SLS LAS VEGAS REVEALS DETAILS BEHIND THE PROPERTY’S VINTAGE MEETS MODERN AESTHETIC
Sam Nazarian, Global Design Firm Gensler and Creative Icon Philippe Starck Collaborate on the Las Vegas Strip’s First Resort and Casino Opening in Over Three Years
SLS Las Vegas, the lifestyle-driven, mixed-use resort and casino featuring sbe’s award-winning hospitality brands, today unveiled details behind the property’s highly-anticipated design. Led by global design firm Gensler in collaboration with internationally acclaimed Creator Philippe Starck and sbe Founder, Chairman and CEO Sam Nazarian, the aesthetic of SLS Las Vegas channels a myriad of inspirations, from SLS Hotels in Beverly Hills and South Beach to the famed roots of its North Las Vegas Strip location.
Philippe Starck, well known for infusing irreverent narratives into his design philosophies, has taken the same approach with SLS Las Vegas. For Las Vegas, Starck views the property as a seductive cocktail with a range of enlivening flavors that will immerse guests in a truly original design and hospitality experience.
“There are some legendary, classic cocktails: the Manhattan, the Gimlet, the Cosmo, and there is a brand new one – SLS Las Vegas,” said Starck. “It’s strong and sparkling with millions of bubbles of life, stories, adventures and surprises. It’s fire and leaves you burnt of pleasure. It’s soft and romantic and leaves you a taste of love and honey in the mouth. It’s acid and you will lose your mind but so elegant that it shall change your life.”
“While SLS is staying true to the core appointments of a Las Vegas style resort and casino, there is no mistake that Sam Nazarian has brought his visionary passion to ensure there are unexpected twists contained in every guests’ experience,” said Beth Campbell, principal and managing director, Gensler. “It’s a captivating time in Las Vegas; the Strip continues to grow and redefine itself, all while Downtown Las Vegas is experiencing a rebirth. SLS Las Vegas’ position along the north edge of the Strip will actually be a key intersection between the Strip and Downtown developments. This combined with easy access to the I-15 and the Monorail, makes for an ideal commute for tourists arriving in Las Vegas.”
“The brilliance of Starck and Gensler lies in their ability to view design through a truly original lens and create an aesthetic that connects to an authentic story,” added Nazarian. “With SLS Las Vegas we’ve taken that approach to the next level by creating spaces that showcase sbe’s premier food and beverage brands in an undeniably unique setting, and blending that with a room and suite product that’s ground breaking for the Las Vegas market.”
In composing the room and suite designs, Nazarian, Gensler and Starck set out to create a variety of offerings that appeal to a broad spectrum of individuals with a shared affinity for the Las Vegas lifestyle. The 1,613 guest rooms and suites are divided amongst the LUX, World and Story Towers and each category is highlighted by its own distinct design elements.
The LUX Tower is SLS Las Vegas’ all-suite tower, which has been designed for the leisure and gaming traveller who’s looking for a more lifestyle-driven room experience. The suite’s classic French influence is matched by oversized sofas, Starck designed chandeliers and scones, a custom closet armoire and a peek-a-boo shower window with a view into the bedroom.
The rooms in the World Tower are designed with the business and convention traveller in mind, where luxury is realized through the room’s commitment to functionality. State-of-the-art in-room technologies are paired with elements, including a monochromatic color palette with pink accents, full-length LED lit mirrors flanking the bed and custom tapestries and furniture.
The Story Tower is home to SLS Las Vegas’ most ambitious and innovative room design to date, featuring a multi-functional bed as the space’s centrepiece. Intended to cater to Las Vegas’ younger, entertainment and nightlife seeking crowd, the rooms offer a space that’s ideal for socializing, where the bed also serves an entertainment area for guests to gather and connect. Further enhancing the room’s social appeal is the electric yellow vanity that doubles as a bar, the backlit ceiling mirror and the polished chrome swivel minibar cabinet.
Channelling his cocktail metaphor to describe his whimsical vision for the SLS Las Vegas rooms and suites, Starck added, “They’re so smart and sophisticated that the ingredients remain secret but you know you can only find it in another SLS. It’s high quality and almost good for your health. It’s on the rocks, but the rocks of rock ’n roll. The recipe comes from an island you cannot even imagine. It’s a long drink but you’ll leave thirsty and addicted to it, and you will come back, again and again. Let’s dance!”
The diversity in the aesthetic of the suites and rooms is only amplified by the array of influences that are showcased throughout the property. For example, Katsuya by Starck features Starck’s Geisha-chic vibe heightened by gold columns, statues of couture kimonos and booths fashioned with the look of Japanese helmets. Cleo channels the sultry mystery of the Middle East with a 30’ image re-enacting Vivian Leigh’s Cleopatra adorning the entrance, an oversized Lebanese chandelier, Egyptian wall coverings and green Moroccan tiled floors that lead into the signature plate breaking room.
