On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, Coeur D’ Alene Casino Resort Hotel announced that they are to seriously expand their premises. The casino resort, which is tribally owned, will incorporate a range of new and exciting features. It’s already home to one of the country’s top 100 best public golf courses according to Golf Magazine and Golf Digest: the Circling Raven Golf Club. It’s based in the Idaho panhandle, close to Washington’s Spokane Airport.
The resorts Tribal Chairman stated: “When we announced we were going to undertake a $75-million expansion, many thought we were crazy. The Tribe didn’t sit back and wait to be victimized by the economy. The Tribe took control of its own destiny. We moved forward with a vision, the results of which can now be found inside this beautiful resort.”
Past Expansions
The resort originally opened as a bingo hall, measuring 30,000 square feet in 1993. In May 2009, the project completed its seventh expansion. This brought with it over 200 new jobs and managed to increase employment in the tribe over 2,000. This made the resort North Idaho’s biggest employer.
Chief Executive Officer of the casino resort, Dave LaSarte Meeks, is quoted as saying: “The amenities we added have dramatically expanded the resort and the overall experience our guests can expect here.”
The New Features
A number of features are to be added to the Coeur D’Alene Casino Resort Hotel. These include the following.
Approximately 100 new hotel rooms which will be located in two separate wings. These will have a view over Circling Raven which consists of native wetlands and the Palouse hills. Each room will be spacious and contain up-to-date conveniences and technology. The design will consist of 10 feet doors and windows stretching from the floor to the ceiling.
Ts’elusum, which means “stand before the fire,” is the name of the gourmet steakhouse. While deciding on which wine to pick from a wide selection, diners will be able to observe the chefs as they prepare Kobe beef and finest prime above an open wood fire. Alternatively, they can take in stunning views of the meadows surroundings.
A full-service spa, named Ssakwa’q’n, will stretch out over 15,000 square feet. The names refer to a little, refreshing lake located on the top of a mountain. This will incorporate an open-air swimming pool, cedar saunas, Vichy shower, treatment rooms, and a tea lounge.
A “Front Yard” will be home to an outdoor amphitheater. Here, concerts and other events will take place.
“Yap kee num” will be a sport bar and cafe. It will offer a wide range of wines, beers, and spirits as well as “pub food.” Outdoor seating will also be available.
All in all, the expansion is set to be beneficial not only for the resort, but also for the area in general. It should generate a multitude of new jobs and entice in more players.