SLS Las Vegas - wikipedia SLS Las Vegas SLS Hotel & Casino Las Vegas Wikimedia © OpenStreetMap Location Winchester, Nevada Address 2535 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 Opening date August 23, 2014 ; 4 years ago ( 2014 - 08 - 23 ) No. of rooms 1,720 Total gaming space 85,000 sq ft ( 7,900 m ) Signature attractions Sayers Club Ciel Spa Foxtail Nightclub The Foundry Etc. Fred Segal Notable restaurants Bazaar Katsuya Cleo Umami Burger 800 Degrees Northside Cafè The Perq Casino type Land - Resort Owner Meruelo Group Previous names Sahara Hotel and Casino Renovated in 1960, 1963, 1996, 2003, 2013 Coordinates 36 ° 08 ′ 32 '' N 115 ° 09 ′ 23 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 36.14222 ° N 115.15639 ° W ﻿ / 36.14222 ; - 115.15639 Coordinates : 36 ° 08 ′ 32 '' N 115 ° 09 ′ 23 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 36.14222 ° N 115.15639 ° W ﻿ / 36.14222 ; - 115.15639 Website www.slslasvegas.com The SLS Hotel & Casino Las Vegas ( formerly Sahara Hotel and Casino ) is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Alex Meruelo. The hotel was formerly known as the Sahara Hotel and Casino. It was in operation under that name for 59 years from 1952 to 2011. The hotel had 1,720 guestrooms and suites with a casino covering more than 85,000 square feet ( 7,900 m ). The hotel is the site of the SLS station, the northernmost stop for the Las Vegas Monorail. The SLS anchored the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip. The renovated property reopened on August 23, 2014, after a $415 million renovation as part of SBE 's chain of SLS hotels. It was sold to the Meruelo Group in 2017 and will be renamed Grand Sahara Resort in 2019, after a renovation. Contents 1 History 1.1 Sahara ( 1952 -- 2011 ) 1.2 Closing as the Sahara ( 2011 ) 1.3 SLS conversion ( 2013 -- present ) 2 Film history 3 References 4 External links History Sahara ( 1952 -- 2011 ) The first casino built on the site was Club Bingo, which opened in 1947. Owner Milton Prell replaced the casino with a new casino hotel in 1952 called the Sahara Hotel. Located just outside the City of Las Vegas, it was the sixth resort to open on the Strip. The resort was built by Del Webb. The porte - cochere entrance, topped by an onion - dome minaret, was designed to set the resort 's warm Moroccan flavor and hospitality for arriving guests. In late 1954, entertainment director Bill Miller hired jazz musician Louis Prima to be their late night lounge act, one of the earliest ones on the Las Vegas Strip. Along with his then - wife Keely Smith and sax player Sam Butera, they created one of the hottest late - night attractions on the Strip. In 1956, Abbott and Costello appeared together for the last time on the Sahara stage before their permanent breakup. The hotel constructed the first high - rise tower on the Strip in 1959, the Tunis Tower, designed by Martin Stern. Early Sahara stationery In 1961, the hotel was purchased by Del Webb. In 1962, a Don the Beachcomber restaurant opened in the hotel, becoming a top attraction to not only hotel guests but a variety of celebrities as well. The 24 - story Alexandria Tower was added in 1963, which made the hotel the tallest building in Las Vegas. The resort was the site of the annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon for many years, mostly in the 1970s, and for a brief time in the 1990s. Performers at the resort over the years have included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Lena Horne, Jack Benny, Tony Bennett, Paul Anka, George Carlin, Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand, Wayne Newton, Bill Cosby, Ann - Margret, Louis Prima, Joey Bishop, Shelley Berman, Kiss, Buddy Hackett, The Drifters, Don Rickles, Bobby Darin, The Coasters, Sonny & Cher and many others. In 1964, The Beatles stayed at the Sahara