If you were hoping to book a stay at the W Las Vegas this August, you're out of luck. The entire hotel, which is connected to the SLS Las Vegas casino, has been bought out for most of the month.
While W spokeswoman Greta Vanhersecke wouldn't name the group behind the booking, she did confirm that the entire 289-room tower has been reserved for most of August. The on-site Away Spa will remain open to the public.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a Middle Eastern air force is responsible for the buyout, and one hotel employee named the Royal Saudi Air Force as the group.
Nellis Air Force Base, which is in northeastern Las Vegas, is scheduled to host Red Flag from Aug. 14 to 25. Red Flag exercises were established in 1975 and are described on the Nellis website as "a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies." Held at Nellis multiple times each year, "the exercise provides aircrews the experience of multiple, intensive air combat sorties in the safety of a training environment."
According to the R-J, some W employees are being moved into other positions during the booking. Three workers at the hotel said that female employees may not work on property while the group is in town.
"Everyone will have full-time employment during the time of the buyout and will have their positions at the end of August," Vanhersecke told the R-J.