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Sahara hotel returns to Las Vegas in splashy renaming ceremony. Bye bye, SLS

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Like a Las Vegas magic trick, the legendary Sahara hotel-casino reappeared on the Strip during a splashy renaming of the SLS resort Thursday evening. The Moroccan-themed hotel that opened in 1952 and helped shape Vegas’ midcentury glamour, hosting A-listers such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, was back.

Owner Alex Meruelo, who bought the resort last April, revealed the new name — written in all capital letters — amid fireworks and a light-flashing drone show that projected jackpot-winning slot reels (triple cherries and triple sevens) in the sky above.

The finale spelled out “Sahara” in lights.

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The name change comes amid an ongoing renovation of the property with a price tag of more than $100 million. The property’s 1,615 guest rooms, casino, restaurants and bars have been upgraded. Improvements to the lobby and other areas will continue into 2020, a news release said.

The Sahara closed in 2011, became an SLS hotel (short for “style, luxury and service”) in 2014, hosted a W Las Vegas in one of its towers for two years, and now has come full circle with the new-old Sahara name.

In a statement before the event, Meruelo said the hotel played “an important role in the evolution of the destination,” and pledged to continue that tradition “for the love of Vegas.”

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Rooms this weekend start at $206 a night, according to the website.

Info: Sahara/SLS Las Vegas

travel@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimestravel

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