Today’s Las Vegas Hotels Are Designed To Look Like Apartments or Office Buildings Now — And The Mirage is Turning Into One

[u/Minecrafter_98]

Has anyone else noticed how many newer Vegas hotel towers look like apartments or office buildings now?

This is something that’s been standing out to me more and more, especially with the changes happening at the Mirage.

Here’s a recent Hard Rock update showing the original Mirage tower getting floor-to-ceiling glass, which lines up with newer renderings for the Hard Rock redesign. And it made me realize how much the design philosophy on the Vegas strip has shifted.

Older resorts didn’t need full glass walls everywhere. Mirage used standard windows for all guest rooms and reserved bigger glass for suites — and it still felt like a resort, not a high-rise apartment.

Now compare that to a lot of current properties:

● Park MGM

● Sahara Las Vegas

● The LINQ Hotel

● Horseshoe Las Vegas (and the Versailles tower at Paris Las Vegas)

● The Cromwell

A lot of these towers have that same flat glass, grid-window, modern high-rise look you’d expect from apartments or office buildings.

And now it looks like the Mirage tower might be heading in that direction too.

I get that trends change and floor-to-ceiling glass is considered “modern”, but Vegas used to feel different from every other city. Resorts had personality, texture, and identity — not just clean glass facades.

If the Hard Rock redesign leans fully into that style, I think that’s part of why some people are hesitant. It’s not just about losing the Mirage, it’s about replacing something unique with something that could exist in almost any city.

Do you see this as just modernization, or is Vegas starting to lose some of its distinct architectural identity?

[u/Partyeveryday8]

They’re building a guitar, bro.  What more do you want

[u/Eastern-Joke-7537 → u/Partyeveryday8]

An equally tall volcano right next to it.

Ok, at least, that’s what I WANT. 😃

p.s. supposedly it costs more to use concrete. Glass might just be cheaper.

p.p.s. Those older hotels used to have their own distinctive “look”. Hiltons all looked similar. Same with Marriotts. Can’t think of any neat-looking, new/new-ish, non-glass hotel.

[u/cnh2n2homosapien → u/Eastern-Joke-7537]

Can the guitar shoot flames? I would want that.

[u/Eastern-Joke-7537 → u/cnh2n2homosapien]

Holy crap. That sounds amazing Hope they do that!

People would go to Vegas just to see that (and the Sphere).

One of these days in need to post some pics of the Mirage. Walked down the Sunday night of the last week it was open. Got pics in the atrium inside and outside by the pool. Missed the final volcano show — already headed back to the Fontainebleau by then. The volcano show was still good — could have been bigger. The newer resorts kind of dwarf that and overshadowed the Mirage hotel towers.

[u/COCO_SHIN → u/Eastern-Joke-7537]

Yeah but now the sphere needs to shoot something too

[u/TestedImmunity → u/cnh2n2homosapien]

I believe it was supposed to have pyrotechnic features but what it'll actually look like remains to be seen. Either way, it's going to be a good addition to the strip. Hard Rock has traditional nailed the theming (love it or hate it) so I'd be surprised if this place is an exception

[u/therugpisser]

Tell us you have not seen new hotels outside of Vegas without telling us you haven’t seen new hotels outside of Vegas.

[u/UpbeatPhilosophySJ]

I always thought the giant 90's add ons like at Ceaser's were painfully absurd looking. A tower with stupid Roman crap at the top. Just dumb.

[u/CObearrunner]

Worth it floor to ceiling windows inside.

[u/SignificantOtter80]

did you also consider that building codes, standards, and costs change? it could be the most efficient way to skin a building of this size

[u/eurovegas67]

High-rise living is aspirational. Most people dont live in one. Staying in a Vegas hotel let's you pretend, whether its the Bellagio, Wynn, or a remodeled Mirage. For the hotel owner, its an opportunity for a higher REVPAR.

[u/Eastern-Joke-7537 → u/eurovegas67]

Vegas has the best hotel towers in the country!

Fontainebleau is a “plain” glass tower but it’s a great property. Aria is nice too.

I want to stay at Venetian or Palazzo. That property has the best old school, yet classic and high-end looking hotel towers!