With a high concentration of casinos, about 300 in the region and growing, the Midwestern states have a wide range of gaming options. More and more are adding hotels, resort amenities and meeting and event space, making themselves one-stop destinations. Here are a few gaming properties that stand out with an array of activities, accommodations and event space that go well beyond the casino floor.
Belterra Casino Resort & Spa, Florence, Ind.
Earlier this year, Belterra Casino Resort completed a total renovation of its 50,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. The 608-room property along the Ohio River offers easy access to Cincinnati; Indianapolis; and Louisville and Lexington, Ky.
Recent upgrades to the meeting space include all-new carpeting, wall fixtures and sconces along with new seating. In addition, technology improvements included Wi-Fi speeds up to 100 megabits per second, making connectivity and communication faster and easier for groups.
The resort offers six food and beverage options, a spa and salon, retail outlets and a Tom Fazio golf course. With all the on-site amenities, groups can chose from a range of teambuilding and breakout activities.
In keeping with the casino theme, groups can arrange for a poker tournament or transform a private banquet room into a boardwalk arcade complete with a pool table, air hockey, table tennis and dart boards.
For the culinary-minded groups, there are several programs, such as Cooking with the Chef, where the executive chef spills “chef secrets” and incorporates demonstrations and interactive lessons. Wine Tasting and Pairing and Bourbon Tasting classes are offered as well.
For groups that want to stay on-property and indoors, there is the Belterra’s Survivor Challenge, where groups are challenged to complete oversized wooden puzzles and other tests, and the Selfie Scavenger Hunt, where groups use social media and cell phones to complete an indoor scavenger hunt around the resort. The Build-a-Bike program allows attendees to work together to construct bikes and a local nonprofit will invite children in need to the hotel so they can be surprised with their new rides in-person.
For adventure-seeking groups, the team at Belterra can arrange for a Rev Up Your Engine excursion where guests experience the behind-the-scenes action of the Kentucky Speedway, home of the Sprint Cup NASCAR race. Zipline tours, available at two different skill levels, can also be arranged through the property.
FireKeepers Casino Hotel, Battle Creek, Mich.
Opened in 2009 as FireKeepers Casino, the property completed a major expansion in 2012 that included an eight-story resort-style hotel with 243 guest rooms. Now FireKeepers Casino Hotel, the project also included a multipurpose event center, full-service restaurant, expanded Bingo room, exercise facility and indoor pool. In 2015, the property received the AAA Four Diamond award, just over two years after opening the hotel.
The Event Center, which can seat up to 2,000, regularly hosts big name performers, and when not in use can accommodate groups starting at just 14. The 17,500-square-foot Mbish Ballroom can be divided into four separate spaces and can accommodate over 1,100 people. There are four smaller meeting rooms and a boardroom for smaller gatherings and meetings.
For groups looking for off-site teambuilding, excursions and activities, the team at FireKeepers partners with local companies and outlets to provide uniquely Michigan experiences.
“For groups looking to take advantage of the recent boom in the craft brewing industry, we are lucky to be within 30 miles of over a dozen unique breweries,” says Megan Carra, catering and sales manager at FireKeepers Casino Hotel. “We partner with West Michigan Beer Tours, which offers private tours for groups that includes transportation, customized itineraries and guides.”
Another big draw to the region is golf, and groups can arrange customized packages for 15 courses in the area with Michigan’s Southern Swing. The Medalist Golf Club in the neighboring town of Marshall is frequently used to plan group outings, and it offers special packages for groups and guests of FireKeepers.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, Catoosa, Okla.
Located in Catoosa, near the Tulsa city limits, is the 545-room Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. With 75,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, including a 23,000-square-foot convention center and two ballrooms, the property can accommodate groups of all sizes. The 15,000-square-foot ballroom can be divided into six separate sections, and for smaller groups there is the more-intimate 4,800-square-foot Grand Hall of the Cherokees.
The property is set against the Cherokee Hills Golf Club. The course was originally designed in 1924 by Perry Maxwell and redesigned by Tripp Davis. Groups can take advantage of the proximity of the golf club with a round or two, as well as use the nearly 3,300 square feet of meeting space and the observation deck that overlooks the tree-lined fairways.
Back on-site is The Joint, a 45,000-square-foot entertainment venue. The space features amphitheater-style seating for 2,700 and a state-of-the-art light and sound system.
More group space is available on the hotel’s top floors. The Sky Room, a reception-style hall on the 18th floor with panoramic views, can accommodate up to 400 guests. On the 19th floor is McGills on 19, the property’s fine dining restaurant and lounge, also offering panoramic views, as well as an outdoor balcony. In addition to the private dining booths in the center of the restaurant, there are two private dining rooms, each can seat about 20, equipped with audiovisual technology.
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Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf, Bettendorf, Iowa
Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Bettendorf, a riverboat casino located in the Quad Cities region in northwestern Illinois and southeastern Iowa, is making a move to land with an 82,000-square-foot casino. The brand-new facility will be located on the current greenspace between the property’s two hotel towers, creating one common lobby space for the resort and, according to Jill Alexander, senior director, corporate communications, three new on-site restaurants. The property will remain open throughout the construction. As of press time an opening date has not been set, but it was originally planned for summer 2016.
