Sahara Las Vegas Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Sahara Las Vegas
Logo introduced in 2019
The Sahara in 2006
Location	Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
Address	2535 South Las Vegas Boulevard
Opening date	October 7, 1952; 72 years ago (1952-10-07)
No. of rooms	1,616
Total gaming space	50,662 sq ft (4,706.7 m²)
Signature attractions	Foxtail Nightclub The Foundry
Notable restaurants	Bazaar Meat Northside Cafe
Casino type	Land-based
Owner	Meruelo Group
Previous names	SLS Las Vegas (2014–19)
Renovated in	1954, 1959–60, 1961–63, 1968, 1988, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2013–14, 2018–20
Coordinates	36°08′32″N 115°09′23″W / 36.14222°N 115.15639°W / 36.14222; -115.15639

The Sahara Las Vegas is a famous hotel and casino in Winchester, Nevada. It is located on the exciting Las Vegas Strip. The Meruelo Group owns and runs this resort.

The hotel has 1,616 rooms for guests. Its casino area is very large, covering about 50,662 square feet. The Sahara is at the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip. It is also where the Las Vegas Monorail has its northernmost stop.

History of the Sahara Las Vegas
Gallery
Images for kids
See also

History of the Sahara Las Vegas

Early Days and African Theme (1947-1963)

The land where the Sahara stands today first had a casino called Club Bingo. This casino was opened in 1947 by Milton Prell. In 1951, Prell and his business partners started building the Sahara. It was built partly on the same land as Club Bingo.

The Sahara was built by the Del E. Webb Construction Company. It opened its doors on October 7, 1952. This made it the sixth big resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel had a cool African theme.

Martin Stern Jr., a famous architect, designed new parts for the Sahara. In 1960, a 14-story hotel tower was added. In 1961, Del Webb bought the Sahara. Then, in 1963, another 24-story hotel tower was opened. This tower was also designed by Stern.

Changes and New Owners (1960s-2011)

In the 1960s, many new and large resorts opened nearby. This made the Sahara less popular for a while. Paul Lowden bought the Sahara in 1982. He added a third hotel tower in 1988.

In 1995, Lowden sold the Sahara to Bill Bennett. Bennett spent about $100 million to make the resort new again. He gave it a Moroccan theme. Bennett's changes also included a fun NASCAR-themed area. This area had a restaurant and a roller coaster called Speed – The Ride.

In 2007, Sam Nazarian's SBE Entertainment Group and Stockbridge Real Estate Group bought the Sahara. On May 16, 2011, the Sahara closed. It was not making enough money to stay open.

Becoming SLS Las Vegas (2013-2019)

In 2013, Sam Nazarian started a huge project to completely rebuild the resort. It reopened on August 23, 2014, with a new name: SLS Las Vegas. It was part of SBE's chain of SLS hotels. The SLS Las Vegas had a very modern and stylish design. It aimed to attract visitors from southern California.

After it opened, the SLS Las Vegas had some tough times. In 2015, Nazarian sold his share to Stockbridge. The next year, one of the hotel towers was renamed W Las Vegas. It was managed by Starwood as part of its W Hotels chain.

Return to Sahara Las Vegas (2018-Present)

In 2018, the Meruelo Group bought the SLS. The W Las Vegas then became part of the SLS again. This happened after the resort stopped working with Starwood. On August 29, 2019, the SLS was renamed Sahara Las Vegas. This was part of a big project by Meruelo to update the resort.