Charo opens her show “Bravo” in the Congo Room. It closes two years later.Ģ002: The Sahara turns 50. The David Cassidy and Don Reo show, “The Rat Pack is Back,” opens in the Congo Room. The NASCAR Cafe opens, featuring the Speed: The Ride roller coaster. The casino is 50,000 square feet larger and a porte cochere looks south toward the Wet ‘n Wild attraction. Bennett begins a $100 million renovation, including bars, restaurants, rooms and swimming pools.Ģ000: Renovations are completed.

Lowden expands the casino area and opens a new race and sports book.ġ995: Bill Bennett buys the Sahara for $193 million, including 39 acres west of the Strip. Charo headlines in the Congo Room.ġ976: During the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, Frank Sinatra makes a surprise appearance to reunite Lewis with his former partner, Dean Martin.ġ982: Paul Lowden buys the Sahara for $50 million.ġ9: Tina Turner performs in the Congo Room.ġ988: A 26-story tower is added, bringing the room total to 1,500.

Johnny Carson headlines in the Congo Room.ġ969: Duke Ellington performs in the Casbar lounge.ġ972: The Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon broadcasts from the Sahara. They perform at the Las Vegas Convention Center and stay at the hotel. A 44,000-square-foot convention facility is built at a cost of $3.5 million.ġ964: Stan Irwin, the Sahara entertainment director, brings the Beatles to Las Vegas. The Sahara adds a $5 million, 24-story skyscraper with 400 rooms, bringing its total to more than 800. George Burns also appears in the Casbar.ġ961: Del Webb acquires the Sahara through a stock transaction involving 1.5 million shares in the Del Webb Corp. Comedian Don Rickles makes the first of many appearances in the Casbar lounge. A convention hall on the north side of the Sahara is added as well as a 127-foot sign. Ray Bolger, the scarecrow from “The Wizard of Oz,” headlines in the Congo Room until 1957.ġ959: A 14-story tower is built, adding 200 rooms. The $5.5 million, Moroccan-themed resort is decorated with life-size camels. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal) years of Saharaġ952: Milton Prell opens the Hotel Sahara with 240 rooms. Recent renovations at the resort casino are part of a larger revitalization of the north Strip. Sahara Las Vegas President Paul Hobson shows the new Magic Mike Live Theater during an interview Friday, Jan.

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