The establishment of the SLS from the former Sahara didn’t go according to plan. The LA hospitality brand didn’t resonate in Las Vegas along with some regulatory hurdles, so when Alex Meruelo, the billionaire businessman and owner of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes, purchased the property to go along with his Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, he got a bargain. Even though SLS had renovated the former Sahara, Meruelo began a program to once again redevelop the original Sahara brand with a second renovation. He brought in Las Vegas casino veteran Paul Hobson to lead that effort and the results have been dramatic. Hobson explains how it worked in a discussion with GGB Publisher Roger Gros at his offices in the Sahara in January.
GGB Podcast sponsored by Pavilion Payments.
