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GATEWAY CASINOS & ENTERTAINMENT – GRAND VILLA CASINO

the existing casino, Gateway decided to

demolish it and start from scratch. A high-
rise hotel structure, however, was saved.
The 220-room hotel is scheduled to
open in mid-2009, and Calvert says the
building helped anchor Gateway Casinos’
plans for the Grand Villa. Originally, he
says, the plan was to completely refinish
the interiors of the hotel, but the company
ended up stripping the top three floors
“right down to the concrete” to be refur-
bished into its Signature Club suites. In all,
the new Grand Villa complex will total
290,000 square feet, 120,000 of which will
be gaming.
To help guide their development Calvert
says, Gateway drew on the research it con-
ducted in other markets. “Our research
includes reviewing other casino projects,
and identifying the specific elements we
are focusing on, whether it’s a show bar or
a poker room,” Calvert says.
One such element incorporated into
the casino was a show bar that is open to
the casino floor. “This was the best way
to bring the excitement of live shows
onto the casino floor,” Calvert added. “A
full second theatre wouldn’t be support- The newly refurbished Grand Villa Casino spans 290,000 square feet, including 120,000 square feet
ed by the market.” of gaming space, which is anchored by a Las Vegas-inspired show bar. A 220-room hotel is also part
of the expansion, along with a 35,000-square-foot convention center.

Ambiance, Not Themes

Although the gaming landscape was ruled
for years by high-concept themed casinos
such as New York New York and other Las
Vegas properties including the Camelot-
themed Excalibur and Egyptian-styled
Luxor, Calvert says recent casino projects
have skewed away from that trend. He says
casino properties, including the Grand Villa
Casino, are being built and remodeled with
more of an eye to the texture and feel of a
property rather than trying to emulate a
castle or pyramid.
Calvert says the texture and feel of the
Grand Villa is meant to invoke modern
Italian villa. “A lot of the architecture
reflects that contemporary look,” Calvert
says. “This one’s the flagship, so this one
got a significant amount of finishing.” At
290,000 square feet for the entire complex,
Grand Villa is twice the size of Gateway
Casinos’ second-largest property.
Contributing to the feel of the Grand
Villa is a large amount of exterior glazing
to allow more natural light into the build-
ing, Calvert says. He cites trends in gam-
ing construction that are moving away

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