By Larry Olmsted

Las Vegas tourism has been slow to recover during the coronavirus pandemic and threat of COVID-19, but as vaccines are rolled out, the city is hopeful travelers will begin to return in the not-too-distant future. When they do, they will find yet another new mega-resort waiting to be checked out and experienced.

Despite low occupancy rates amidst the city’s recent struggles, things seem to be picking up, and while several of the most prominent casino resorts shuttered themselves completely during slower midweek periods, those are coming back to full opening status. In addition, this is the second major recent opening and comes on the heels of another flashy debut, the adults-only and sports-centric Circa Resort & Casino, which debuted in late October.

The Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is the first in the city from the iconic global travel brand created by Sir Richard Branson and was originally slated to open on January 15, 2021. In the face of low occupancy city-wide, the powers that be held off two months, and have now announced a March 25, 2021 grand opening and are accepting reservations … continue reading

Award-winning travel journalist Larry Olmsted is the author of “Real Food, Fake Food.” He is a Contributing Editor to US Airways Magazine and Cigar Aficionado Magazine and “The Great Life” columnist for Forbes.com. His newest book, “Fans: How Watching Sports Makes Us Happer, Healthier, and More Understanding,” is

published this month.