and played two shows at the nearby Las Vegas Convention Center. By 1978, the 27 - story Tangiers Tower was added to the property. Del Webb Corp ran into financial problems in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The company sold the Sahara to Paul Lowden 's Archon Corporation for $50 million in 1982. Ownership changed in 1995, when Archon sold the property to Bill Bennett. An expansion to the 27 - story Tangiers Tower was added in 1987, and a new porte - cochere was added near the relocated pool 10 years later, in 1997. In 1999, further renovations added a roller coaster and a restaurant. The roller coaster, named `` Speed - The Ride '', shot riders from the hotel outside along the Las Vegas Strip, where it looped through the grandiose Sahara sign in front of the hotel, went straight up a tower, stopped and then took a return trip backwards. Bergman Walls Associates were the 1999 architects. Sahara Entrance Bennett died in December 2002. Rumors of the Sahara 's closure surfaced in the media in February 2006. By June, the Sahara site was reportedly up for sale. Sahara Hotel and Casino In March 2007, Sam Nazarian and Stockbridge Real Estate Group agreed to purchase the Sahara from the Bennett family for an estimated $300 to $400 million. Closing as the Sahara ( 2011 ) The Sahara shut down on May 16, 2011. SBE chief executive Sam Nazarian stated that the hotel was not `` economically viable ''. Nazarian said that he would help the 1,600 hotel workers find new jobs. Its closure left only Riviera ( closed in 2015 ), Tropicana, Flamingo, Caesars Palace, and Circus Circus remaining from the pre-1969 era. On May 16, 2011, at 12 : 00 PM PDT, the last hotel guest checked out of the Sahara Hotel and Casino, and the hotel officially closed at 2 : 00 PM. This marked the end of a 59 - year run on the Strip. According to the Sahara 's website, any previous reservations would be honored at the Circus Circus. NCL / National Content Liquidators began a liquidation sale on June 16, 2011, of all items inside the property ; the sale continued until the property was completely empty. The final day of the sale was September 4, 2011. The `` Speed - The Ride '', which was located in front of the casino, was sold and removed. It will be relocated across from the Mandalay Bay in the new Akita Plaza. SLS conversion ( 2013 -- present ) On February 14, 2013, Nazarian announced the groundbreaking for the $415 million conversion of the hotel into the SLS Las Vegas. The hotel opened on August 23, 2014. It contains 1,600 rooms, a casino, four nightclubs, the clothing store Fred Segal and various restaurants. The name `` SLS '' was chosen by Nazarian to denote style, luxury and service. The guest rooms and restaurants were designed by Philippe Starck in collaboration with Gensler. Additionally, a handful of suites are designed by musician and actor Lenny Kravitz. On September 6, 2014, Hilton Worldwide added the SLS to its specialty Curio brand. The facility offers 80,000 sq ft of event space, 9 dining establishments, an open air rooftop pool / nightclub, and the Ciel Spa. On October 6, 2015, Sam Nazarian sold his interest in the SLS Las Vegas and made an agreement to franchise the hotel to Stockbridge Real Estate Group. On November 9, 2015, Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced that it would add SLS Las Vegas to its Tribute Portfolio, a chain of independent four - star hotels that would allow it to take advantage of Starwood 's reservation platform and member benefits. It also announced that the 289 - room LUX Tower, one of the three towers onsite, would undergo a renovation and rebranding as W Las Vegas in September 2016. The W would have its own dedicated entrance, lobby, meeting space, pool and facilities and will be managed by Starwood while the remainder of the SLS would remain under