Amidst much anticipation, the Las Vegas strip will be welcoming its newest resort in only a few days. On August 23rd, the Sahara Hotel and Casino will be reborn as the SLS Las Vegas. This new resort will be a much-needed addition to the area given the fact that it has been nearly abandoned since the closing of the Sahara Hotel in 2011. The SLS Las Vegas, which has been branded as an affordable luxury establishment, will open its doors officially later in the week.

The 1,600 rooms have been completely remodeled and the casino area has had an overhaul as well. The resort will contain ten restaurants along with four nightclubs in an effort to attract a much younger crowd. Some of the restaurants include The Bazaar, Griddle Café, Katsuya, and Umami Burger. The SLS Las Vegas has also hired 3,500 employees to run the facility.

For the city of Las Vegas, which is still recovering from the recession, the SLS seems to be exactly what the north end of the strip needed for its triumphant comeback. Up until now, this area has been marked by an abundance of derelict lots and the dilapidated casino. The coming of the SLS has injected a spark of hope and optimism when it comes to attracting new businesses to the area.

Previously, the only business that has kept traffic flowing to the north end of the strip was the Bonanza Gift Shop. Angie Hurt, the manager of the Bonanza Gift Shop expressed her enthusiasm, “We welcome the SLS with open arms,” she said. “We have been the only thing really holding up this end of the strip and so this is definitely going to increase foot traffic to our store and really just re-energize this corner.” There is also a Walgreen’s under construction on the northeast corner of the intersection and a concert venue is also in the works. All in all, the opening of the SLS Las Vegas, which will open its doors on August 23rd, looks like a positive indication of things to come for the city of Las Vegas.