Posting online photos of the Hard Rock’s ever-rising guitar-shaped hotel tower has become a spectator sport in Las Vegas, and while I’m looking forward to seeing it finished — I kinda miss the old place.
The Mirage lasted from 1989 to 2024 at the Hard Rock’s new address, ushering in the era of the “megaresort” and changing Las Vegas for good. The man behind it says its design was based on the three primordial sources of life 💧 🌻 ☀️ 👀
“You’ll notice all the hotels we built depended heavily on the use of water, plants, and indoor-outdoor spaces where the sun was shining,” Steve Wynn remembers.
Those elements were reflected in the rainforest atrium, aquariums, and tropical-themed swimming lagoons at the Mirage. Wynn also put his creative stamp on the Bellagio with its conservatory and fountain shows, which remain iconic imprints of Las Vegas today. By the time his own self-titled resort came around, a waterfall was the kind of thing you could see inside a restaurant and floral displays threatened to outpace slot machines on casino floors. (Well, not really … but you get the idea.) In each case, the goal was to create a hotel that “invites people and makes the place aspirational.”
These musings aren’t coming to light in a memoir or docuseries, but on Instagram, where Wynn might be the social media network’s most active 83 year old. Scroll through his feed and you’ll hear advice to job applicants, learn how the Bellagio got its name, and revisit a story about Michael Jackson hitching a ride down the Strip on the Treasure Island pirate ship.
At times, he almost seems to be chronicling his own career, producing an autobiographical documentary post by post instead of waiting for somebody else to come along and do something more official.
These bite-size news nuggets reveal how Wynn’s influence continues to shape Strip tourism, even while he remains absent from it. The casino giant was effectively booted from the Las Vegas industrial complex after a sexual misconduct scandal broke in 2018.
With a mixed legacy, it’s hard to assess if Las Vegas is better off with or without Steve Wynn. But even if he doesn't deserve a like, his account might be worth a follow.
