Two Way Hard Three | Las Vegas Casino & Design Blog

November 23, 2005 10:08 AM Posted by muckcat

Also of note;

I almost booked 5 days at the Mirage for the first week of December but called to check and found out that the pools will be closed the entire month.

So, mucho construction and no pool area!

Bummer about the Baccarat Bar too.

November 23, 2005 4:02 PM Posted by detroit1051

I checked out of The Mirage after using my Winter Offer for three nights in a Penthouse Suite. I second Hunter's recommendation to wait until all construction is complete and the new restaurants and clubs are open. Even the glassed-in tiger exhibit is temporarily closed.

Fin looked great from what I could see through the construction curtains. Kokomo's is still shrouded in secrecy, but the view above the construction curtains makes me think it will look somewhat "industrial-contemporary". Stack will be similar to Fix at Bellagio. I enjoyed Cravings for the first time. I was impressed with the layout and appearance as well as with the food quality. The Mirage should regain much of its luster when the work is done.

The high limit table area, with many Chihuly glass sculptures, is very impressive. Although it is contemporary and not Polynesian in the least, it fits well in the casino.

I agree with Hunter the new high-limit slot area looks out of place, a big box in the center of the casino floor. It would have looked much better if it had been placed in line with, and next to, the high limit table area.

The Penthouse Suite was vintage Steve Wynn. At first, I thought it looked old fashioned, but by the second day, I was appreciating the decor. The detail seemed to exceed that which went into Bellagio and even Wynn.

Although the construction detracted from my stay, I was reassured The Mirage will not become another TI.

November 26, 2005 8:00 AM Posted by BigBellagioFan

When I toured Detroit's suite, I found it very comfortable and well maintained. The Mirage itself is a different story. When we were there in August, a slot host told us that they originally had a measured plan for construction and renovation that would have taken several years to complete, but that their new President had reviewed the plans and had decided to do it all at once to get it over with. Judging from what I've seen so far, I have some qualms about it all. The High Limit area is indeed elegant, very New York cosmopolitan, but the placement of the High Limit Slots area is discordant, as Detroit has noted. We have often commented that the casino is so dark as to be uncomfortable, and hopefully they will act to put a little more light into it. The removal of the Baccarrat Bar was a mistake in my humble opinion as the casino does now have a warehouse feeling as Detroit pointed out. The best part of the Mirage experience for me has always been the pool area, and the news that the pool will be closed for the month of December is disquieting -- I hope the MGM/Mirage design team is not intending to screw that up.

November 26, 2005 11:51 PM Posted by Mike C

I have an unfortunate report to make regarding the Mirage and it's sibling former-Mirage properties. It seems that all three of them are reducing the staff at change booths and the places are reducing the change booth staff by half, with each both only running at half-efficiency and long lines at all.

This would be acceptable if they were doing like I saw at Paris and replacing these booths with automated machines, but they are not. Wynn has machines. Paris has machines. Even Harrah's and the independent off-strip casinos like the Cannery have ticket redemption machines. Mirage, TI, or Bellagio could afford some ticket redemption machines, but choose not to.

I figured out their reason for doing this when I wanted to cash out $10 but looked at the length of the line. I decided that the wait wasn't worth the money and that I should take my ticket and gamble it away to nothing instead. It was then when I realized why they're making it so hard to redeem these "EZ-Pay" tickers.

I once again got within earshot of a man in a suit with an earpiece working behind a closed ticket redemption booth and complained at him and the worker next to him that I was unhappy about this and am going to take my business away from MGM-MIRAGE if they don't increase the efficiency of ticket redemption. I asked them how they can afford a nightclub [at Mirage] but not a ticket machine? The man dressed in the suit did not even look up to respond to me, letting the change person dressed like a typical hourly worker (who can't do anything about the situation) take the brunt of my complaining. What awe-inspiring leadership.

I don't know what I'm going to do since Paris is being slowly Harrah's-ized, but I'm certainly not crossing the street to Bellagio any more.

November 27, 2005 10:10 AM Posted by josh

DO you have any picture of FIn at the Mirage since opening or any articles written since opening day?
Also,I think the Japanerios looks terrible in the Polynesian designed casino environment. Do you know if they are redesigning the Mirage casino..I love its current architecture!!
thanks Hunter

November 27, 2005 11:44 AM Posted by Hunter

My FIN pictures didn't come out but the room looks nice. Light colors, lots of etched glass, etc...

If you call all of these changes a redesign, then yes. These are significant changes and really impact the feel.

November 27, 2005 12:57 PM Posted by Mike E

I forgot to head over to Mirage on my last trip to see the progress of things. From what I've been reading though, I'm kind of glad I didn't.

I'm still hopeful about the end result even though things are looking more grim each day.

November 28, 2005 6:23 AM Posted by Beth

Is this work supposed to be done before New Year's? We're staying at the Mirage over New Year's weekend, and I don't think now we probably could change to get a better rate anywhere else.

November 28, 2005 8:46 AM Posted by Hunter

Yeah, this stuff should be wrapped by New Years - at least the majority of it.

December 5, 2005 4:03 PM Posted by dontwanttoknow

I ...um ......am...in a round about way associated with the Mirage. I have to say I am very surprised at the state they have put it in. I was just commenting to a friend that I would be very upset at what they were doing if I was a guest. I hope rates have dropped for people staying there. It will be very nice when complete. The insides of Jet and the other restuarants are coming together very nicely. This will be a cool hangout on the strip for sure.

December 6, 2005 2:18 AM Posted by Mike E

I'll be in town again Monday, Jan 9th and will be sure to head out to Mirage. I'll try and report back on the finished product with pictures if I can.

Monday night also happens to be the industry night for Jet nightclub so I'll see if I can get in and give you all my thoughts. Hopefully I can befriend a few lovely girls in line or else my chances of getting in will be slim.