The History of the Las Vegas Strip

The Sahara Hotel History (continued)

In 1967, the Convention facility at the Sahara got not only a facelift but a makeover. When the renovations were completed it was now 44,000 square feet of convention space and put the hotel at the forefront of the convention business. Built at cost of $3.5 million, one of the unique features was that it had no internal support columns to obstruct display space.

Dubbed the "Sahara Space Center" (this was, after all, the era of the Space Race), the facility became home to the Jerry Lewis Telethon. Traditionally, Lewis had done the live telecast from New York City with satellite feeds from Los Angeles and Las Vegas. But by the early 1970s, Lewis realized that it was easier to get the high-end entertainers, especially in the wee hours of the morning, if they could stop by after they were done with their Late Show.

Las Vegas in that era was home to some of the best entertainment in the world. The Strip marquees from Sahara Avenue out to the Hacienda boasted names such as Sinatra, Davis, Martin, Minnelli, Berle, Burns, Carson, Smothers Brothers, Rickles, Diller and more. The Lounge Scene was still jumping with Louis Prima, Sam Butera and the Witnesses still in town, Pete Barbutti, Shecky Greene and more. It was easier for those stars not appearing on the Strip to come to Vegas from Los Angeles for the telethon than it was for them to fly to New York City. The move revitalized the Muscular Dystrophy Telethon and every Labor Day weekend the Sahara reaped the publicity. It also helped that the out-of-town stars usually stayed at the Sahara as well. In those days, the Strip was primarily an automobile driven experience instead of the walker's paradise it is today. Back then there were wild swaths of empty desert between the properties and many stars such as Steve Allen, Marty and Frenchy Allen, Telly Savalas, Sonny and Cher and others found it more convenient to stay at the hotel. This made the weekend great for celebrity sightings.

The Sahara boasted a state of the art PBX switchboard that was said to house a $250,000 worth of equipment. The hotel employed 20 switchboard operators who handled on the average of 5,000 calls a day. This was in addition to paging customers ("Miss Virginia Slim, white courtesy phone please), taking messages for guests, making wake-up calls, placing long-distance calls and acting as hotel ambassadors.

It was that era of non-stop entertainment where everyone enjoyed the round the clock atmosphere. Back then there weren't many places that stayed up 24/7, so that gave Las Vegas certain cache. People were amazed to discover they could get their hair cut in the middle of the night, have breakfast any time they wanted and their was no final call.

The entertainers were mainly household names thanks to long careers in the movies, radio, television and record sales. Variety shows were popular on television and seeing Dean Martin or Bing Crosby on a variety show made you long to see them in person on stage in Las Vegas. The showrooms were small, intimate rooms (standard seating was 450 - 650 per showroom) and the sound systems were top notch. The musicians in the Orchestras were some of the finest players in the world. Going to see a show in Las Vegas meant getting dressed up in an evening gown and wearing your best jewelry. For men, it meant dusting off that black suit and finding a good tie. It was a wonderful era where the party was never supposed to end.

As the 1960s progressed that would all start to change with the coming of Howard Hughes and corporations but for a few, swinging years, Las Vegas enjoyed being America's Adult Playground and the Sahara Hotel was in the thick of it.

In 1969, Lou Basil, the Sahara's Orchestra Bandleader and a pioneer of showroom musical arrangements passed away. His surviving family included his daughter, Toni, who had graduated from Las Vegas High School.

Del Webb had overseen the growth of the resort. By the early 1970s, the property was being described as a 20-acre oasis, located at the start of the famed Las Vegas Strip. It boasted 1,000 luxurious rooms and suites all with television and radio. There was the 24-story skyscraper and the 14-story Sahara Tower. Three pools, a fashion gallery, health club, 5 restaurants, 9 bars, an airline ticket office and complete convention facilities.

In 1976, the Space Center again played home to the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. It was the usual star-studded event. This year, however, was made more memorable by a gesture of Francis Albert Sinatra, the Chairman of the Board. He reunited Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, former partners who had been estranged for almost 20 years.

"You been working?" Lewis asked his former partner and friend, Dean Martin.

"Yeah, I got a few weeks at the MGM Grand." Martin replied with a twinkle in his eye.

The two men embraced and when Martin walked off-stage, Lewis told the audience, "That was my former partner." By all accounts, the reunion helped Martin and Lewis to rekindle their friendship before Martin's untimely death years later. The Telethon took in a record high that year: $21,723,813.

In 1977, the Sahara renovated the Space Center by completely recarpeting and repainting. They also upgraded 300 rooms and 40 suites. The Casbar was closed and renovated as was the Caravan Room.

In 1979, under the direction of Vice-President and General Manager R. Edward Zike and Del Webb Corporate Vice-President Ed Nigro, construction began on a $50 million expansion program that was touted as one of the most extensive in Las Vegas history.

The expansion included a 3,000 car parking lot across Paradise Road with a fully lighted lot, security towers and would be connected to the back entrance of the hotel by an overhead, air-conditioned walkway. A new porte cochere was built for the back entrance under the idea that it might become the new entrance some day. And, as always, another tower. This tower would be 37-stories tall and have 625 rooms. The building was, briefly, the tallest building in Nevada. The top two floors would be a two-story penthouse with spiral staircases.

In 1982, the Del Webb Corporation sold the Sahara Hotel to Paul and Sue Lowden for $50 million.

Adjusting to the changing musical tastes of the country, the showroom at the Sahara now featured such acts as Alice Cooper, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis and a former lounge singer, Miss Tina Turner. Comedians included Redd Foxx and Don Rickles.

The Lowden's added another 26-story tower before selling the property to Bill Bennett in 1995.

Bennett oversaw the renovation of the hotel in 1996 and again in 1999. The 1999 renovation included the Speedworld addition and the Nascar branding.

Bennett died in 2003 leaving the hotel (and land across the street where the El Rancho Vegas once stood) to his family.

In 2007 the Bennett family sold the hotel (but not the parking lot property on Paradise Road) to SBE Entertainment Group and Stockbridge Real Estate Funds.

The hotel has recently reopened the famed House of Lords restaurant.