The SLS Las Vegas, a 1,720-room hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip, is officially rebranding itself. It’s well-known that this establishment has struggled to generate revenue over the past few years. It’s now being announced that the SLS is changing its name to the Sahara Hotel & Casino.

Hope is that this rebranding will help to build this hotel’s success back to what it experienced years ago. Now is the perfect time to look into why exactly the SLS is changing its name. Will this help to bring more revenue?

LAS VEGAS—In an ongoing more-than-$100-million transformation, the SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino has now become the Sahara Las Vegas, bringing an iconic hotel name back to The Strip. Alex Meruelo, founder of The Meruelo Group and owner of Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, NV, acquired the property in April of last yearand.

The new owner of SLS Hotel & Casino Las Vegas is reportedly looking to rebrand the property as Grand Sahara Resort as part of a planned $100-million renovation and upgrade, Eater Vegas reports. Privately-owned gaming company The Meruelo Group acquired the struggling Strip property from its previous owners earlier this year for an undisclosed price. Jun 04, 2019  Ever since SLS Las Vegas was purchased by developer Alex Meruelo, speculation has run rampant about what the new name of the resort would be. Now, we know. According to a well-placed source, SLS will be renamed Sahara Hotel & Casino.

SLS Las Vegas Struggling to Generate Revenue

The first casino built on the site of the SLS was Club Bingo, all the way back in 1947. In 1951, it was taken over and renamed the Sahara Hotel & Casino. This popular venue remained in place until 2011.

For many years, the Sahara was one of the most popular hotel-casinos in Las Vegas. At the time of its closure, however, it’s owner claimed it to be “not economically viable.” In 2013, reports came out that the Sahara was undergoing a $415 conversion to the SLS Hotel & Casino.

This establishment quickly opened its doors. Unfortunately, the assessment that this venue will struggle to generate revenue turned out to be true. The SLS Vegas Casino has lost hundreds of millions in operations since its opening. The Meruelo Group purchased the SLS in 2018.

Sls Casino

Alex Meruelo, CEO of the Meruelo Group, has a proven track record to turning struggling casinos into successful businesses. The first step that this company is taking will be to rebrand the SLS Las Vegas back to the Sahara Hotel & Casino. What else do they have planned?

Sahara Hotel & Casino Coming Back to Las Vegas

It’s a surprise to see the SLS converting back to the Sahara. It does make sense, though. The Sahara was a popular and respected casino just a few decades ago. The nostalgia of this establishment may be enough to bring in customers right away.

Sls Sahara Hotel

Alex Meruelo is certainly confident in his chances of turning the Sahara into something profitable.

“I was told there was no way in hell that I would be able to turn the Grand Sierra around. If I can turn around the Grand Sierra Resort, I could do that at SLS,” he told the media.

Meruelo Group may decide to completely renovate the hotel and casino. Time will tell which steps this company takes to turn things around.

Sls Casino Grand Sahara Las Vegas

Why Has the SLS Hotel & Casino Had Such a Difficult Time?

There are many factors contributing to the decline of the Sahara and SLS. First off, it’s in a less-than-desirable location. The Northern end of the Las Vegas Strip, sometimes referred to as the “Vegas Bermuda Triangle,” is known to be one of the worst areas to attract players.

Some feel that the Sahara may be the perfect venue to change this trend. Even some major players in the casino industry are looking into this part of the Strip.

Sls To Sahara

Casino owner Derek Stevens claims to be interested in the North end area. He too is skeptical of whether or not it’s a viable place to attract customers.

Sls Casino Grand Sahara Hotel

“I question whether or not it can be a viable casino location,” he said.

Do you think the SLS Las Vegas rebranding to the Sahara will help turn things around? Is this part of Las Vegas dead for casinos?