LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A huge announcement is expected to come Thursday night from the SLS which is on the north end of the Strip. Industry insiders say it will be changing it’s name back to the Sahara.
This comes as re-development in that area has been picking up. Some major properties on the north end of the Strip have already re-branded themselves.
Now, with changes coming to the SLS and progress being made at the former Fontainebleau, experts say it’s the start of a new era.
Best friends Cynthia Fincher and Michelle Morgan are staying at the SLS. They like it but aren’t huge fans of the location.
“Honestly, I don’t think we realized that it was far away from the Strip when we originally booked,” Fincher said, who is visiting from Colorado.
But they say a retro re-vamp would enhance their excitement.
“I think it’s cool that they want to go back to being the Sahara from what we heard, if that’s what they’re wanting to do,” Morgan added.
“I think it can work,” said Kevin Buckley, a commercial real estate expert. He says fresh slate is exactly what the SLS needs.
And the same goes for the rest of the north end of the Las Vegas Strip.
“All that improvement has gone to the south of it,” he said.
Buckley says the progress on Resorts World and the re-branding of the Stratosphere to The Strat are good first steps. But the most crucial change needs to happen at the former Fontainebleau which is the future Drew Las Vegas.
He believes that will open the door to the north Strip.
“They would go further down if the Fontainebleau or the Drew would be completed,” Buckley said.
“There’s nothing prettier than the front of the Bellagio right? We don’t have that on the north end of the Strip.”
The big blue building is something of an eye-sore. Since 2009, it’s sat unoccupied even after multiple attempts at redevelopment. Developer Witkoff finally took over and has plans to open it in 2022.
They call their design a fresh vision saying… “We believe Drew Las Vegas is set to usher in the next generation of Las Vegas resorts. It will be unlike anything on the Strip today.”
“They might get a few more people that actually are interested,” Fincher said.
Witkoff says they have confirmed an opening date for the Drew Las Vegas in the second quarter of 2022. As far as the SLS goes, they will be making their big announcement Thursday night.