By HARMONY STILES

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – One of the largest and most prominent hotel projects finishing in the U.S. in 2026 is the transformation of The Mirage into the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The massive resort renovation features the construction of a distinct, 600-plus-foot guitar-shaped hotel tower on the Las Vegas Strip, adding thousands of new rooms to the property.

Construction on the massive Hard Rock Las Vegas megaresort – which will completely replace The Mirage – is scheduled to complete by the end of 2027.

Construction began in mid-2024 after The Mirage officially closed its doors. The estimated total cost for the project is nearly $4 billion.

A 42-story, guitar-shaped hotel tower is the prominent exterior feature of the new hotel and casino. A blue glass façade will tie the hotel and casino together visually, thanks to the creativity of renowned architect Steve Peck. Peck is collaborating with Las Vegas-based Klai Juba Wald Architecture + Interiors.

The complex structural engineering required to shape a skyscraper like an electric guitar is being led by DeSimone Consulting Engineers.

PENTA Building Group is serving as the general contractor on the hotel tower with McCarthy having led the overhaul, gutting and renovation of the existing Mirage hotel structures.