The Blanca Tower (think: Casablanca) holds the hotel’s entry-level room product, with most accommodations measuring a compact 325 sq.ft. Now, after a $200 million, multi-year renovation that is nearly complete, the all-new SAHARA Las Vegas has reclaimed its mojo while leaning into its classic-but-updated Moroccan motif and rich, 70-year history, which is tastefully documented in a black-and-white photo gallery.Ĭonsidered a boutique property by Las Vegas standards, the SAHARA’s 1,613 guest rooms are spread between three towers, each named to pay tribute to the property’s original desert theme. Ultimately, the SLS’ location at the then-forlorn, northern end of the Strip was likely the principal factor leading to its demise and ultimate sale to the Meruelo Group (owners of the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino Reno) in 2017. Once legendary in Las Vegas - home base to The Beatles, Liberace, Elvis, and other mid-century luminaries - the SAHARA slowly faded into irrelevance during the ‘80s and ‘90s, finally closing in 2011.Ī promising new life as the SLS Las Vegas was born when the trendy SBE Entertainment Group renovated, rebranded, and reopened the casino-hotel in 2014, aiming at hip Southern Californians - who were already familiar with the brand - as a prime demographic target.
