SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino announced Wednesday that it will take over the W Las Vegas hotel which currently occupies one of the three hotel towers of the property. The resort, located on the northern end of the legendary Las Vegas Strip, is expected to assume control over the hotel facility on Friday.
The change will mark the departure of the W hotel brand from the Las Vegas Strip. In a statement released on Wednesday, the SLS said that all existing reservations beyond Friday, August 17, will be honored.
The move is part of a $100-million renovation the hotel and casino resort is currently undergoing after it was acquired by US Latino entrepreneur Alex Meruelo and his Meruelo Group in April. With its three towers, the SLS features a total of 1,616 rooms as well as gaming and entertainment portfolio.
The W Las Vegas itself has 289 rooms. It is located inside the LUX Tower and joined the vibrant Las Vegas hospitality only recently. The hotel was opened in 2016. Its rooms offer a bright and clean vibe with their white walls, furniture, and bedding, while its lobby features wall panels of old craps dice designed by popular firm AvroKO.
Renovation at the SLS
The SLS was originally opened as Sahara Hotel and Casino in 1952. The property was a favorite hangout for Frank Sinatra and other popular entertainers back in the day. It closed doors in 2011 to be reopened as a boutique resort in 2014. The Meruelo Group announced in May 2017 that it would purchase the property. The real estate company closed on the deal this past April.
It has recently emerged that the Meruelo Group was planning to rebrand the property as Grand Sahara Resort as part of the ongoing renovation. Company officials confirmed that a name change would indeed take place next year, but said that they were yet to decide on a final new name for the property and that Grand Sahara Resort was only a ‘working name’.
The Meruelo Group announced earlier this year that it would invest $100 million in the next several years to renovate different portions of the property. The renovation will include enhancements and refreshment of the gaming floor and the resort’s pool area as well as upgrades of the hotel rooms.
Mr. Meruelo has previously said that, among other things, the renovated and rebranded SLS will look to attract Spanish-speaking customers, as he believes that particular market is quite underdeveloped in Las Vegas. Mr. Meruelo himself is the son of Cuban immigrants. The entrepreneur owns several television and radio stations, some of which Spanish-language ones, across California and has pointed out that he would use his media outlets to promote his new hotel and casino operation.
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