Courtesy of yourerie.com
SALAMANCA, N.Y.
The closest competition to Erie's Presque Isle Downs and Casino has just turned up the competitive heat.
Visitors to Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel have even more to be excited about, as officials from Seneca Gaming Corporation and the Seneca Nation of Indians celebrated the opening of the property's new $48 million hotel tower Wednesday morning.
The tower's first four floors of rooms are now available, with the remaining floors to be completed in the coming weeks. In all, the new tower will add a total of 201 rooms at Southwestern New York's leading resort destination. Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel's initial 212-room hotel tower opened in 2007.
"Today, we are showing once again why Seneca Casino properties stand apart from the rest," said Robert Mele, chairman, Seneca Gaming Corporation. "We are confident that our beautiful new hotel tower will only add to the experience our guests enjoy and further cement Seneca Allegany's reputation as one of the premier gaming resort destinations in the northeast."
The new hotel tower features a combination of spacious deluxe rooms and suites with high end finishes and amenities and breathtaking views, along with the service that has been the hallmark of Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel for the past five years. The property has received five consecutive Four Diamond Awards from AAA in recognition of its outstanding service, amenities, and overall excellent guest experiences.
Construction of the project will be completed ahead of schedule and under budget. Wednesday's opening comes less than a year after construction crews started work on the project. In that time, approximately 300 construction workers have been on the job at different stages of development. The project will add approximately 30 direct hotel jobs, while Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel expects to hire another 40 workers to address expected increases in other areas as a result of the new tower coming online. Seneca Gaming Corporation currently employs more than 3,700 workers at its properties in Salamanca, Niagara Falls and Buffalo.
"The growth and success of Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel, and of all of our gaming enterprises, are indicative of the important and expanding role the Seneca Nation continues to play in the economy of Western New York, the Southern Tier region and the surrounding area," said Robert Odawi Porter, President of the Seneca Nation of Indians.
The need to add to the property's hotel offerings arose from Seneca Allegany's growing popularity. More than 3 million people visit Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel each year, with large numbers of visitors travelling from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Ontario, Canada and other locations. As a result, the existing 212-room hotel tower has regularly achieved occupancy rates greater than 95 percent, with many weekends being completely sold out.
"We have seen how the positive guest response to Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel has grown incrementally across a wider geographic area," said Cathy Walker, Seneca Gaming Corporation president and CEO. "Our performance and our approach to serving our guests, along with our synergistic relationships with our partners in tourism across the region, has helped attract increased interest from travelers looking for a quality getaway destination. We now want to give more people the opportunity to lengthen their stay and to experience all of the excitement this area has to offer."
The increased room capacity will help to accommodate not only the current demand, but also increased demand that is anticipated as Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel continues to expand its promotional and entertainment offerings. Among the events scheduled for the Seneca Allegany Events Center in the coming weeks are Cattaraugus County's Largest Hunting Expo (October 27-28), a performance by country music superstar Gary Allan (November 3), legendary Canadian rock artists The Tragically Hip (November 17) and a series of five performances by Brenda Lee (November 28-December 2).
Located in the foothills of the Allegany Mountains, Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel is minutes away from nearby Ellicottville, New York and a focal point for the area's growing tourism economy. In addition to its current 212-room hotel tower, the resort offers patrons the complete gaming resort experience. Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel features 68,300 square feet of world-class gaming space with more than 2,000 slot machines and 30 table games, outstanding entertainment in the 2,300-seat Seneca Event Center, a full-service spa and salon, an indoor swimming pool, four exquisite dining destinations, 21,500 square feet of meeting and conference space, and multiple retail outlets.
Since opening Seneca Niagara Casino in 2002, Seneca Gaming Corporation has grown to employ more than 3,700 people, making it one of the largest private employers in Western New York. Seneca Gaming Corporation operates world-class facilities offering more than 6,500 slot machines, 140 table games, 1,000 hotel rooms, a championship golf course and other related amenities. For more information, visit www.senecacasinos.com.