its existing management. The conversion to the W was officially completed on December 1, 2016. In May 2017, the Meruelo Group agreed to purchase the SLS Las Vegas. In 2018 the Meruelo Group announced plans for a $100 million renovation, and suggested they might return the property to the `` Sahara '' name. The resort ceased to be managed by Starwood 's successor company, Marriott, on August 17, 2018, and the W Hotel branding was removed, with that wing renamed the Grand Tower. The entire SLS resort will be renamed Grand Sahara Resort after a major renovation that will reposition it to serve the Hispanic market. Film history The 1960 version of Ocean 's 11 was filmed at the Sahara. In 2011, the TV show Storage Wars filmed their special `` Storage Wars Unlocked '' at the hotel / casino. References Jump up ^ `` SLS Las Vegas to be acquired by Alex Meruelo and Meruelo Group ''. CDC Gaming Reports. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 25. ^ Jump up to : `` SLS Las Vegas Will Open Even Earlier Than Planned on August 23 ''. HotelChatter. June 17, 2014. Retrieved February 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Jones, Jay ( February 14, 2013 ). `` Las Vegas : SLS resort to open in fall 2014 in the former Sahara ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Moore, Thomas ( May 23, 2017 ). `` SLS on Strip sold to owners of Reno casino ''. Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved May 23, 2017. Jump up ^ https://vegas.eater.com/2018/7/12/17563044/grand-sahara-resort-sls-las-vegas-w-hotel ^ Jump up to : `` Dreaming the Skyline -- Sahara ''. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Retrieved February 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Burbank, Jeff ( May 20, 2011 ). `` Sahara ''. Online Nevada Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Kelley, Tina ( December 12, 2002 ). `` Bill Miller, 98, an Impresario In the Golden Age of Las Vegas ''. New York Times. Jump up ^ Evanslas, K.J. ( February 7, 1999 ). `` Bill Miller ''. Las Vegas Review - Journal. Jump up ^ Kanigher, Steve ( May 14, 2011 ). `` Once ' jewel of the desert, ' Sahara entertains last weekend guests before closing ''. Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved February 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Benston, Liz ( February 13, 2006 ). `` Offers they can refuse : For now, no changes on tap at Sahara ''. Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved February 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Miller, Brian K. ( June 30, 2006 ). `` Archon Selling 27 Acres on ' Strip ' for $450 M ''. GlobeSt.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Stutz, Howard ( March 5, 2007 ). `` Sahara buyer sees new life for old resort ''. Casino City Times. Retrieved February 15, 2015. Jump up ^ `` liquidation sales website ''. National Content Liquidators. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2013. Jump up ^ Breslin Builders ( 28 December 2011 ). `` Akita Retail and Events Center to get a roller coaster... '' Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 20. Jump up ^ Breslin Builders ( 12 April 2012 ). `` SPEED The Ride -- Sahara Roller Coaster Removal Starting... '' Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 19. Jump up ^ Hotel News Resource ( February 14, 2013 ). `` SLS Las Vegas Redevelopment Breaks Ground ''. Hotel News Resource. Retrieved February 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Martin, Hugo ( November 9, 2014 ). `` L.A. nightclub operator Sam Nazarian bets on Las Vegas hotel - casino ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 18, 2015. Jump up ^ `` What to See, Like and Savor at The SLS Las Vegas, Opening in August ''. HotelChatter. May 12, 2014. Retrieved February 15, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Hilton Worldwide Introduces SLS Las Vegas to Curio -- A Collection by Hilton ''. Hilton Worldwide. Retrieved May 1, 2015. Jump up ^ Jones, Jay. `` Las Vegas getting a W Hotel as part of existing SLS Hotel on the Strip ''. latimes.com. Jump up ^ `` Game on : W Hotels Worldwide blazes into Sin City with W Las Vegas '' ( Press release ). W Hotels Worldwide. December 1, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2017 -- via PR Newswire. Jump up ^ Moore, Thomas ( May 23, 2017 ). `` SLS on Strip sold to owners of Reno casino ''. Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved May 23, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Struggling Las Vegas Casino To Get $100 M Investment ''. www.cardplayer.com. Jump up ^ https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/w-hotel-brand-will-vanish-from-the-las-vegas-strip-on-friday/ Jump up ^ https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article101312.html Jump up ^ https://vegas.eater.com/2018/7/12/17563044/grand-sahara-resort-sls-las-vegas-w-hotel Jump up ^ Block, Marcelline ( 2011 ). World Film Locations : Las Vegas. Intellect Books. Page 12. ISBN 9781841505886. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sahara Hotel and Casino. Official website SLS Las Vegas on Facebook Las Vegas area casinos Las Vegas Strip Aria Bally 's Bellagio Caesars Palace Casino Royale Circus Circus Cosmopolitan Cromwell Encore Excalibur Flamingo Harrah 's The Linq Luxor Mandalay Bay MGM Grand Mirage New York - New York O'Sheas Palazzo Paris Park MGM Planet Hollywood Slots - A-Fun SLS Treasure Island Tropicana Venetian Wynn Boulder Strip Arizona Charlie 's Boulder Boulder Station Eastside Cannery Railroad Pass Sam 's Town Downtown Las Vegas Binion 's California Downtown Grand El Cortez Four Queens Fremont Golden Gate Golden Nugget Main Street Station Plaza The D Resort corridor ( surrounds the Strip ) Aztec Inn Ellis Island Gold Coast Hard Rock Hooters Lucky Dragon Orleans Palace Station Palms Rio Silver Sevens Stratosphere Tuscany Westgate Wild Wild West Other areas Airport Slots Aliante Arizona Charlie 's Decatur Cannery Eldorado Fiesta Henderson Fiesta Rancho Green Valley Ranch Jerry 's Nugget Jokers Wild Klondike Sunset Lucky Club MonteLago Opera House Poker Palace Rampart Red Rock Santa Fe Station Silver Nugget Silverton Skyline South Point Suncoast Sunset Station Texas Station Proposed The Drew Resorts World Las Vegas Cancelled Casinos never opened Craig Ranch Station Crown Las Vegas Echelon Place Las Vegas Plaza Santa Fe Valley Former Aladdin Bill 's Boardwalk Bourbon Street California Club Castaways ( Las Vegas Strip ) Castaways ( Boulder Strip ) Clarion Desert Inn Dunes El Rancho Casino El Rancho Vegas Gold Spike Frontier Hacienda Holy Cow Hondo Imperial Palace Key Largo Klondike La Bayou Landmark Las Vegas Club Marina Hotel The Meadows Casino & Hotel Mermaids Mint Moulin Rouge Northern Club Pioneer Club Riviera Sands Sahara Silver City Silver Slipper Stardust Vacation Village Vegas World The Western Westin Westward Ho Las Vegas area hotels Las Vegas Strip Aria Bally 's Bellagio Caesars Palace Casino Royale Circus Circus Cosmopolitan Cromwell Delano Encore Excalibur Flamingo Four Seasons Harrah 's The Linq Luxor Mandalay Bay MGM Grand Mirage New York - New York Palazzo Paris Park MGM Planet Hollywood SLS Signature Treasure Island Tropicana Trump Vdara Venetian Waldorf Astoria Wynn Boulder Strip Arizona Charlie 's Boulder Boulder Station Eastside Cannery Railroad Pass Sam 's Town Downtown Las Vegas Binion 's California Downtown Grand El Cortez Four Queens Fremont Golden Gate Golden Nugget Main Street Station Plaza The D Resort corridor ( surrounds the Strip ) Artisan Aztec Inn Gold Coast Grand Chateau Hard Rock Hooters Lucky Dragon Orleans Palace Station Palms Platinum Rio Silver Sevens Stratosphere Tuscany Westgate Westin Wild Wild West