Given that Valley River will be set on about 90 acres of land (Cherokee has about 56), there is room for expansion for both the casino and hotel.

Now you’re seeing more of the Harrah’s brand of properties saying, let’s provide an area to refresh, grab a drink and a snack rather than a meal.” “The philosophy has shifted back to a lounge mentality rather than making it more like a restaurant. “We want to make it as comfortable as possible, but not too extravagant,” Lambert said. Right now, there are no plans for a buffet, but an “a la carte” restaurant is under consideration once the casino settles into operation.įor higher-level gamblers who possess the Harrah’s brand Diamond or Seven Stars loyalty card, there will be a coveted “Diamond Lounge” on site, but it might be a bit simpler than some of its counterparts. The primary food options at Valley River will initially come from a 24-hour food court, which will include five vendors, according to Lambert, and cover the usual array of options: burgers, pizza, salads, deli and coffee shop fare among them. Something else that was eased into Harrah’s Cherokee but will be available from opening day at Valley River: the ability to purchase alcohol on site. (That property currently boasts more than 1,100 rooms in three towers, all added years after the casino opened.) And for the slot fans, inventory will be comprised of Class III machines, the standard in gambling meccas such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City.Ī 301-room, seven-story hotel will open shortly after the casino ribbon-cutting, an advantage that Lambert, who has been with Harrah’s Cherokee since its opening, reminds is a luxury that Harrah’s Cherokee didn’t have. (Comparatively, Harrah’s Cherokee has 4,100 slots and more than 100 table games.)īecause of the size of the facility, a poker room isn’t feasible, but Lambert said the inclusion of electronic poker games is a possibility.

The 60,000-square-foot casino will offer 1,050 slot machines and 70 live table games including craps, roulette and blackjack. Lambert likens the size of the new property, which broke ground in October 2013, to Harrah’s Cherokee when it opened in 1997. Although Valley River will operate in a much smaller footprint than the Las Vegas-like resort that Harrah’s Cherokee morphed into by the time a $633 million expansion project wrapped last year, it will provide plenty of the amenities that gamblers have come to expect.

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