SLS Las Vegas to become part of Preferred Hotels & Guests loyalty program

6 March 2014

By Howard Stutz

LAS VEGAS -- The $415 million SLS Las Vegas Hotel Casino will become part of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts guest loyalty program, which includes a worldwide collection of 450 independent hotels and resorts.

The 1,600-room hotel, which is expected to open Labor Day weekend, is the first Las Vegas property in the Preferred Hotels system, the company’s said in a statement Wednesday. Guests who enroll in the iPrefer guest loyalty can redeem points at any of the Preferred properties.

The SLS Hotel South Beach in Miami has been a member since 2012.

Los Angeles-based SBE Entertainment, which bought the former Sahara in 2007 and has spent the past year remaking the Rat Pack-era Strip casino into SLS Las Vegas, operates existing SLS hotels in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York. SLS hotels are planned for Philadelphia, Seattle, Boston and Houston.

SBE Hotel Group President Arash Azarbarzin said the deal between the hotel and Preferred will “continue to cultivate this partnership with added properties.”

Also, SLS and International Game Technology announced a signed deal Wednesday in which the slot machine maker will provide the casino with 400 of the property’s planned 800 slot machines. IGT said it will place MegaJackpots and the company’s core and video poker titles on the SLS gaming floor.

“It’s a huge win for IGT,” IGT executive vice president of global sales Eric Tom said. “We’re thrilled to help propel the success of such a highly anticipated new casino in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.”

Former Wynn Resorts Ltd. executive Rob Oseland was named SLS Las Vegas president in 2012 and will oversee the property, including the reconfigured 60,000-square-foot casino, which will have also have 80 table games. WilliamHill will operate SLS’s race and sports book.

SLS Las Vegas will offer several restaurant and nightlife brands operated by SBE, including The Bazaar by José Andrés, Katsuya, Cleo, 800 Degrees, Umami Burger, and The Sayers Club.

The Griddle Cafe, a Los Angeles dining institution, will open a location inside SLS Las Vegas as the property’s 24-hour restaurant.

Los Angeles retailer Fred Segal will have seven locations inside the resort covering 10,000 square feet.

SBE CEO Sam Nazarian said SLS Las Vegas’ biggest feeder market will be Southern California, where SBE operates 60 restaurants and nightclubs. The company’s own customer loyalty program could have 5 million names by the time SLS Las Vegas opens.