SLS Las Vegas

The Sahara was one of the first Vegas hotels that this writer (and my other half) ever stayed in. After visiting many times, both alone and with pals, Sahara felt like an old friend. Unfortunately, our relationship faltered when the property and level of service fell into decay. After a particularly unpleasant experience in 2009, I vowed not to return as a guest. And, I kept that promise… until last weekend when it was reborn as SLS Las Vegas.  As soon as an opening date for SLS was announced, I was able to book a two-night stay in a World Tower accommodation (360 sq. ft.) for that weekend. The World Tower is, by SLS’ own description, the "functional” arm of its three towers, with the Story Tower rooms (325 sq. ft.) intended for partiers, and Lux Tower rooms (465 sq. ft.) designed for those with luxury tastes.

I loved what they’d done to the casino, clubs and restaurants... everything seemed so much bigger than I remembered. But, as with any opening, you can expect a number of bugs. The first bit us in the Paradise-side parking garage, where only one elevator car was functioning. We gave up waiting after ten minutes (and three failed attempts to shove ourselves into the working, but overly crowded car.) So, down five flights of crowded stairs we went, with our four pieces of luggage and dozens of anxious visitors struggling to get around us.

The swanky elevator lobby was bright and hip, and that attitude continued into the neatly-decorated cars that whisked us to the eighth floor. When the doors opened... whoa! Cue the theme music from Vertigo!  Crazy carpeting and wall coverings induced an instant feeling of dizziness. The uneven floor had us tripping, too, and not because of the prior night’s cocktails.  When we arrived at our room, our next surprise was waiting. Another guest was already inside. (Pro tip: always keep the deadbolt secured in your hotel room.) Luckily, nobody was interrupted in flagrante delicto so it was back downstairs to get things straightened out. The agent was quite apologetic and promised us an upgrade to a higher floor which turned out to be an additional 17 floors up.  Let’s put this out front right now before you even say it -- yes, the rooms are the same size as they were before the renovation; but, as any show on HGTV will tell you, the illusion of size can be created with color, styling and layout. And, let me remind you, that I’ve stayed here many times before. Yet, despite the familiar dimensions, the room felt absolutely tiny... and very bland.  If you’ve ever stayed in Downtown's El Cortex Cabana Suites, use their Jr. Suite (middle tier) as a comparison to a World Tower room at SLS. Similar layout, similar amenities, same functionality. Just switch out a muted version of the hallway’s funhouse wallpaper for the infamous green Cabana Suites paint job and you may as well be in a downtown hotel.