Wild Sexually-Themed Makeover For The Sahara?

April 24th, 2008

Brilliantly eccentric, world-famous designer Philippe Starck vows his wild-makeover of the 2,500-room Sahara resort on the Strip will open in 2010—and some of the furniture maybe “sex-intended”! He reveals some of his plans for reinventing the legendary casino in an extraordinary story in the upcoming Men’s Vogue magazine.

New Sahara owner, Los Angeles nightclub king Sam Nazarian selected Starck to re-do the property from top to bottom—with a mega-size budget. It will become part of Nazarian’s new SLS (style, luxury and service) hotel group stretching from Beverly Hills to Miami Beach. He has signed the designer to an exclusive 15-year contract for his hotels, restaurants and nightclubs.

Starck reveals the first time he came to Vegas for the Sahara project he remained inside his Wynn hotel suite for three-straight days and nights without moving an inch outside. “My re-design will bring new blood—and perhaps even revolution to Vegas,” he says in the magazine interview. He says the property that once was the home of the famed Rat Pack and now hosts Roseanne Barr is due for “a Starckification.”

Perhaps even more extraordinary than hotel redesign is his revelation that not only is he creative director of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic spaceport in New Mexico but that the two men will take the first flight into the cosmos with famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking.

The 59-year-old Russian-born designer is said to have 21-different homes around the world and has his own Swiss Army plane to travel to each one and his design projects. He always takes one of his 17 motorcycles on board—and he used his Kawasaki while exploring Vegas and racing between the Wynn and the Sahara. He admits to always keeping design sketchpads and a small table within arms reach of his bed so he can draw anytime he’s in it. Starck says that although he turns down 95 percent of the work he is offered he still juggles up to 300 design projects at once!

Vegas hotel fans will get the first glimpse of what Starck plans for the Sahara when his first Beverley Hills SLS Hotel opens this summer replacing the Le Meridien hotel. We can expect the Katsuya restaurant and S Bar nightclub to be incorporated into the new Sahara.

He is married to his fourth wife, stunning Jasmine Abdellatif—and they admit their lovemaking has influenced his design work—particularly with the “sexually ergonomic” Prive Collection of handcuff-friendly couches that were labeled “S&M for beginners.” Starck was asked if the Sahara furnishings would be sex-inspired. “Not inspired,” he says looking at Jasmine. “Intended,” she clarified. “If there is sex toys we need a sex playground. I am sexual obsessed,” he said.

Expect the unexpected, the unique and the unusual when the new Sahara comes to life under Starck—the self-described ex-prince of darkness. The Men’s Vogue material is a fascinating read—and I highly recommend it to get an understanding of what dramatic changes he’s about to make to the Strip.

The Ultimate Thrill Of High-Speed Luxury Auto-Racing

April 24th, 2008

It may be a man’s ultimate adventure! Picture this: “hot laps” in radical racecars, 90-mph go-carting, a 130-mph Corvette course, plus ATV race and hot-air balloon challenges. It’s the inaugural “Vegas Hot Pursuit” being held at Club Spring Mountain 45 minutes from the Strip in Pahrump on Sunday May 11. High-level Vegas hotel executives and media folks will race against each other in Lotus cars at the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch facility.

Country clubs no longer cater to just tennis and golf fanatics. Automotive aficionados now have their own place to play!

Owners John Morris and Brad Rambo have built the ultimate 193-acre $10 million adult adventure playground. It comes complete with a private 3.5-mile-road-course track with 20-spine-tingling turns, a fast 1.2-mile track for 90-mph go-carts to tackle the 14 corners, an 8,000-square-feet luxurious club house opening May 3 and a fleet of ultra-cool two-seater Light Sports Planes to thrill ride over the mountain top range. It’s the only private motor-sports country club of its kind in the Southwest.

John, with his staff of 45, can provide you with whatever high-performance vehicle your “big-boy’s toys” heart demands. He’s even got three hot new 2008 Z51 Corvettes in his fleet of 25 speedsters for programs up to three days of 300 miles of driving school instruction. That’s the only one of its kind anywhere in America. There’s even an intensified two-day high-performance driving school program with the Radical SR3 Tracksport racecar.

I love the idea of hitting a speed of 140 mph on the open road and not having to even think of a police officers radar ticketing! Says John: “Life is all about the experience and our exhilarating track is pure adrenaline with spine-tingling turns. All types of drivers are welcome to join and we’re selling memberships just like a golf country club. Instead of golf our members play with their cars.” Gentlemen start your engines and go to springmountainmotorsports.com for full details about the available programs, membership details and the Hot Pursuit adventure weekend.

*How could I resist showing this photo of the Riviera’s La Cage star Frank Marino that’s just come to light of him cuddled up to new Miss USA, Texan Crystle Stewart.

As Joan Rivers, Frank even passed on tips to the winner on how to be a diva!

*From the Surveillance file: Thurman Lee Thomas (elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame 2007) had dinner at N9ne Steakhouse in the Palms with five friends. Thurman only drank tonic water while enjoying the restaurant’s signature chilled shellfish platters, classic Caesar salad, oven roasted Scottish salmon and asparagus. After dinner the group went back to the kitchen to thank executive chef Barry Dakake for a great meal.

*Renowned artist Peter Max has teamed with the Springs Preserve for an Earth Day coloring contest that will run through months end (April 30) for youth grades K-8.

Just go to the Springs Preserve ticket office or springspreserve.org to get a copy of Peter’s Earth Day image poster. Then color it however you wish and on May 5 Peter himself will pick the winning entry here and award prizes galore to the winner.

My pal Peter designed the first 10-cent postage stamp “Preserve the Environment” back in 1974 and he’s still designing Earth awareness materials.

*Former Jose Eber salon manager here, Yoav Tauber has been picked by celebrity colorist Michael Boychuck to run his new Palms Place condo-tel boutique salon. They’ve been friends for 15 years, ever since Michael and Jose worked together in Beverly Hills where Yoav trained under his uncle Jose. He’s worked with such celebrities as Kelly Clarkson, Carmen Electra, Annie Lennox, Helen Mirren and even Senator Hillary Clinton. Yoav has now moved to Vegas full-time.