After an eight-year absence, the Sahara is back on the north end of the Strip.
SLS Las Vegas owner Alex Meruelo announced during an unveiling party June 27 that the property, previously known as the Sahara, will become the Sahara Las Vegas. Fireworks and light-flashing drones accompanied the announcement.
"The Sahara played an important role in the evolution of the destination," Meruelo said. "And we are now responsible for shaping a new narrative. We are writing the next chapter in the city's evolution, for the love of Vegas."
The property has a long history, opening with 240 rooms in 1952 as the sixth resort on the Strip. It quickly became known as the home of jazz musician Louis Prima's late-night lounge act.
The Sahara, pictured above in a 1952 photo, operated from 1952 to 2011.
Among the many stars who performed there: Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Jack Benny, Tony Bennett, George Carlin, Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand. The Beatles stayed at the Sahara in 1964, playing two shows at the nearby Las Vegas Convention Center. The resort also hosted the annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon for many years.
Major expansions were completed in 1959, 1961 and 1988, and the casino-resort now features 1,615 guestrooms and more than 95,000 square feet of flexible meetings space.
After many ownership changes and diminishing popularity through the decades, the Sahara closed in 2011. SBE Entertainment bought the property and reopened it as the SLS Las Vegas in August 2014.
Meruelo, founder of the Meruelo Group and owner of the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, acquired the property in April 2018. Meruelo was approved last week as the new majority owner of the NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
A $100 million renovation project that began last fall will incorporate the change in branding. Enhancements to the 60,000-square-foot casino floor include a new layout for the slot, table games pit and high-limit areas as well as a new ceiling, carpeting and lighting. Updates to hotel suites and corridors as well as the pool area and entertainment venues are also part of the renovations.