GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Gun Lake Casino hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday for a $300 million project that will add a 15-floor hotel and a large-scale “Aquadome” with three pools and the ability to transform into a concert venue and banquet center.
The expansion, said CEO Sal Semola, will provide more non-gaming entertainment amenities, and transform Gun Lake Casino into Gun Lake Casino Resort.
“The addition of the hotel is going to expand our geographic reach and our demographic appeal,” he said, speaking with reporters following the groundbreaking. “It puts us on a level playing field with our competition.”
Located on the west side of Gun Lake Casino, the 252-room hotel and six-story Aquadome are expected to open in March 2025. The casino is in Wayland Township, just east of U.S. 131, about hallway between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. It opened in 2011, and is owned by the Gun Lake Tribe.
Renderings unveiled at Thursday’s groundbreaking show sleek rooms in the hotel with hardwood floors, blue upholstery, and large windows. The hotel has 30 suites and two-story suites on the top floors. HBG Design, which is based in Memphis, Tennessee, is overseeing the design of the expansion, which officials are calling phase five.
Bob Peters, chairmen of the Gun Lake Tribe, said the hotel and Aquadome will be “spectacular” and “nothing like you’ve seen around here.”
“While the process will take 34 months, it will be something to enjoy for many years to come,” he said.
The hotel and Aquadome are expected to create 350 jobs at the casino, which employs about 1,200 people today. The casino features over 2,500 slots, 47 table games, and three restaurants. A spokesperson says the casino has about 3 million visits annually.
Speaking after the groundbreaking, Semola likened the Aquadome, which will boast palm trees, tropical flora and a year-round temperature of 82 degrees, to a “unique and inviting oasis.”
The 32,000 square foot building will host three pools --- one for families, one for guests 21 and up, and another for VIP guests. It will also have a stage for live events for up to 2,400 people.
In addition to the hotel and Aquadome, the expansion will also feature a new, 137 seat restaurant, Sandhill Café.
Once the hotel and Aquadome open, Semola said Gun Lake Casino expects to draw in more visitors from throughout Michigan. Currently, the casino primarily draws visitors from 30-60 miles away. But he hopes the expansion will lure gamblers and families from throughout the state, including Southeast Michigan.
“It’s a different experience,” Semola said, when describing the benefit of the hotel. “You come out, you stay overnight, you enjoy yourself a little bit more. You don’t have to rush and so forth.”
He said Gun Lake’s biggest competitors are FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, and Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mt. Pleasant. “Now we begin to offer a lot of the same amenities that they do,” Semola said.
Looking forward, he said the hotel and Aquadome also brings a big benefit for the tribe and the West Michigan economy, noting the temporary construction jobs created because of the project.
“Not only does Phase 5 meet a current demand, but also it’s going to assure the financial sovereignty long-term of the tribe for not just today but future generations,” Semola said.
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