

The massive 111,000-square-foot casino floor will be a little different than other properties in the area. For example, the sportsbook will be unlike any others. There will be a 14,000-square-foot entertainment zone instead of a traditional sportsbook. This will be home to a race and sportsbook with space that will feature live entertainment.

Resorts World Las Vegas will have three hotel towers, each sporting a different Hilton brand. The majority of the 3,500 hotel rooms will be in the tall Hilton and Conrad hotel towers. High rollers will find just over 200 rooms and suites in the specialty Crockfords Las Vegas hotel tower from LXR Hotels & Resorts.

Renderings courtesy of:

Circa Resort & Casino

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas

Resorts World Las Vegas

February 16, 2021 update:

It’s been a slow roll for Las Vegas since November. After going through various “pauses,” extensions and tight capacity restrictions due to rapidly escalating COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, things may finally be on an upswing. Cases have now decreased and NV Governor Sisolak has laid out a safe reopening plan. As of February 15, the following rules are in effect. These will remain until March 15, when capacity goes up to 50%:

• All restaurants must be capped at 35% capacity. This includes both indoor and outdoor dining. The former rule of required restaurant reservations has been lifted, so walk-ins are allowed. There is a strict limit of 6 persons per table. Some Strip favorites, such as Wicked Spoon buffet at The Cosmopolitan, have temporarily closed so it’s a good idea to check on restaurant status and availability beforehand, as well as secure a reservation due to demand. Note that walk-up and quick-serve places to eat are still operational but with mask and distancing requirements.
• Tourists and locals are required to wear a mask both indoors and outdoors if they are not near-immediate members of their households.
• Capacity for shows is 35% or 100 people – whichever is lower. Many MGM Resorts shows are beginning to re-open, including Brad Garrett Comedy Club, Carrot Top and “Fantasy.” “Piff The Magic Dragon” at Flamingo and “Tape Face” at Harrah’s are continuing.
• Capacity for casinos is 35%.
• For public gatherings and events, 100 people or 35% of fire code capacity (whichever is lower) are allowed. Large Gathering Plans may be submitted for March 1 dates and beyond.
• The following hotels have an adjusted weekday schedule, with many only being open Thursday-Sunday: Encore, The Linq, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, The Park MGM and Planet Hollywood. The Rio recently reopened Thursdays through Mondays only.
• Four Seasons and Delano at Mandalay Bay and NoMad at Park MGM are open all week long. The Palazzo has closed hotel rooms seven days per week for now.
• Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, the former Hard Rock Hotel that had to delay its grand opening due to COVID, has announced it will open March 25.

Sisolak also stated there are plans to transition authority on such restrictions from state level to local level beginning May 1. Nightclubs, adult clubs and day clubs remain closed until May 1, but keep in mind some of these venues are operating right now, but with a sort of watered-down version that may or may not be what you’re looking for. It’s best to contact your venues of choice first.

September 29, 2020

A slow return for Las Vegas

Las Vegas is (very) slowly returning to a place so many love and remember. The latest return to normal is the reopening of all bars. Nevada’s COVID-19 task force recently announced that all Las Vegas bars could reopen for business.

“All bars” is the key part of the key change as the city continues to reopen. Previously, bars that serve food could be open as restaurants. The actual bars remained closed, but the dining tables in the restaurant and around the bars could be used. Now all bars in Las Vegas are allowed to open.

Bars are different in Las Vegas than most cities. These are more than a place to grab a drink. Every casino in Las Vegas has at least one gaming bar. While the returns for video poker and slot machines aren’t the best, easy access to complimentary beverages for players is a large part of the Vegas experience.

Casino bars aren’t the only bars to reopen. Local taverns and bars around Las Vegas are also open, whether or not they serve food. Bartop gaming machines like Buffalo Grand Slots are a massive revenue generator for these venues. While locals mostly frequent bars off the Strip, there are plenty of tourists who enjoy playing the machines outside of the traditional casino environment.

Allowing all bars to be open again will lessen some of the confusion for both tourists and locals. Previously, some bars were open while others were closed or only partially open, with complex reasoning. Additionally, restrictions on the size of gatherings have been loosened.

