STAMFORD, Conn.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its largest hotel rooms deal in North America since pre-recession with the signing of SLS Las Vegas on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and Sahara Boulevard. Owned by Las Vegas Resort Holdings, LLC, the three distinct hotel towers, encompassing more than 1,600 guestrooms and suites, will be branded by the end of this year under Starwood’s recently launched Tribute Portfolio, while the 289-room “LUX Tower” will be converted to a W Hotel upon completion of a renovation in 2016. The W Las Vegas conversion will include the addition of a W Living Room (the W brand’s take on the traditional hotel lobby), a dedicated entrance for W guests, nearly 14,500 square feet of new W-branded meeting and event space, signature Away Spa, FIT state-of-the-art fitness center, and an exclusive outdoor WET pool deck and bar. The other two hotel towers, comprising 1,324 rooms, will be operated as SLS Las Vegas, a Tribute Portfolio Resort.
“SLS Las Vegas, with some 1,600 rooms, is a milestone addition to Starwood, growing our total footprint worldwide by nearly half a percent with a single signing,” said Adam Aron, chief executive officer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts on an interim basis. “This is a perfect example of what Tribute Portfolio was designed to do—bring the power of Starwood to great independent hotels, while giving our Starwood Preferred Guest members and global guests more access to sought after destinations around the world. It also allows us to debut our iconic W brand on the world famous Las Vegas Strip, an incomparable stage for the dynamic energy and vibrant scene of W Hotels.”
W Las Vegas will be managed by Starwood, while the remainder of the property, including the additional hotel towers, casino, food and beverage outlets, and nightlife venues, will continue to be managed under the direction of Scott Kreeger, the hotel’s president and chief operating officer.
“Everything is bigger in Vegas, and SLS Las Vegas is no exception,” said Kreeger. “With more than 1,600 guestrooms, numerous bars, restaurants, and nightlife venues, a world-class casino, and 80,000 square feet of meeting and event space, SLS Las Vegas is a standout property. We look forward to partnering with Starwood to soon debut the W brand, a terrific complement to the SLS and a fabulous addition to the Las Vegas Strip.”
Designed by Gensler in consultation with Philippe Starck, SLS Las Vegas offers: 1,613 guest rooms, including 120 suites, eight restaurants, such as Bazaar Meat by José Andrés and Katsuya by Starck, three nightlife and entertainment venues, two pools, 80,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space, and a 54,000-square-foot casino.
“We have long wanted to increase our Starwood presence in Las Vegas, a much desired destination for our SPG members, who occupy 50 percent of our guestrooms on any given night,” said Allison Reid, senior vice president, North America development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “This deal not only allows us to expand our footprint and give our members more options on the Strip, but also speaks volumes to the power of Starwood’s brands and our industry-leading distribution, loyalty and sales platforms that will contribute to the success of this landmark property.”
