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Where?
North Strip
Who owns it?
Bill Bennett
Ostensible Theme
The idea of the desert oasis is quite popular in Las Vegas for
two reasons: the city is surrounded by its own formidable desert,
and each casino wants to appear as the most desirable place compared
to all the hell-holes in town. The Sahara seeks to unite two
rich desert cultures, that of mighty Arabian nomads and of the
mighty gamblers of Las Vegas. Each of these has its own lore
and customs, and each places a high priority on ostentatious
displays of wealth.
Clientele
This place seems to skew towards the young low-roller who happens
to be looking for a good ol' time.
Employee costumes
Dealers go ga-ga for the Mormon missionary look with their white
shirts and black pants. However, the cocktail waitresses flaunt
more flesh than one might expect; instead of a floor-length chador,
the women wear black velvet mini-dresses with colorful satin
ruffles.
Carpet and Other Decor
Lots of the casinos in Las Vegas don't place a priority on coordinating
the outside of the building with the theme. Caesar's and Bellagio
are notable exceptions, but surprisingly, the Sahara starts rolling
out the magic carpet before one even gets in the door. The sand-colored
building sports Moorish crenellation along the top, and the traffic
signs are shaped like little minarets. It's not quite as cheesy
as spurting nymphs, but it puts the theme across nice and early.
The interior décor is much more ostentatious. Some
of the display is pure Vegas- the camel-sized crystal chandelier
hanging in the high-ceilinged foyer, the mirrored pillars with
tortoise shell accents, the faux gold and marble ashtrays. The
only place in the Saharan desert you might see something like
this is in some oil magnate's palace. But, some touches are more
theme-centric. I learned that in Islamic mosques, human and animal
representations are considered idolatrous and are forbidden in
sacred art; I'm certainly not saying that the murals in the foyer
are sacred, but they stick to the boldly colored geometric and
filigreed patterns one might see in Arabian art.
But, one doesn't have to delve so deeply to appreciate the
theme. The touches can be as simple as the fake palms that litter
the gambling areas, or the Arabesque font on all of the directional
signs- this way to the Tunis Tower, that way to the Tangiers.
Some areas, such as in front of the Caravan Coffee Shop, have
strategically placed camels. The jewel-toned hanging lanterns
and door handles evoke the treasures of Araby. The carpets have
a delicate, filigree pattern, in keeping with the rich surroundings.
The seats at the slot machines wouldn't normally catch my eye
except that they're upholstered in glittery vinyl in the Sahara's
signature colors: gold, royal blue and scarlet.
The ceiling, supported by Corinthian columns, is painted with
the now-standard blue sky with fluffy clouds. Casinos regularly
exclude all hints of the outside world- time, weather- but here
we see a trend devoted to creating a replacement environment,
one that always smiles propitiously upon gamblers, no matter
what their personal storms.
The relatively sedate restrooms have beige mosaic vinyl tile,
mirrors and sandstone-colored stalls ornamented with a minaret
motif. The fixtures are clean with nary a trace of gritty sand
or camel smell, and the sinks and toilets are water-saving, as
they should be in the middle of a desert. When I was there, the
rumor was that the supply closet in the men's restroom was unlocked.
Any guy could pilfer the toilet paper, but if they got caught,
they might've lost a hand.
If we based our wardrobes on the background music at the Sahara,
we'd be stocking up on those jackets with lots of zippers and
leg warmers. Such popmeisters as Jackson Brown, the Pretenders
and Michael Jackson endure in the Sahara sound system.
Food
Craving dates? Got camel's milk? You probably won't find any
at the Sahara Steakhouse, Sahara Buffet or the Caravan Coffee
Shop. Jitters is a gourmet coffee purveyor, and I'd like to visit
just to see if they have any of those tall, skinny coffee pots
I've seen in books about Saudi Arabia. Completely off the subject,
Paco's Hideaway offers a Mexican menu.
Games
Well, no, there aren't any "Burnoose Billions" or "Riyadh'em
High!" games, but you can try to amass Kuwaiti amounts of
wealth with "Palace Slots." The slot club, quite simply,
is named, "Club Sahara."
Entertainment
If you want to experience the phenomenal live music of the
Casbah Lounge, you must first make it past the statues of the
intimidating chaps with swords and voluminous mustaches. The
seats inside are shaped like clover leaves and upholstered in
red vinyl; other than that, the lounge is pretty similar to most
lounges in this town. The Amazing Jonathan is a Carrot Top rip-off;
bring something to throw at him. There's no girlie show, but
you probably wouldn't be able to catch a girlie show in Riyadh,
either. Instead, you can test your hand-eye coordination at Speed
World, a virtual driving extravaganza.
Services
A properly sun-baked pool area provides a view of a rotunda
and palm trees, an oasis from the barren desert of slot machines.
Shops include "Jewels of the Nile" and the "Sahara
Marketplace," which offers pool toys, satin jackets, plush
camels and Southwestern gewgaws.
Did it work?
Overall, the Sahara is clean, spacious and interesting to look
at. There is a harmonious theme and motif, and the exotic factor
is pumped reasonably high but not obnoxiously so. And, it's definitely
distinct from the camel-heavy Luxor. Matt says, "If you're
trying to impress someone on the cheap, this is the place."
Suggestions
Don't get too big for your harem pants, Sahara! Too much
expansion could dilute all the fun.
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