70 years of the Sahara Las Vegas — PHOTOS
Timeline
70 years of Sahara
1952: Milton Prell opens the Hotel Sahara with 240 rooms. The $5.5 million, Moroccan-themed resort is decorated with life-size camels. Ray Bolger, the scarecrow from “The Wizard of Oz,” headlines in the Congo Room until 1957.
1959: A 14-story tower is built, adding 200 rooms. A convention hall on the north side of the Sahara is added as well as a 127-foot sign. Comedian Don Rickles makes the first of many appearances in the Casbar lounge. George Burns also appears in the Casbar.
1961: Del Webb acquires the Sahara through a stock transaction involving 1.5 million shares in the Del Webb Corp. valued at about $12 million. The Sahara adds a $5 million, 24-story skyscraper with 400 rooms, bringing its total to more than 800. A 44,000-square-foot convention facility is built at a cost of $3.5 million.
1964: Stan Irwin, the Sahara entertainment director, brings the Beatles to Las Vegas. They perform at the Las Vegas Convention Center and stay at the hotel. Johnny Carson headlines in the Congo Room.
1969: Duke Ellington performs in the Casbar lounge.
1972: The Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon broadcasts from the Sahara. Charo headlines in the Congo Room.
1976: During the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, Frank Sinatra makes a surprise appearance to reunite Lewis with his former partner, Dean Martin.
1982: Paul Lowden buys the Sahara for $50 million.
1982 and 1983: Tina Turner performs in the Congo Room.
1988: A 26-story tower is added, bringing the room total to 1,500. Lowden expands the casino area and opens a new race and sports book.
1995: Bill Bennett buys the Sahara for $193 million, including 39 acres west of the Strip. Bennett begins a $100 million renovation, including bars, restaurants, rooms and swimming pools.
2000: Renovations are completed. There are 1,720 hotel rooms. The casino is 50,000 square feet larger and a porte cochere looks south toward the Wet ‘n Wild attraction. The NASCAR Cafe opens, featuring the Speed: The Ride roller coaster. The David Cassidy and Don Reo show, “The Rat Pack is Back,” opens in the Congo Room. It closes two years later.
2002: The Sahara turns 50. Charo opens her show “Bravo” in the Congo Room. Magician Steve Wyrick headlines in the Sahara Theater.
2007: SBE Entertainment and Stockbridge Real Estate buy the Sahara for between $300 million and $400 million.
2009: Illusionist Rick Thomas headlines for two years.
2011: The Sahara closes.
2013: Sam Nazarian invests $415 million in the property and opens it as SLS Las Vegas. Nazarian says SLS stands for “style, luxury, service.”
2014: Hilton Worldwide adds SLS Las Vegas to its specialty Curio brand.
2015: Nazarian sells his interest to Stockbridge Real Estate Group. Starwood Hotels & Resorts agrees to add SLS Las Vegas to its Tribute Portfolio. The 289-room Lux Tower is targeted for renovation.
2016: The Lux tower is rebranded as W Las Vegas.
2018: The Meruelo Group agrees to buy SLS Las Vegas, announcing plans for $100 million in renovations and ending the relationship with Starwood and ending the W Las Vegas brand.
2019: The renovation is done under the working name of “Grand Sahara Resort,” mirroring Meruelo’s Reno property, the Grand Sierra Resort, leading to speculation that the Sahara name would be revived.
June 27, 2019: Meruelo officially announces the hotel would be renamed Sahara Las Vegas.
Aug. 16, 2019: The “Blanc de Blanc” show opens at the property’s Foundry venue.
Aug. 27, 2019: The property tears down designer Phillipe Starck’s abstract statue “Sam by Starck,” an homage to former SLS Las Vegas owner Sam Nazarian.
Aug. 29, 2019: The property officially changes its name to Sahara Las Vegas.
February 2020: Sahara Las Vegas opens its poker room after nearly a decade without poker.
August 2021: “Magic Mike Live” moves from Hard Rock Hotel to the Sahara’s Magic Mike Live Theater.
January 2022: Sahara Las Vegas opens the Azilo Ultra Pool, featuring Moroccan décor and a 240-foot LED wall.