Harrah's Casino Tunica
| Harrah's Casino Tunica | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Tunica Resorts, Mississippi |
| Address | 13615 Old Highway 61 N |
| Opening date | 1996 |
| Closing date | June 2, 2014 |
| Theme | Art Deco |
| Number of rooms | 1,356 |
| Total gaming space | 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) |
| Signature attractions | Bellissimo Spa & Salon |
| Notable restaurants | '37 Steakhouse |
| Casino type | Riverboat |
| Owner | Caesars Entertainment |
| Previous names | Grand Casino Tunica |
Harrah's Casino Tunica, formerly Grand Casino Tunica, was a casino and resort located in Tunica Resorts, Mississippi. It was owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The casino offered a 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) casino and three hotels with a total of 1,356 rooms. There was also an RV park, the Bellissimo Spa & Salon, a convention center, and a 2,500 seat entertainment venue called the Harrah's Event Center.
Citing steadily declining business rates in the last few years, Caesars announced the closure of Harrah's Casino Tunica, along with its hotels, golf course, and events center in March 2014.[1] The casino permanently closed on June 2, 2014.
Facility history
The casino itself was built in 1996. It was the largest casino between Las Vegas and Atlantic City, featuring a large poker room. The first hotel, Casino Tower, was constructed in 1997. It contains 148 rooms and 40 suites. The theme of the hotel was art deco. The second hotel, Veranda Tower, was more of a modern hotel, which was constructed in 1999. It contained 532 rooms and 36 suites. The largest hotel and final hotel completed, Terrace Tower, was completed in 2001 with more of a country inn-theme. It contains 563 rooms and 37 suites.
The Veranda and Terrace Towers were not connected to the casino, but located approximately ½ mile away. Complimentary shuttle service ran 24 hours a day to take guests to and from the casino. The Casino Tower was located adjacent to the casino itself and is about 200 yd (180 m) away. There was a covered walkway in between the two. Shuttles also ran to the RV Park.
Renovations and name change
In October 2007, Harrah's officials announced that Grand Casino Tunica would undergo a $45 million renovation of its hotels and casinos, which included the resort being renamed Harrah's Casino Tunica.[2] In addition, the company announced that the new Harrah's will feature a new buffet bearing the name of Food Network celebrity chef Paula Deen. Paula Deen's Buffet is reported to be the first celebrity chef-branded buffet at an American casino.[3]
A Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill owned by Scottsdale, Arizona-based Capri Restaurant Group Enterprises LLC opened in Harrah's in September 2010, replacing the former Replays bar and grill and Murano's Italian Restaurant.
Ownership history
Grand Casino Tunica's original owner was Grand Casinos, Inc., headed by Lyle Berman, a pioneer in developing resort-style casinos on Native American reservations and in Mississippi.
In 1998, Berman and Grand Casinos, Inc., sold their Tunica, and Biloxi, Mississippi resorts to the gaming division of Hilton Hotels, with the combined assets being spun off to create a new corporation called Park Place Entertainment (later renamed Caesars Entertainment).
In 2005, Caesars Entertainment was acquired by Harrah's Entertainment, which converted back to the Caesars Entertainment name in 2010. In the Tunica market, Caesars also operates Horseshoe Casino Tunica and Tunica Roadhouse Casino & Hotel (formerly Sheraton). The three properties share management and player marketing operations.
Previous Harrah's Casinos in Tunica
The current Harrah's is the third casino in Tunica Resorts to bear the name Harrah's. The previous Harrah's Tunica was designed by Steelman Partners. The first was located just off Casino Strip Blvd., several miles south of the former Grand, and was the first casino to open in that area. In 1996, Harrah's acquired the shuttered Southern Belle Casino, approximately 500 yards (450 m) away from the first Harrah's. The company operated both casinos as Harrah's for a short time, calling the second property "Harrah's Mardi Gras." Eventually, Harrah's sold the original property to Isle of Capri Casinos, who operated it as "Isle of Capri Tunica" for a short time before closing it.
With the sale of Caesars to Harrah's in 2004, the combined companies were forced to sell two properties to avoid owning five of the nine casinos in the Tunica market. The remaining Harrah's was sold, along with Bally's Casino Tunica, to Colony Capital, and Harrah's was renamed Resorts Casino Tunica.
References
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Coordinates: 34°51′20″N 90°17′40″W / 34.855613°N 90.294544°W