SLS Las Vegas is set to debut an old new name as part of a $150 million renovation project currently taking place at the property. Owners announced Thursday night that SLS will be rebranded as Sahara, the name under which it opened doors more than six decades ago and under which it operated until 2011.
The announcement about the property’s upcoming rebrand was made after a fireworks and drone light show above the hotel and casino resort’s outdoor pool area on Thursday night.
SLS will operate under its current name for the next few months while details around its renaming are smoothed out. It will then run as Sahara Las Vegas. There have been speculations that businessman Alex Meruelo would bring the old Sahara name in one way or another since his Meruelo Group took over the legendary property last year.
Many believed that the hotel and casino resort would be rebranded as Grand Sahara Resort to match Mr. Meruelo’s Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada.
Commenting on Thursday’s announcement SLS General Manager Paul Hobson said that renaming the Las Vegas Strip resort was “one of the first conversations we had.” Mr. Hobson went on that they found Sahara a very appealing option and that “Sahara, without any modifiers, was powerful.”
Ongoing Renovation
The Meruelo Group is investing $150 million into a major renovation project at the property that Mr. Meruelo has said will take between two and three years to complete. The businessman has also pointed out that “every detail” of the hotel and casino resort that once played host to the Rat Pack and other celebrities would be looked at very carefully.
The renovation project will include the addition of new restaurants, a bar, and casino floor, among other things.
As for the planned rebrand, the property’s General Manager said that there are a lot of pieces and parts that need to be installed in relation to the renaming process. Mr. Hobson revealed that they “have a massive sign and light project coming” that is expected to be finalized in September or October.
According to documents filed with the Comprehensive Planning Department of Clark County, the Meruelo Group has requested approval to change or add more signs to mark the Sahara rebrand. It also became known that the company has asked for permission for over 114,000 square feet of signage space, which represents an increase of nearly 10% from what the property currently has.
Hotel Sahara originally opened doors as a Moroccan-themed resort with 240 hotel rooms in 1952. Owners added new hotel towers over the next decade to bring the room total to 840. A 26-story tower was added in 1988 to bring the rooms to a total of 1,500. That same year saw the debut of an expanded casino floor and the opening of a new race and sportsbook.
Another renovation project was completed in 2000. The resort featured more than 1,700 after the finalization of that project.
Sahara closed doors in 2011 to reopen two years later under new owners as the luxury SLS Las Vegas resort. Despite the massive $415 million investment made by the property’s former owner, Sam Nazarian, it never really gained traction in the Las Vegas casino market.
Mr. Meruelo believes that he can achieve what SLS’s previous owners failed to do with additional investment in the property and by bringing back its original name, among other things.
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