Review: Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of Hilton’s Curio Collection

This is our review of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, which confusingly is also part of Hilton Honors.

For Virgin Atlantic’s 40th birthday celebration trip we were naturally put up in the new(ish) Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. This was opened in 2021 following a refurbishment from its previous life as the Hard Rock Hotel (which has, itself, now taken over The Mirage with plans for a tall guitar-shaped tower of guest rooms).

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is in the unique position of being both part of Virgin Hotels as well as part of Hilton’s Curio Collection. This means you have the option of booking it via this page of hilton.com for cash (earning Hilton Honors points) or as a redemption.

The Hilton partnership is at the expense of a Preferred Hotels partnership. This is the only Virgin Hotels property which is not bookable via Preferred and its iPrefer loyalty scheme.

Where is Virgin Hotels Las Vegas?

The first thing to note about the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is that it is not on the Strip. If that is a deal breaker for you, then you probably don’t need to read on.

In fact, the hotel is about a mile east of the strip, not far from The Sphere and the new F1 Pavilion.

The airport is particularly convenient and just 15 minutes’ drive away, although you don’t need to worry about noise disturbances: in Las Vegas, you barely notice the planes flying in and out as there are so many other distractions. I can count on one hand the number of times I saw or heard a plane (and two of these were F-35s from Nellis Air Force Base!)

Inside Virgin Hotels Las Vegas

A busy carport ferries you into the hotel’s ground floor, the majority of which is dedicated to the casino. This is something I still can’t quite get used to in Las Vegas!

Although I knew it was a big hotel, it wasn’t until I was researching this review that I realised quite how big: 1,502 rooms, spread over three towers:

• Ruby Tower is a modern all-suite tower with the best Strip views and rooms starting at 65 square meters
• Opal Tower is an (almost) mirror image of Ruby Tower but with standard rooms starting from 40 square meters
• Canyon is the oldest (architecturally) of the lot and also features standard rooms starting from 40 square meters

The main hotel reception is immediately on the left or, if you’re staying in the premium Ruby Tower, there is a separate, dedicated area through the casino with stylish art-deco inspired design:

All three towers were refurbished in 2021 so they’re all consistent internally, although suites in the Ruby Tower might be slightly smarter – I’m not sure, as I didn’t see into any of the standard rooms (or ‘Chambers’ in Virgin Hotels parlance).

Suites in the Ruby Tower

Although I was by myself, the hotel assigned me one of Ruby 2 Queens Strip View Grand Chamber Suites which come with two Queen beds – enough to sleep four.

You can’t argue with the size. The wide entrance featured the signature Virgin Hotels dressing table between two wardrobes. The arched wooden doors reveal a mirror:

The next room is a good-size living space with sofa, mini bar and table:

The mini bar is fully stocked but fully chargeable, including the two large bottles of Smartwater (Virgin Hotels provides two small bottles of hotel-branded water each day instead). Be careful touching any of the items as electric sensors will automatically charge you.

Two pocket doors either side of the TV take you to the bedroom with its two queen beds:

These feature Virgin Hotel’s signature bed albeit without the unique corner ‘bit’ you see at Virgin Hotels.

I thought the style of the room worked well with the patterned headboards, wall-mounted prints and lighting complementing each other.

It was less successful from a practical perspective, with a master switch for the light only on one side of one of the beds and no plugs or charging ports between the two beds – annoying if four people are staying here. Fortunately, the air conditioning control panels were very easy to use. It’s the little things in life.

I had a view across a large car park towards The Sphere, with a glimpse of the Strip as well:

A very spacious bathroom is on the right and separated by a glass wall. You can pull a curtain if you prefer privacy.

There are two washbasins, which I’m sure is necessary if you are sharing as a four!

At the back of the bathroom is a very large bath as well as the shower:

Toiletries are by red flower from their palo santo line, with wall-mounted units in the shower.

Casino, pool and other amenities

Although I spent three nights at the hotel I didn’t have a huge amount of time to explore the extensive property due to scheduled Virgin Atlantic events, so this is by no means an exhaustive review.

First impressions of the hotel casino are that it is relatively quiet. The location off the strip means it accommodates hotel guests rather than punters and the hotel didn’t feel particularly full during my stay. There were lots of slot machines as well as some staffed tables.

For me, the real highlight of the hotel is the pool. Or pools: there are three of them, all on different levels. Only two were open during my stay – again, I imagine, due to low occupancy rates.

There is a shallow round pool which is largely used for events and is where Richard Branson and indeed half the crowd ended up during the main Virgin Atlantic 40th celebrations one evening!

Below this is the main pool, itself featuring three sections and surrounded by sun lounges and 15m-tall palm trees. One section features real sand which was fun.

One thing missing from the pools are umbrellas. Despite the baking 40-degree Nevadan heat there was nary an umbrella or shade in sight. Only the cabanas, which you can book for $150/day, are slightly more shaded.

The third pool, which is very similar to this, was closed although I caught a glimpse of it from above. Canyon Tower is behind:

The hotel also features a gym, spa and much more, although I didn’t see these myself. In terms of dining you have 10+ options including a Nobu inside the hotel. There’s also a 24 hour diner that is great when you’re starving after a 40th celebration ….

Conclusion

If you want to be off the Strip, then Virgin Hotels Las Vegas offers a solid base to explore.

You will want to explore as there aren’t any huge shows at the Virgin Hotel – certainly no top residency to draw a crowd. In fact, for a brand all about fun, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas seems remarkably low-key.

Rates start at around $160 which includes a $45 resort fee – unfortunately typical in the US these days. The resort fee would be waived on a Hilton Honors redemption stay.

The Virgin Hotels website seems to have cheaper rates currently due to a promotion.

You can find out more on the Hilton website here where you can also book redemption rooms, which I saw as low as 32,000 points per night.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (April 2025)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit and debit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

There are two dedicated Hilton Honors debit cards. These are especially attractive when spending abroad due to the 0% or 0.5% FX fee, depending on card.

You also receive FREE Hilton Honors status for as long as you hold the debit cards – Gold status with the Plus card and Silver status with the basic card. This is a great reason to apply even if you rarely use it.

We reviewed the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card here and the Hilton Honors Debit Card here.

You can apply for either card here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 30th April 2025, the annual fee on the basic Hilton Honors debit card is halved from £60 to £30. The sign-up bonus is also easier to earn – you need to spend £1,000 either in the UK or abroad within three months. The usual bonus rule requires you to spend the full £1,000 outside the UK.

There is another way of getting Hilton Honors status, and earning Hilton Honors points, from a payment card.

Holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card.  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton Honors points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points.