Foxtail features a design inspired by the raw industrial rock n’ roll scene of Paris with silver dome fixtures, white neon, a black and white checkered dance floor, oversized brass birdcages for dancers and walls brought to life by the French graffiti art of Tarek Benaoum. In contrast, the Monkey Bar evokes the feel of a classic English social club with rich, warm woods covering the walls, a wood carved bar with a marble inlay, and distressed leather sofas with French marble café tables.
Additional highlights include The SLS Buffet, which conjures a rustic mountain lodge replete with exposed raw wood beams, an antler chandelier and Navajo rugs, and José Andrés’ Ku Noodle with its all while palate adorned with illustrations of Koi fish and cherry blossoms, and shelving lined with a collection of Asian rice bags and vintage Chinese newspapers.
Set to debut on Aug. 23, SLS Las Vegas is already taking reservations. For more information about SLS Las Vegas, visit www.slsvegas.com.
ABOUT SLS LAS VEGAS:
SLS Las Vegas is an all-encompassing resort and casino with more than 1,600 guest rooms and suites in three distinctive towers, 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and a collection of sbe’s acclaimed restaurant and nightlife brands. Opening Aug. 23, SLS Las Vegas provides an approachable experience featuring multiple unparalleled nightlife offerings including Hollywood favorite, The Sayers Club, the edgy and sophisticated nightclub, Foxtail and mega-club, LiFE. Additionally, SLS Las Vegas offers an impressive selection of dining concepts including Bazaar Meat by José Andrés; Katsuya by Starck; Cleo; Umami Burger, Beer Garden & Sports Book; Ku Noodle; 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria; The Griddle Cafe; The SLS Buffet and The Perq. The property also hosts a 10,000-square-foot Fred Segal retail experience, the intimate and luxurious Ciel Spa and a sports book operated by global gaming leader, William Hill. For more information about SLS Las Vegas, please visit slsvegas.com and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
ABOUT SBE:
sbe is a global hospitality and real estate company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hotels, casinos, residences, restaurants and nightlife around the world. Through exclusive partnerships with cultural visionaries, sbe is dedicated to delivering the best in design, culinary and entertainment. Already a proven leader in the hospitality and real estate industries, sbe has over 80 properties currently operating or in development, and has expanded several of its flagship brands including SLS Hotels, Katsuya by Starck, The Bazaar by José Andrés and Hyde Lounge nationally and internationally. Founded in 2002 by Chairman and CEO Sam Nazarian, sbe is a privately held company. More information about sbe can be obtained at www.sbe.com, or by downloading the sbe App here.
ABOUT PHILIPPE STARCK:
Philippe Starck is an internationally acclaimed French creator, designer and architect. This untiring and rebellious citizen of the world, who considers it his duty to share his ethical and subversive vision of a fairer planet, creates unconventional places and objects whose purpose is to be “good” before being beautiful. Most of his designs have become cult objects, and his hotels are timeless icons that have added a new dimension to the global cityscape. An enthusiastic advocate of sustainability, this visionary continues developing his revolutionary concept of “democratic ecology” by creating, amongst others, affordable wind turbines and intelligent thermostats for the home, innovative wooden prefabricated ecological houses and soon to be followed by solar boats. He himself lives, with his wife Jasmine, mostly on an airplane, and in Paris, Burano, and on his oyster farm in the southwest of France.
ABOUT GENSLER:
Gensler is a global design firm grounded in the belief that great design optimizes business performance and human potential. Over 4,000 practitioners networked across 46 offices use global perspective and local presence to innovate at every scale. Whether it’s refreshing a retailer’s brand, planning a new urban district or designing a super tall building, Gensler strives to make the everyday places people occupy more inspiring, more resilient, and more impactful.
Projects of Note: Gensler is redefining Shanghai’s skyline with the Shanghai Tower, China’s tallest building; challenging the conventional office with our workplace research; reshaping the future of retail; and envisioning a better urban future with our Reimagining Cities initiative.
Recent accolades: #1 Most Admired Firm in 2014 by Building Design and one of the Top 5 Most Admired ‘Global Firms’ by Interior Design in 2014; ‘World’s Biggest Architect’ on Building Design’s World Architecture 100 in 2014 and 2013; AIA Institute Honor Awards for Architecture in 2014 and 2012; and for the 33rd consecutive year, Gensler tops Interior Design’s Top 100 Giants list.