If a city wants to keep its sexy license these days, it darn well better get an SLS hotel.
Beverly Hills has one. Ditto South Beach. New York is getting one on Park Avenue South. And there are plans for SLS properties in China.
Naturally, Las Vegas should be part of this party, and last week Sam Nazarian’s SBE firm announced the ground-breaking of SLS Las Vegas — the $400 million transformation of the iconic Sahara casino resort. SLS Las Vegas (starchitect/designer Philippe Starck’s Sin City hotel debut) is slated to open in fall 2014 with 1,600-plus rooms and outposts of the Bazaar by José Andrés, Katsuya and Umami Burger, plus a Fred Segal store and four nightlife options including Shelter and the Sayers Club.
Last week’s big surprise announcement, though, is that Seattle — sometimes ignored in the hip-hot-now shuffle — will be an SLSer, too.
With a $400 million price tag of its own, the downtown development (Starck’s Rain City debut) is slated to start construction late this year and wrap sometime in 2016. The 184-room hotel, complete with spa and event space, will occupy floors two through 15 of a building that will also include office space.
Restaurant-wise, nothing is finalized, but culinary guru Andrés is on the case, so expect great things.