SLS Las Vegas hosted a VIP party on the night of August 22, 2014, ahead of the public opening at midnight.
The VIP party hosted 3,600 guests, including various celebrities.
Thousands of local residents arrived for the midnight opening, which was celebrated with performances by Iggy Azalea, Rita Ora, and Lenny Kravitz.
A fireworks display also marked the celebration.
It was the first new resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip since the Cosmopolitan in 2010.
The SLS employed 3,400 people, including nearly 100 former Sahara employees.

The SLS Las Vegas was SBE's flagship property with 1,620 rooms, the most of any of its hotel properties.
The SLS featured a chic and modern design.
The target demographic consisted of residents from southern California, as well as younger people.
The resort had a focus on offering amenity brands that were popular in Los Angeles, where Nazarian owned several businesses such as nightclubs.
The SLS also sought to attract between 35 and 40 percent of its business through local residents, a demographic that generally did not venture to the Las Vegas Strip.
Restaurants and nightclubs were priced low to attract locals, and resort entrances were situated to allow locals to easily access the eateries.
The SLS would also appeal to local residents through gaming and restaurant promotions.
The Sahara's original entrance for the Las Vegas Monorail was demolished and rebuilt for easier access from the casino.
The resort also took advantage of its proximity to the Las Vegas Convention Center by offering convention guests with discounts on the monorail.

Little remained of the earlier Sahara resort, aside from the exterior shell of its buildings.
The Sahara hotel towers were renamed as the Lux, Story, and World towers, catering respectively to luxury travelers, younger people, and tourists.
Kravitz designed four suites for the SLS, and the former Alexandria Tower was turned into an all-suite building.
The World tower was the largest, with 1,100 rooms.
The rooms in the Story tower featured a basic design with gray walls and exposed concrete ceilings.
Nazarian's plans made the resort more spacious and provided easier access to the hotel towers and the 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m²) conference center.
The Sahara's Congo Room was renamed as the Congo Ballroom.
A portion of the former NASCAR Cafe was turned into space for gambling, nightclubs, and the Bazaar Meat steakhouse.
Along the Las Vegas Strip, an indoor-outdoor patio area was added to serve as a beer garden, taking the place where Speed – The Ride once operated.

Nazarian had the casino floor redesigned for a darker appearance resembling a nightclub, with a high ceiling and exposed ductwork.
Part of the casino featured floor tiles that changed colors.
The casino measured 56,000 sq ft (5,200 m²) and included 790 slot machines, as well as 74 table games.
The casino was small compared to others on the Las Vegas Strip.
In contrast to the Sahara casino, the number of slot machines in the SLS was reduced to allow more table games.
The updated SLS floor plan had gaming throughout the property, including table games in one of the nightclubs and in a restaurant's lounge area.
The casino also included a sports book operated by William Hill.

Prior to its opening, observers were concerned that the SLS did not have enough of a focus on its casino portion.
The Cosmopolitan, also a modern resort with a limited focus on gaming, had lost money since its opening in 2010.
However, gaming was no longer a primary source of revenue for most casino resorts in Las Vegas.
As the opening approached, analysts believed the SLS would perform better than the Cosmopolitan.

The SLS opened with nine restaurants, many of which were popular in Los Angeles.
José Andrés had two restaurants at the resort, including Bazaar Meat.
Andrés had been a partner of SBE for six years.
The resort also included an Umami Burger, the SLS Buffet, the Griddle Cafe, and a Mediterranean restaurant known as Cleo.

The SLS had three nightclubs: Foxtail, Life, and Sayers Club.
Foxtail had an 8,000 sq ft (740 m²) interior spa
SLS Las Vegas hosted a VIP party on the night of August 22, 2014, ahead of the public opening at midnight. The VIP party hosted 3,600 guests, including various celebrities. Thousands of local residents arrived for the midnight opening, which was celebrated with performances by Iggy Azalea, Rita Ora, and Lenny Kravitz. A fireworks display also marked the celebration. It was the first new resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip since the Cosmopolitan in 2010. The SLS employed 3,400 people, including nearly 100 former Sahara employees.
The SLS Las Vegas was SBE's flagship property with 1,620 rooms, the most of any of its hotel properties. The SLS featured a chic and modern design. The target demographic consisted of residents from southern California, as well as younger people. The resort had a focus on offering amenity brands that were popular in Los Angeles, where Nazarian owned several businesses such as nightclubs. The SLS also sought to attract between 35 and 40 percent of its business through local residents, a demographic that generally did not venture to the Las Vegas Strip. Restaurants and nightclubs were priced low to attract locals, and resort entrances were situated to allow locals to easily access the eateries. The SLS would also appeal to local residents through gaming and restaurant promotions. The Sahara's original entrance for the Las Vegas Monorail was demolished and rebuilt for easier access from the casino. The resort also took advantage of its proximity to the Las Vegas Convention Center by offering convention guests with discounts on the monorail.
Little remained of the earlier Sahara resort, aside from the exterior shell of its buildings. The Sahara hotel towers were renamed as the Lux, Story, and World towers, catering respectively to luxury travelers, younger people, and tourists. Kravitz designed four suites for the SLS, and the former Alexandria Tower was turned into an all-suite building. The World tower was the largest, with 1,100 rooms. The rooms in the Story tower featured a basic design with gray walls and exposed concrete ceilings. Nazarian's plans made the resort more spacious and provided easier access to the hotel towers and the 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m²) conference center. The Sahara's Congo Room was renamed as the Congo Ballroom. A portion of the former NASCAR Cafe was turned into space for gambling, nightclubs, and the Bazaar Meat steakhouse. Along the Las Vegas Strip, an indoor-outdoor patio area was added to serve as a beer garden, taking the place where Speed – The Ride once operated.
Nazarian had the casino floor redesigned for a darker appearance resembling a nightclub, with a high ceiling and exposed ductwork. Part of the casino featured floor tiles that changed colors. The casino measured 56,000 sq ft (5,200 m²) and included 790 slot machines, as well as 74 table games. The casino was small compared to others on the Las Vegas Strip. In contrast to the Sahara casino, the number of slot machines in the SLS was reduced to allow more table games. The updated SLS floor plan had gaming throughout the property, including table games in one of the nightclubs and in a restaurant's lounge area. The casino also included a sports book operated by William Hill.
Prior to its opening, observers were concerned that the SLS did not have enough of a focus on its casino portion. The Cosmopolitan, also a modern resort with a limited focus on gaming, had lost money since its opening in 2010. However, gaming was no longer a primary source of revenue for most casino resorts in Las Vegas. As the opening approached, analysts believed the SLS would perform better than the Cosmopolitan.
The SLS opened with nine restaurants, many of which were popular in Los Angeles. José Andrés had two restaurants at the resort, including Bazaar Meat. Andrés had been a partner of SBE for six years. The resort also included an Umami Burger, the SLS Buffet, the Griddle Cafe, and a Mediterranean restaurant known as Cleo.
The SLS had three nightclubs: Foxtail, Life, and Sayers Club. Foxtail had an 8,000 sq ft (740 m²) interior spa
Sahara Las Vegas