Cliff Castle Casino has upped the ante for guests with the completion of its new hotel — a project that broke ground more than two years ago. The casino and Yavapai-Apache Nation have announced a grand opening celebration for Friday, Feb. 23.
Having a hotel is a significant addition to Cliff Castle, said Director of Marketing James Perry.“Most Arizona casinos have an attached hotel,” he said.
“We’ve always had a detached hotel that we shuttled our guests back and forth. Building this new hotel will attract players from Arizona that are used to that experience; we do pull a lot of people from the valley already.”
Hotel development began in January 2016. The $30 million project includes 122 luxury hotel guest rooms, a conference and entertainment facility, an indoor swimming pool, retail outlet stores, Starbucks coffee and a 300-space parking garage.
The hotel was originally anticipated to open early last year, but problems with construction held up the process. A September report to the YAN Tribal Council stated that the contractor wasn’t able to complete the project because of unforeseen circumstances.
“Some of the project delays are attributable to causes outside of the contractor’s control,” the report stated. “For example, during the earth-work phase of the project certain unforeseen conditions arose that resulted in a brief delay.”
Heavy rains last year also caused the delay, according to the report.
“The rain damage, which could have been prevented had the contractor taken certain simple protective measures such as covering the roof, which the contractor did not do, resulted in some additional delays,” the report stated.
In a media release, Cliff Castle Casino Hotel General Manager Danny Gutierrez said the opening of the new hotel is a reflection of Cliff Castle’s successful business model.
“Our goal in developing the new property has been to enhance our guests’ experience and provide quality services and amenities,” he said.
For more information about Cliff Castle Casino, visit www.cliffcastlecasinohotel.com.
Grand Opening Events
- 11 a.m.: Grand opening ceremony
- 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Community meal, activities and entertainment in Stargazer Pavilion
- 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.: Lady Crow Road Show in the Dragonfly Night Club
Kelcie Grega can be reached at 634-8551, or email kgrega@larsonnewspapers.com