Other areas Aliante Arizona Charlie 's Decatur Cannery Fiesta Henderson Fiesta Rancho Grandview Green Valley Ranch JW Marriott Lucky Club Red Rock Santa Fe Station Silverton Skyline South Point Suncoast Sunset Station Tahiti Village Texas Station Proposed Charlie Palmer Hotel Resorts World Las Vegas The Drew Grand Central Hotel Cancelled Craig Ranch Station Crown Las Vegas Echelon Place Las Vegas Plaza Santa Fe Valley Former Aladdin Algiers Boardwalk Bourbon Street Castaways ( Las Vegas Strip ) Castaways ( Boulder Strip ) Clarion Desert Inn Dunes El Rancho Casino El Rancho Vegas Gold Spike Frontier Hacienda Harmon Key Largo Klondike La Concha Las Vegas Club Landmark Marina Hotel The Meadows Casino & Hotel Mint Moulin Rouge Riviera Sands Silver Slipper Stardust Vacation Village Vegas World The Western Westward Ho Las Vegas area skyscrapers Las Vegas Strip Aria Bally 's Bellagio Caesars Palace Circus Circus Cosmopolitan Delano Elara Encore Excalibur Flamingo Harrah 's Hilton Linq Luxor Mandalay Bay MGM Grand Mirage New York - New York Palazzo Paris Park MGM Planet Hollywood Riviera Signature Sky SLS Treasure Island Tropicana Trump Vdara Veer Venetian Waldorf Astoria Wynn Boulder Strip Boulder Station Eastside Cannery Sam 's Town Downtown Las Vegas Binion 's California Downtown Grand El Cortez Four Queens Fremont Golden Nugget Main Street Station Plaza The D The Ogden World Market Center Resort corridor ( surrounds the Strip ) Allure Grand Chateau Hard Rock Hooters Lucky Dragon Orleans Palace Station Palms Palms Place Panorama Rio Stratosphere Turnberry Place Turnberry Towers Westgate Westin Other Aliante JW Marriott Red Rock Santa Fe Station South Point Suncoast Sunset Station Texas Station Proposed Dynasty Flatiron The Drew Grand Central St. Regis Resorts World Las Vegas Unbuilt Alon Las Vegas Ivana Las Vegas Las Ramblas Resort Las Vegas Plaza Majestic / Conrad The Merrill Sandhurst Las Vegas W Las Vegas Former Aladdin Boardwalk Castaways Desert Inn Dunes Hacienda Las Vegas Club Harmon Landmark Sands Stardust Vegas World Las Vegas Strip South end Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign West side casinos Aria Bellagio Caesars Palace Circus Circus Cosmopolitan Excalibur Lucky Dragon Luxor Mandalay Bay The Mirage New York - New York Park MGM Resorts World ( proposed ) Slots - A-Fun Stratosphere Treasure Island East side casinos Bally 's Casino Royale Cromwell Encore Flamingo The Drew ( under construction ) Harrah 's The Linq MGM Grand O'Sheas Palazzo Paris Planet Hollywood SLS Tropicana Venetian Wynn Former casinos Boardwalk Castaways Desert Inn Dunes El Rancho El Rancho Vegas Hacienda Klondike Marina New Frontier Riviera Sahara Sands Silver City Silver Slipper Stardust Thunderbird Westward Ho Shopping Crystals Fashion Show Mall The Forum Shops Grand Canal Shoppes Harmon Corner Miracle Mile Shops Showcase Mall Attractions Adventuredome High Roller Mandalay Bay Events Center MGM Grand Garden Arena The Roller Coaster Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay Skyvue T - Mobile Arena MSG Sphere Las Vegas Transportation Aria Express The Deuce Las Vegas Monorail Mandalay Bay Tram RTC Transit McCarran Airport Related List of Las Vegas Strip hotels Paradise, Nevada Winchester, Nevada 2017 Las Vegas shooting 2018 Stanley Cup Finals Strip Gaming Area Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SLS_Las_Vegas&oldid=866355407 '' Categories : Casinos completed in 1952 Hotel buildings completed in 1952 Hotel buildings completed in 1963 Hotel buildings completed in 1987 Skyscraper hotels in Winchester, Nevada Landmarks in Nevada Hotels established in 1952 Resorts in the Las Vegas Valley Las Vegas Strip Casinos in the Las Vegas Valley Casino hotels Del E. 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Question: who owns the sls casino in las vegas
Answer: Alex Meruelo