Casinos · Today in Vegas · November 12, 2026
The Sahara Is Selling Its 75-Year Legacy. Its Newest Pitch Is The Alex, a 300-Room Hotel Within a Hotel Opening Jan. 1.
Sahara Las Vegas is launching The Alex, a 300-room hotel within a hotel carved out of its Alexandria Tower, according to Casino.org. Guests get a private entrance, dedicated check-in, exclusive lounge access and personal concierge service, and the project also brings the Alora Spa and the Sahara Athletic Club to the property. Reservations are open for stays beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
"The Alex represents a bold new chapter for Sahara Las Vegas," said Alex Meruelo, founder and chair of the Meruelo Group, which owns the resort. "As we approach our 75th anniversary, there is no better moment to honor the legacy," he added. Casino.org noted that the name shortens Alexandria and also happens to be Meruelo's first name.
The 24-story Alexandria Tower, designed by architect Martin Stern Jr., opened May 24, 1963, and was the tallest building in Nevada at the time, Casino.org reported. It has been a hotel within a hotel before: from 2016 to 2018, when the property operated as SLS Las Vegas, the tower housed the separately branded W Las Vegas, run with Marriott. The Alex joins Strip concepts including Sky Suites at Aria, Tower Suites at Wynn Las Vegas and Crockfords at Resorts World, and follows The Venetian's announcement last month that the top seven floors of the Palazzo Tower will reopen as Milano in March 2027.