The Guest House at Graceland is One of the Most Important Hotels Opening in 2016
From Business Insider – The Guest House at Graceland makes the list of the 11 most important hotel openings of 2016
A new year brings new everything — new goals, new challenges, new plans, and (fortunately for us) new hotels. We’ve already gone the nostalgic route, taking you ona tour of the hot new hotels of 2015, so now we’re looking ahead at the brand-new hotels that will open their doors in 2016.
Of course, thousands of hotels (and tiny properties that we guess can be considered hotels) open annually, but some are more anticipated than others.
Here, we bring you the biggest hotel openings of 2016. From a hip Miami property (that was slated to open in 2015) to a private island off the coast of Tanzania, these 11 newbies are worth a visit this year, while they’re still so fresh and so clean (clean).
The Guest House at Graceland, Memphis
Photo Credit: The Guest House at Graceland
Opening in October as one of the largest lodgings in Memphis, the 450-room Guest House at Graceland is not your typical hotel stay. Of course it will offer standard amenities like room service, an outdoor pool, and a free airport shuttle, but — sitting just outside the entrance of Graceland — The Guest House has Elvis Presley fans as its priority; picture plenty of Presley paraphernalia and even specialty suites designed in conjunction with Priscilla Presley.
Congratulations Seneca Nation on the groundbreaking for the phase 2 Buffalo Creek Casino expansion!
HBG’s Seneca design team was very excited to attend the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino expansion groundbreaking ceremony on January 14th! The project is scheduled for a 2017 opening. READ MORE ABOUT THE PHASE 2 BUFFALO CREEK CASINO EXPANSION HERE.
‘Seneca Secret’ in the latest Casino Design magazine
The Seneca Nation was far from the first tribe to enter tribal gaming, but when they decided to take the plunge, they were all in. First, Seneca Niagara became a success near the famous falls. Then a second casino in Allegany, New York followed in that path. Finally, a small casino in Buffalo was more successful than anticipated, so an expansion plan was necessary. Continuing its relationship with the Seneca Nation, Hnedak Bobo Group (HBG) is currently designing a $40 million expansion to the Buffalo Creek Casino. HBG also designed the phase-one casino.
The two-story expansion project will feature a new high-limit game room, 360 additional slot machines and 10 game tables, bringing the total number of slot machines to 1,200 and game tables to 32 after construction.
In addition, the expansion will create a new retail area and add a small performance stage for live entertainment at the Stixx Sports Bar. The existing Buffalo Savors Grill will be upgraded, and a second floor will house a new restaurant, the Western Door Steakhouse—which is one of the most popular restaurants at Seneca Gaming’s other New York casino properties. Construction will be complete in early 2017.
Located in the former industrial area of Buffalo’s re-emerging Inner Harbor, HBG designed the phase-one Buffalo Creek Casino, which opened on August 27, 2013. Highly visible from Interstate 190 and only two blocks from the First Niagara Center, home of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, the Seneca Nation’s casino property celebrates the culture of the Seneca people while serving as a building block for the continued growth of the Inner Harbor area.
Owner: Seneca Nation
Manager: Seneca Gaming Corp.
Architect/Designer: Hnedak Bobo Group
Investment: $40 million
See the original article in the 2015 Casino Design Magazine
We’re Celebrating the Grand Opening of Desert Diamond West Valley Casino Phase I
Photo from YourWestValley.com article: http://www.yourwestvalley.com/glendale/article_53defecc-a872-11e5-ad25-d76200b77a7b.html
Congratulations to our client, the Tohono O’odham Nation on the grand opening of the first phase of the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino in Maricopa County, Arizona. The HBG-designed casino officially opened to the public on December 20, 2015. We have compiled articles on the project below – take a look for a peek into the project, and check back on the HBG website soon for official project photography.
YourWestValley.com Grand Opening story
From the Phoenix Business Journal
A Video Sneak Peek from From ABC 15 Arizona
Visit the official Desert Diamond West Valley Casino website here.
HBG designs $40 million expansion for Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino
Buffalo’s economic development revival is spurring a $40 million expansion of the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino that will see the size of the two-year-old downtown gaming venue grow by more than 42 percent.
Seneca Nation of Indians and Seneca Gaming Corp. leaders on Friday confirmed the 28,500-square-foot expansion will begin this fall and when completed will increase the footprint of the South Park Avenue casino to 95,500-square-feet.
When completed in early 2017, the expanded casino will create at least 300 new jobs and see the number of slot machines go from approximately 800 to nearly 1,200, a 45 percent increase.
It marks a significant change from the interim Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino that first opened its doors in July 2007. “Eight years ago, the Seneca Nation invested in our Buffalo Creek territory when little else was taking place around us to draw people to the Inner Harbor area of downtown Buffalo,” said Maurice John Sr., Seneca Nation president. “An unprecedented wave of development momentum, investment and growth followed.”
The two-story addition, set for the west side of the casino and stretching toward South Park Avenue, will add 10 more table games, a “high-limit” room, designated non-smoking areas, a small performance stage for live entertainment at the Stixx Sports Bar and bring a Western Door Steakhouse on to the site. Western Door Steakhouse is one of the most popular restaurants at Seneca Gaming’s Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino and Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino.
Since Seneca Buffalo Creek opened, the nearby Cobblestone District has emerged with its collection of bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. It has helped spur other nearby developments like last year’s opening of Ballyhoo’s — located across from the casino on South Park, and the debut of the Buffalo RiverWorks sports and entertainment complex.
“Economic revitalization occurs when your business leaders have an active and vested interest in the region,” said Barry Snyder Sr., chairman of Seneca Gaming Corp.
The decision to move forward with the expansion was officially approved by the Seneca Nation Council late Friday morning and comes almost two years to the day when Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino opened. The timing had as much to do with economic conditions as historical dates.
“Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino has been extremely popular from the day we opened the doors,” said Audrey Oswell, Seneca Gaming chief operating officer. The casino attracts more than 3 million customers annually.
Memphis-based Hnedak Bobo Group, which designed Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino, also has drawn up the expanded wing. Seneca Construction Management Corp. will serve as the construction manager.
See original article in Buffalo Business First