North Strip Renaissance? <\/strong><\/h2>\nThe Sahara became SLS in 2013 after Nazarian remodeled the property, having acquired it back in 2007. SLS stood for \u201cstyle, luxury and service,\u201d Nazarian explained. But the sleek, modern concept failed to connect with both locals and visitors.<\/p>\n
While the Sahara had for years stood at the \u201centrance\u201d to the Strip, the SLS reopened in post-recession Las Vegas surrounded by half-finished projects that had been abandoned during the economic downturn. The north Strip suffered from a lack of footfall, and SLS was bleeding money.<\/p>\n
Today, there\u2019s a new sense of optimism about the north Strip, which is shared by the Sahara\u2019s new owner,\u00a0the Meruelo Group.<\/p>\n
The abandoned Fontainebleau project is currently being transformed into the Drew Las Vegas, while Resorts World Las Vegas promises to entice visitors back to the area when it opens at the end of 2020.<\/p>\n
But the Sahara will have something these new properties cannot readily acquire: history.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a lot of nostalgia for the older Las Vegas,\u201d UNLV associate professor of history Michael Green told LVRJ<\/em> this week. \u201cYounger demographics like the idea of the old Las Vegas with new amenities.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cThe Sahara brand meant something a while back,\u201d he added. \u201c(It could) mean something again.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On Thursday, SLS officially reverted to The Sahara Las Vegas, the iconic brand that evokes Rat Pack-era hipness. The north Strip property is in the midst of a $150 million rebranding that will allow it to reconnect with its past, as well as with a Las Vegas audience for whom the name \u201cSLS\u201d didn\u2019t really […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":113525,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33810,18],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Sahara Las Vegas Returns to North Strip as City Bids Goodbye to SLS and Sam by Starck - Casino.org<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n