In September 2011, plans to redevelop the Sahara were accelerated, as SBE and Stockbridge announced the purchase of the resort's mortgage debt.
Gensler was hired as the architectural design firm, while Penta Building Group would serve as the general contractor.
Philippe Starck would handle the interior design.
Starck was a longtime partner of Nazarian, and his design plans for the Sahara dated to 2007.

Later in 2011, the Clark County Commission approved renovation plans for the resort.
The Sahara would be renamed as SLS Las Vegas, part of SBE's growing chain of SLS-branded hotels in the United States.
The name "SLS" stood for style, luxury, and service.
Nazarian planned to remodel the Sahara into a luxurious boutique hotel, matching his other properties.
The Las Vegas location would include restaurant and nightlife brands affiliated with SBE, and would provide a Beverly Hills experience.
The room count would be reduced from 1,720 to 1,622 as a result of the renovations.
The plans would also include the demolition of Speed – The Ride.
The SLS Las Vegas would oversee all amenities, unlike other casinos which would lease such space to third-party operators.

Nazarian hoped to have SLS Las Vegas opened in the second quarter of 2014, and he needed to raise $415 million from investors and lenders to convert the Sahara into the new resort.
The project was expected to cost a total of $744 million, with SBE and Stockbridge contributing $329 million.
The project's financing plan would include investors through the EB-5 program.
Moody's and Standard & Poor's considered the project risky because of its location, and they questioned the owners' ability to pay off future debt.

In April 2012, the project secured $300 million in funding through JPMorgan Chase.
Nazarian said the Sahara hotel towers would be "stripped down to their skeletons" to allow for renovation work.
SBE was known for redeveloping old hotels into new ones rather than demolishing them.
Nazarian said, "Instead of exploding an Old Vegas landmark like everybody else does, I am reusing the bones to build something new.
I'm making it smaller and more personal, though, so the experience is more manicured.
Bigger isn't better."
Retaining the hotel buildings would allow the SLS to offer low room rates.

Groundbreaking for the SLS Las Vegas project took place on February 13, 2013, after the EB-5 program provided the remainder of the $415 million needed to renovate the Sahara.
Senator Harry Reid, the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, later received criticism for using his power to expedite the EB-5 process for Asian investors in the SLS.
Reid defended his action, stating that the project otherwise could have lost funding, resulting in the loss of future jobs.
The EB-5 financing came from 800 Chinese investors.
A three-month demolition phase was underway in March 2013, with much of the interior gutted.
The Sahara's camel sign on the Las Vegas Strip was dismantled, followed by the removal of the Moroccan-style dome.

In early 2014, it was announced that the SLS Las Vegas would open later that year on August 29, during the Labor Day weekend.
In June 2014, it was announced that the SLS would be part of Hilton's Curio brand, which allowed customers to use and earn points at select hotels.
The SLS was also part of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts guest loyalty program, increasing the potential for a customer base.
SBE also had a loyalty program of its own with more than five million customers in its database, with an average age of 38 years.
Many of those customers lived in southern California.

Construction progressed ahead of schedule, prompting a new opening date of August 23, 2014.
A $5.2 million marketing campaign was launched to promote the opening.
The campaign honored the original Sahara through photographs taken during the 1960s, alongside modern images of the SLS.
Historical photos were also featured inside the SLS.
Carpeting throughout the resort featured the images of celebrities who had performed at the Sahara over the years, including Dean Martin.
Approximately 50 S-shaped Sahara
In September 2011, plans to redevelop the Sahara were accelerated, as SBE and Stockbridge announced the purchase of the resort's mortgage debt. Gensler was hired as the architectural design firm, while Penta Building Group would serve as the general contractor. Philippe Starck would handle the interior design. Starck was a longtime partner of Nazarian, and his design plans for the Sahara dated to 2007.
Later in 2011, the Clark County Commission approved renovation plans for the resort. The Sahara would be renamed as SLS Las Vegas, part of SBE's growing chain of SLS-branded hotels in the United States. The name "SLS" stood for style, luxury, and service. Nazarian planned to remodel the Sahara into a luxurious boutique hotel, matching his other properties. The Las Vegas location would include restaurant and nightlife brands affiliated with SBE, and would provide a Beverly Hills experience. The room count would be reduced from 1,720 to 1,622 as a result of the renovations. The plans would also include the demolition of Speed – The Ride. The SLS Las Vegas would oversee all amenities, unlike other casinos which would lease such space to third-party operators.
Nazarian hoped to have SLS Las Vegas opened in the second quarter of 2014, and he needed to raise $415 million from investors and lenders to convert the Sahara into the new resort. The project was expected to cost a total of $744 million, with SBE and Stockbridge contributing $329 million. The project's financing plan would include investors through the EB-5 program. Moody's and Standard & Poor's considered the project risky because of its location, and they questioned the owners' ability to pay off future debt.
In April 2012, the project secured $300 million in funding through JPMorgan Chase. Nazarian said the Sahara hotel towers would be "stripped down to their skeletons" to allow for renovation work. SBE was known for redeveloping old hotels into new ones rather than demolishing them. Nazarian said, "Instead of exploding an Old Vegas landmark like everybody else does, I am reusing the bones to build something new. I'm making it smaller and more personal, though, so the experience is more manicured. Bigger isn't better." Retaining the hotel buildings would allow the SLS to offer low room rates.
Groundbreaking for the SLS Las Vegas project took place on February 13, 2013, after the EB-5 program provided the remainder of the $415 million needed to renovate the Sahara. Senator Harry Reid, the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, later received criticism for using his power to expedite the EB-5 process for Asian investors in the SLS. Reid defended his action, stating that the project otherwise could have lost funding, resulting in the loss of future jobs. The EB-5 financing came from 800 Chinese investors. A three-month demolition phase was underway in March 2013, with much of the interior gutted. The Sahara's camel sign on the Las Vegas Strip was dismantled, followed by the removal of the Moroccan-style dome.
In early 2014, it was announced that the SLS Las Vegas would open later that year on August 29, during the Labor Day weekend. In June 2014, it was announced that the SLS would be part of Hilton's Curio brand, which allowed customers to use and earn points at select hotels. The SLS was also part of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts guest loyalty program, increasing the potential for a customer base. SBE also had a loyalty program of its own with more than five million customers in its database, with an average age of 38 years. Many of those customers lived in southern California.
Construction progressed ahead of schedule, prompting a new opening date of August 23, 2014. A $5.2 million marketing campaign was launched to promote the opening. The campaign honored the original Sahara through photographs taken during the 1960s, alongside modern images of the SLS. Historical photos were also featured inside the SLS. Carpeting throughout the resort featured the images of celebrities who had performed at the Sahara over the years, including Dean Martin. Approximately 50 S-shaped Sahara 
Sahara Las Vegas