A Cliff’s Notes guide to what’s open in Vegas

Most visitors come to take advantage of a good room deal, treat themselves to some cocktails and a great meal, take in a show and perhaps gamble. If you need to know what’s open in Vegas, here’s a quick-scan guide:

• Casino capacity limit: Fifty percent of the entire building, including hotel rooms, restaurants, bars and gaming areas. This may be confusing, as hotel room capacity may be greater than 50% of rooms available. However, this doesn’t mean the building is above 50%. Most of the signature properties on the Strip are open, but, for example, Encore is only open for hotel stays Thursdays through Mondays beginning Oct. 19. Additionally, Planet Hollywood just reopened on Oct. 8, and The Cromwell is still closed. Every casino-resort is doing things differently. As for gaming, aside from some social distancing spacing and plexiglass, there will be plenty of options.
• Restaurant capacity limit: Restaurants in Las Vegas are open for both indoor and outdoor dining. Indoor dining must be at 50% capacity. That said, many restaurants on the Strip have chosen to operate at reduced days and hours due to slower demand, if they’re open at all. Some restaurants and bars will take walkup customers and others won’t. Please check with your desired restaurant in advance for the latest information; it might be easier to make a reservation in advance just to be safe.
• Bar capacity limit: Fifty percent of capacity for the room. Again, just because bars can open doesn’t mean your favorite Vegas bar is open. A majority of them are, especially popular ones like Chandelier Bar, but it’s best to check in advance to make sure a bar will be open when you’re looking for where to go. Nightclubs are still closed.
• Show capacity limit: Fifty percent of capacity for the room. While ambient entertainment (by musicians, singers or otherwise) is becoming slightly more prevalent, the good news is Vegas entertainment companies are figuring out how tobring back some signature shows in a safe way.

For those debating whether or not it’s worth it to book a trip to Las Vegas right now, let’s take a look at the status of these openings in more detail.

Vegas is dead … or long live Vegas?!

Casinos reopening in June was just the beginning. Opening all bars is another step forward. Las Vegas returning to the original Sin City that so many people love is still a while away, as with all tourist hub destinations.

Having said that, regional visitors are still driving in to take advantage of cheap hotel rooms and enjoy what the city has to offer. An analyst from JP Morgansaid that Caesars’ Las Vegas properties were at 95% capacity on Labor Day weekend. That’s close to normal without the usual fly-in traffic.

Hotels being busy might sound good, but the revenue generated for each available hotel room in Las Vegas is way down from last year. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority (LVCVA), RevPAR (revenue per available room) was down 61.6% in July from the previous year.

Generating $44.37 per room isn’t great, but it’s a start. Much like hotel room occupancy, an increase in hotel room rates should be seen when the LVCVA releases more recent data.

Best Nevada Casinos Not In Las Vegas

Hotel occupancy in July was particularly low during the weekdays since there was no convention traffic. Midweek occupancy was only 36.9%. Weekends were busier, with 54.4% occupancy rates. While not great, the news from Labor Day weekend is a sign that visitors within driving distance are still visiting Las Vegas while room rates are lower than usual.

Still, Las Vegas isn’t the same with the emerging (and odd) trend of random able-bodied people riding scooters around the Vegas Strip. There has also been some increased crime on the Vegas Strip. Neither may be new, but they’re getting more publicity than usual, in part because there’s not much happening outside of people driving into Las Vegas for the weekend and getting wild.

Las Vegas casinos are still reopening

Most, but not all, Las Vegas casinos reopened in June. Park MGM, Planet Hollywood and Tropicana all recently reopened. The Planet Hollywood casino will operate 24/7, but the hotel will only take weekend reservations from Thursday to Sunday. The property is slowly reopening restaurants. For now, guests might not find their favorite eatery ready when they visit.

Caesars reopened The Linq hotel for weekends to accommodate the high traffic from people driving to Las Vegas for those days. The Cromwell is the only Caesars property on the Vegas Strip that hasn’t reopened yet. Layoffs have hit the Las Vegas casino industry particularly hard.

Most Las Vegas buffets remain closed

Buffets have long been a staple of visiting Las Vegas. That’s not quite the case right now. In fact, buffets may no longer be a Vegas tradition — especially for those who only stay on the Strip.

COVID-19 might have been the beginning of the end for buffets in Las Vegas. Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan — which has always been popular due to its format that involves less self-serving and more small plates — is currently the only buffet open on the Strip.

The Buffet at Wynn has always been one of the more popular ones, and the team behind the scenes had to get creative when opening amid the pandemic. It reopened as an all-you-can-eat concept with waitstaff delivering food. The high price point ($40 for lunch/brunch) and lack of interest in the concept led to Wynn closing the buffet again.

Prior to buffets in Las Vegas closing due to COVID-19, Caesars Entertainment was already discussing closing some or all of its buffets in Las Vegas and around the country. Caesars CEO Tom Reegsays buffets are inefficient and wasteful and casts doubt that buffets will return. Even Station Casinos CEO Tilman Fertitta doubts the future of buffets, saying “Buffets generate traffic, but they were definitely loss leaders.”

Casino operators are reevaluating everything about their business as they reopen. Buffets may not make the cut in a post-COVID-19 casino in Las Vegas.

