The SLS Las Vegas will officially open at its location on the northern part of The Las Vegas Strip at midnight on Friday, Aug. 22.

The centerpiece attraction of the new nightclub ‘Sayers Club’ opens onto Sahara and Las Vegas Boulevard which is a prime corner of real estate for the brand new SLS Las Vegas.

The managers and investors are banking that tourists will make the trip up north to make SLS a trendy destination.

Sam Bakhshandehpour is president of the SBE Entertainment. He is presiding over the hectic last minute preps for the resort’s grand opening.

“We started in southern California so we know our customers are here and they’re starved for a unique experience and they’re scattered all over the strip and they’re many wonderful properties up and down the strip but we wanted to capture our customer base and bring them home,” Bakhshandehpour said.

The site that used to be the iconic Sahara is now revamped and retooled in California style.

Bakhshandehpour says the Sahara’s legacy is alive and well preserved, co-existing alongside the latest in entertainment, clever technology and cuisine.

“We literally kept the four walls the way they were with three distinct towers and the casino floor. It’s an adaptive reuse but it feels like a brand new property but sprinkled throughout is that legacy of the Sahara and that legacy was created because of the locals.”.

The owners have gambled that history will serve as the tie that binds old and new clientele to the SLS brand.

The SLS is half the size of the mega properties on The Strip.

“We focus on the phrase lifestyle – this is a lifestyle property,” Bakhshandehpour said.

“You’re going to walk into SLS Las Vegas not knowing what to expect but knowing something special is going to happen,” said Bakhshandehpour.

The company’s next opening will be their hotel on Park Avenue in New York City.