Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, for more than two decades a staple of local entertainment, will bring its property to the forefront of casino hospitality on a regional and national level with its new 381-room, 19-story hotel, which opened on Aug. 18.
The hotel serves as a new icon in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley and will open to the public Aug. 18. It features 381 rooms, the property’s newest restaurant, Locavore; a lobby bar and lounge; a coffee bar featuring local brewer Stone Creek Coffee; more than 12,000 square feet in new meeting space and refined furniture and fixtures throughout.
Upon arrival, guests will pull up to the hotel under the expansive porte cochere – which covers a heated walkway underneath. They will enter the hotel’s lobby and be greeted with a nod to Mother Nature. Pillars throughout the space replicate large trees and large leaf canopies. Far above the lobby a complex lighting system, featuring about 3,200 LED nodes, can create different patterns, movement and shows from the ceiling. The Color Kinetic System can produce about 16.1 million different colors and provide custom light for any time of day, time of year or special occasion. It can simulate sun breaking through trees, thunderstorms, raging fires and more. Lighting in the hotel’s elevator bays on the first and third floors can also be programmed to set a variety of moods.
“These lighting systems help bring the energy and excitement felt on the gaming floor into the adjacent hotel,” said Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Hotel Director Hassan Abdel-Moneim. “Intriguing and unique lighting design is a theme guests will experience in various locations of the hotel.”
After experiencing the lobby, guests will make their way to one of our standard rooms or suites. All standard rooms are equipped with an energy-saving intelligent thermostat, a flat-screen television, refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker. Suites are outfitted with plush living and dining areas, a large master bedroom and bathroom, and access to a connected standard bedroom. Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel property.
One presidential suite, taking up a large portion of the hotel’s 19th floor, boasts one-of-a-kind views of the Milwaukee skyline. At $4,000 per night, it is the city’s largest and most expensive hotel suite with about 3,000 square feet, which includes an 800 square-foot patio overlooking the city. The room includes a spacious living area, floor-to-ceiling windows, a huge master bedroom with fireplace and a 60-inch television mounted above. A spa-like master bathroom with Kohler finishes includes a Jacuzzi. All furnishings and flooring were custom made for the one-of-a-kind space. Guests will be welcomed to their luxurious suite with a bottle of Dom Perignon. Chocolate truffles, made fresh in the property’s pastry shop, will be served upon turndown. Unlimited limo service and a private chauffeur will be available during the course of their stay.
The hotel will allow the property to extend its outreach to potential guests outside of the Milwaukee area, including Chicago – the third largest gaming market in the country.
“Adding a hotel to this property will allow us to show our brand of exciting entertainment to a much wider audience,” said Mike Goodrich, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino General Manager. “With the addition of lodging, our property will now be at the forefront of destination casinos. It will also serve as another reason for people to visit the Milwaukee area.”
The property also places a premium on the guest service it delivers.
“Our first goal is to provide our guests with the absolute best experiences we can deliver,” said Abdel-Moneim. “We want to meet and exceed the expectations for service our guests have during their stay. We want to set the standard, not only in the Milwaukee market, but the tribal hospitality industry.”
The hotel is smoke-free and green, including a number of environmentally friendly features integrated into the hotel’s design. These include the use of recycled products and materials during construction, the incorporation of energy efficient mechanical, electrical and plumbing design strategies, an innovative storm water management system, the use of native plant species in the landscape design and other measures to aid the environment and control long-term costs. The hotel has applied for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) status.
“Implementing green measures in the design and construction of the hotel was an integral focus of the tribe,” said Goodrich. “This priority on sustainability stems from the tribe’s traditional belief in honoring all living things. They have stood steadfastly by this tenet since developing the property more than two decades ago. “
The hotel is expected to attract a significant number of new visitors to the Milwaukee market.
“Potawatomi Hotel & Casino continues its track record of playing a vital role in the region’s tourism picture,” said Paul Upchurch, VISIT Milwaukee President and CEO. “For nearly a quarter century, the tribe has shown incredible dedication to the region with hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, and, in doing so, helping to create a new entertainment and visitor corridor in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley.”
Nearly 250 permanent jobs have been created to staff the hotel. Additionally, hundreds of additional jobs are expected to be created by other local businesses that will benefit from visitor, supplier and employee spending.
The hotel features two walkways, one of the first floor and one on the third floor, that provide direct access to all of the entertainment and dining options in the casino. This includes nearly 3,000 slot machines, 100 table games, a 1,350-seat bingo hall, six additional restaurants and multiple entertainment options, including the one-of-a-kind, 500-seat Northern Lights Theater.
Construction and design partners on the project include owner’s representative, Greenfire Management; general contractor, Gilbane Building Co.; architect Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc.; project consultant, Innovation Project Development; and financing through U.S. Bank, National Association.
Since opening as a 2,000 seat bingo hall in 1991, Potawatomi Bingo Casino’s success can be seen in its tremendous growth. In 2000, the first phase of Casino expansion was completed with the introduction of 800 additional slot machines, 25 blackjack tables, full-service dining venues and a 500-seat theater. In 2008, the Casino saw its most ambitious expansion project come to fruition, tripling its size and offering many new amenities and gaming options to its more than 6 million annual guests. During this same period, Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley has been revitalized, becoming a model for business development, entertainment and recreation.
*Information courtesy of Potawatomi press release.
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