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STANDISH, MI — One step into the hotel lobby at the newly expanded Saganing Eagles Landing Casino gives visitors a look at the heritage of the tribe behind the business.

Drums, black ash baskets and moccasins are some of the items on display. All were made by or donated by members of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.

“We tried to pull in some of the native components into the interior, the design, the displays," said General Manager Bob VanWert.

The casino recently underwent a multimillion expansion and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe is celebrating the grand opening Friday, Sept. 6. The casino is located near Standish, about 30 miles north of Bay City.

After more than two years of construction and more than a decade of planning, the newly improved resort now includes a larger casino with 1,200 gaming machines, a new restaurant, a new bar and a new six-story hotel. Spence Brothers was the general contractor.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. Friday. Afterward, guests can sample food and refreshments from the casino’s new full-service restaurant, The Landing.

“We are so excited to complete the final stages of the expansion-construction that started in early 2017," Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribal Council Chief Ronnie Ekdahl said in a statement. "This ribbon-cutting event will mark the ‘end’ point of a long period of major improvements and thus, we want the public to come out and celebrate with us.”

VanWert and Marcella Hadden, a public relations manager for the Tribe, gave MLive a tour of the property, located at 2690 Worth Road, Wednesday.

VanWert said top-end players and tribal members were invited to a soft opening in August and the hotel booked up quickly.

“We’re pretty much full for the next three weeks,” he said, showing off the new hotel pool area, fitness center and lobby, where a red “fancy dance shawl” with yellow fringe and woodland floral motif is displayed near a red “jingle dress" and other artifacts.

“It makes a sound when it moves, so each jingle is a prayer," Hadden explained.

Prior to the expansion, the casino was attracting about 2 million guests per year. Some travel from out of state, but most come from the Tri-Cities area. VanWert expects that number to grow with the addition of a hotel.

“It’s been a demand for years. They’ve wanted it," he said.

The casino’s new restaurant, The Landing, has seating for 200 and offers a variety of appetizers, sandwiches and entrees, including sirloin steak, ravioli and chicken marsala. Nearby at the new Creekside Lounge, guests can enjoy a signature drink, such as “Jackpot Punch" or “Kiss From Lady Luck.”

The new hotel, which is entirely non-smoking, has 148 rooms, including eight suites with kitchenettes and separate sitting areas. Nightly rates for standard rooms start at about $119.

The expansion also created more than 200 jobs. When the casino and hotel are fully staffed, they’ll employ nearly 550, VanWert said.

“(It’s) good for the Tribe and the area itself, as a whole,” he said.

Ruth Pavlica, 78, of Macomb Township was at the casino Wednesday. She said the addition was “beautiful.”

“It’s awesome here. They smile,” she said of the people she encountered during her visit. “Everybody’s smiling.”

According to Saganing Eagles Landing’s website, guests can call 1-888-732-4537 now to book a room.

Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, also owned by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, recently underwent renovation and expansion as well. The $26.5 million project completed last year included a new sports bar and night club, luxury high-limit gaming area and VIP lounge for “diamond” players.