The hotel has 514 guest rooms over two towers, and the South Tower recently completed a renovation to match the North Tower rooms. The resort offers 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space between the Isle Center and the Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center (QCWCC). The QCWCC, which is owned by the city but managed by Isle, is connected to the casino property via a skybridge.
In addition to the amenities at the resort, guests can take advantage of a paved walkway and biking trail that runs along the river where the current casino boat is docked. The Quad Cities offer groups all kinds of entertainment and activities. The River Music Experience in Davenport is a nonprofit performing arts center with an emphasis on the music of the Mississippi River. The goal of the center is to educate and inspire musicians and music lovers through live performances and programs. The region is also home to breweries, wineries and a distillery, with many that offer group tours and private event spaces.
JACK Cincinnati Casino, Cincinnati
As of June 2016, Horseshoe Cincinnati, a property set on the riverfront, is rebranding to JACK Cincinnati Casino. JACK is a new brand for Rock Gaming and its wholly owned casinos in Ohio and Detroit. Along with the rebranding, JACK will explore new trends in gaming in addition to providing fresh entertainment options.
“JACK is the future of entertainment,” says Matt Cullen, chief executive officer of JACK Entertainment. “Our new brand represents our company’s progressive spirit, our pursuit of excellence and our desire to deliver our guests unexpected, delightful experiences every day.”
The property offers the convenience of its urban location along with views of the Ohio River and surrounding hills. The new meeting space, with over 33,000 square feet, including outdoor space, offers groups an array of options for events on-site. Inside, there are 11 meeting rooms, including the 19,000-square-foot Pavilion Ballroom that can be divided into nine separate rooms accommodating from 118 to 270 guests. The nearly 3,500-square-foot River Room, with floor-to-ceiling windows, offers views of the city’s skyline, a full banquet kitchen, over 10,500 square feet of prefunction space and an adjacent terrace. Outdoors, the pristine landscaped entertainment plaza The Shoe can accommodate up to 4,000 attendees, and during summer there is live entertainment.
JACK Cincinnati offers complimentary daily shuttle service between the casino and its nine partner hotels, which include the 226-all suite Embassy Suites Rivercenter, the 491-room Hyatt Regency Cincinnati, the 317-room Marriott Cincinnati at Rivercenter and The Westin Cincinnati, which has 455 guest rooms.
In addition to a catering team ready to execute a break or multicourse meal, there are multiple dining options on-site. From the upscale Prism Steak and the casual Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, to several restaurants that offer quick bites, all of the food and beverage outlets welcome groups and complete buyouts are available.
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, Milwaukee
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino opened its 19-story hotel in 2014. While the casino and event center have been open since 1991, the hotel added 381 guest rooms and 12,000 square feet of meeting and event space to the property. The largest of the seven new meeting spaces at the hotel, the Serenity Room, offers nearly 2,800 square feet and can accommodate up to 300 for a reception.
In addition to the hotel, the Event Center, one of the largest venues in the Milwaukee area, is connected by a skywalk to both the hotel and the parking structure. The center features over 32,000 square feet of space and can accommodate all kinds of events, from tradeshows and receptions to seminars and galas, with a capacity of 2,500 reception-style or 1,200 seated. The property also offers the 8,600-square-foot Woodland Dreams Ballroom.
Located in the Menomonee Valley neighborhood of Milwaukee, the property is an anchor of a revamp to this part of the city. Because of a location on the Menomonee River that provides easy access to Lake Michigan, the district was historically home to the city’s shipping industry, stockyards and rendering plants. In the late 1980s, the city purchased the land designed for redevelopments. Along with Potawatomi, the Harley-Davidson Museum, which broke ground in 2006, and the 24-acre Three Bridges Park that opened in 2013 and runs along the river with trails and new bridge crossings, have transformed the neighborhood into a vibrant area for locals and visitors alike.
River City Casino & Hotel, St. Louis
On the Mississippi River, and with a convenient location in the metropolitan area of St. Louis, River City Casino & Hotel offers a 90,000-square-foot gaming floor, 200 guest rooms and an event center for groups from 14 to 1,400. Originally opened as a casino in 2010, the seven-story hotel and event center were added in 2013.
The property’s decor is based on the 1904 World’s Fair that took place in St. Louis, and the theme carries throughout with the 1904 Steakhouse, a high-end restaurant offering over 300 wines, and at The Beerhouse, where River City’s own 1904 Lager is served. Both outlets can accommodate groups, and The Beerhouse features a 20-foot communal table, 32 beers on draft and over 100 microbrews.
The property’s 14,000-square-foot Event Center includes a stage and can seat 1,150 for a banquet or host 1,400 for a reception. The space can be divided into five rooms for smaller events and there is also a separate meeting room with a 100-person capacity and a boardroom that can seat 13.
