The legendary Sahara hotel on the Las Vegas Strip will be closing on May 16th, according to its owner. According to SBE Entertainment Group CEO Sam Nazarian:"the continued operation of the aging Sahara was no longer economically viable..."The Sahara is an iconic Vegas casino, opened in 1952, on the northern end of the Strip. It was a favorite of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack in the 60's and was one of the most popular Las Vegas resorts for decades. But it hasn't had a major upgrade in years and the huge jump in Vegas hotel room count (currently 149,177, thanks to the CityCenter and Cosmopolitan openings) has really hurt it financially.
The bottom line is that the Sahara stopped really being a competitive property and even its super cheap room deals weren't enough to bring people in and turn a profit. Many gaming and tourism experts believe that more ageing Vegas properties will be closing within the next few years as the city struggles to recover from the local and global recession. Two neighbors of the Sahara -- the Stratosphere and the Riviera -- are probably the most likely to get closed down in the near future.
We think that the closing of a major Las Vegas Strip casino, with no concrete plans to renovate and/or re-open in the future, is extremely worrying to say the least. It could lead to several other closures, especially near the Strips' north end. Speaking of that, the city needs to figure out a way to revitalize pretty much the entire Strip area between Sahara Ave and Wyoming Ave. Making it safe for tourists and Vegas locals to walk around in would be a start!
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