Smaller, less spectacular entertainment

Nevada Casinos Not In Las Vegas

Las Vegas is an event-driven town. Big concerts, residencies and live sports help make Sin City the entertainment capital of the world. That’s not the case right now. The Las Vegas Raiders played their very first game to an empty Allegiant Stadium.

The capacity limit for gatherings in Las Vegas was only 50 people, but that changed when Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced on Sept. 29 that beginning Oct. 1, the number would increase to 250 people max or 50% capacity, whichever is fewer.

Additionally, Sisolak announced that if groups want to hold larger events in larger venues, including indoor entertainment showrooms, they can present a COVID-19 plan with proper protocols and subsequently get approved if it meets a list of strict requirements. This could mean some shows will come back sooner rather than later. Not coincidentally, MGM Resorts already has a public plan for meetings and conventions.

It’s going to take some time before the biggest and most popular forms of entertainment return to Las Vegas to play in front of thousands of fans.

Some entertainment in Las Vegas exists, but it is much less spectacular than visitors may be used to. While arenas and theaters are closed, there are more intimate forms of entertainment. Supper clubs like Rose.Rabbit.Lie at the Cosmopolitan and Mayfair at Bellagio continue to bring some entertainment to guests eating dinner.

Lounge acts like “Big Elvis” Pete Vallee at Harrah’s perform for relatively modest-sized crowds around Las Vegas. The Cosmopolitan is beginning to have bands perform at one of its hidden lounges, Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails. Caesars recently reopened a handful of smaller shows like Absinthe. MGM Resorts will reopen shows like Carrot Top for up to 250 people in November.

This is all ambient entertainment from people singing or playing an instrument far from the crowds (in which people are six feet apart.) The slow return of real robust entertainment is part of the long road back to Las Vegas becoming the vacation destination so many remember.

Spas, salons and pools are open

Social distancing is in effect throughout the state of Nevada. In Las Vegas, guests stand six feet from one another at the Bellagio conservatory and botanical garden display. Gamblers are separated by plexiglass at the table games inside of the casino. With that in mind, it might come as a surprise to many visitors that spas and salons are open.

Visitors to Las Vegas can enjoy massage treatments at a spa or get their hair and nails done in the salon. Larger spa companies like Canyon Ranch at The Venetian detail health and safety protocols online.

Not all spas and salons in Las Vegas casinos are open yet. Caesars Palace and Paris Las Vegas are the only two Caesars Las Vegas properties with open spas and salons. And the amenities are open for limited hours. The company details its health and safety plan for spas, salons and pools along with the other amenities at its properties.

Pool parties never opened this year. Some dayclubs reopened with mellow, reimagined concepts. Hotel pools are also open. Guests must wear a mask and remain socially distanced from others outside of their travel party before getting into the water.

Weekdays are slower than ever

There are two different Las Vegas experiences. The weekends (Thursday-Saturday) have always been when most tourists visit to party. Meanwhile, weekdays (Sunday-Thursday) are a bit more chill, with mostly business travelers in Las Vegas for meetings and conventions.

This remains the case as Las Vegas continues to reopen; however, there’s a major difference during the weekdays. Tourists continue to drive in for weekends, but the slow days during the week are much slower than usual.

The 50-person capacity limit has brought conventions, conferences and meetings to a screeching halt. For reference, according to the LVCVA, 0% of all guests in Las Vegas were visiting for a convention in July. With Sisolak largely lessening restrictions on gatherings beginning Oct. 1, perhaps some meetings, conventions and events can be preserved within the next year.

Hotel room capacity is much lower from Sunday through Thursday. Some venues and amenities aren’t even open during the weekdays. The two Caesars spas and salons are only open on the weekend. Restaurants at casinos all over Las Vegas might have reduced days and hours. All in all, if you want to visit and get the most out of your trip, come on the weekends, as this is when the majority of venues are open.

Less smoke in the casinos

Casino Las Vegas Nevada Chips

Everyone inside of a casino must wear a mask. That makes it difficult but not impossible for guests to smoke. In a move to help reduce possible transmission of COVID-19 by smokers, the Cosmopolitan recently banned smoking in public walkways and resort corridors.

That sounds like a bigger deal than it really is. Guests can still smoke in the following locations:

• Sportsbook
• Video poker and slot machines
• Table games with plexiglass barriers
• Lounges

Think of this as a baby step to help keep some staff and guests healthy and safe.

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The Cosmopolitan’s efforts to reduce smoking are dwarfed by those at one MGM Resorts property. Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegasreopened as the only 100% nonsmoking property on the Vegas Strip. Unlike at the Cosmopolitan, no smoking is allowed anywhere inside the property. Smokers can walk across the street to get some fresh air and smoke outside at The Park.

Las Vegas Nevada Casinos Opening

There have been rumors of more casinos following one of the two properties’ smoking policies, but nothing has been announced yet.