When Resorts World Las Vegas arrives on the Strip on June 24, it will become the third new major casino property to open in just eight months, following the Circa Resort on Fremont Street Downtown and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas at the former Hard Rock Hotel site.
But Vegas is actually getting a fourth new resort this year. Later this summer, when new restaurants and a new theater for Magic Mike Live open at Sahara Las Vegas, most of its striking, $150 million renovation will be complete. And the last big piece of the puzzle—the amenity that will really drive home just how new the Sahara feels—will likely be its Azilo Ultra Pool.
When the 35,000-square-foot outdoor events venue was announced, along with the new Shawn McClain Italian restaurant Ballo, on April 8, Sahara Senior Vice President and General Manager Paul Hobson expressed how essential these new experiences will be in finalizing the refined image of the iconic north Strip property: “These additions, like our other newly enhanced amenities, have been designed to create a crafted, boutique experience that our guests can customize to suit their tastes and truly make their Las Vegas experience their own.”
Azilo marks a full renovation of the Sahara’s resort pool just off the casino floor, a space that was sometimes known as Foxtail when the property was rebranded as SLS Las Vegas from 2014 to 2019. But it’s designed to be much more than a day-and-night poolclub with VIP cabanas, multiple pools and bars. Massive LED walls wrapping around the pool perimeter—totaling more than 10,000 square feet of surface area—will help create a versatile and customizable environment for private events, sports watch parties, concerts and corporate gigs.
Yannick Mugnier, former executive director of nightlife operations at Wynn Resorts and VP of operations at KAOS at the Palms, heads up the new project, and he says the scale of Azilo compared to the size of the hotel makes it something very different on the Strip.
“It’s a boutique hotel in Las Vegas, and with the ownership remaining bullish on the market and getting ready for the uptick of fully coming back this summer, this project can really make an impact,” he says. “When we designed this pool, we really thought about what is needed in order to organize the best type of event, and being able to give that customer the best exposure.
“That LED screen is about 226 feet-by-40 feet tall, almost three stories, so that’s an extremely immersive environment. It’s perfect in terms of branding and broadcasting needs for that private event, but we’re also going to be doing some of the best sports broadcasting in the city on one of the largest screens.”
The pool will also boast a DJ booth and a stage for live performances for up to 1,700 guests, and since the Sahara has two other pools, it will be able to specialize each spot for different audiences. The vibe at Azilo will be desert sanctuary, shaped by Moroccan décor and splashes of lush greenery.
“We’re dedicated to doing some full, major concerts at the pool this year, and we will do DJs but creating an immersive experience where you’re transported to a space that feels like the south of France or Spain or Greece; that’s more of the driver for us,” Mugnier says. “The pool sits at the center of the property, and [we] are really committed to making it the crown jewel of the property.”
Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!
