Tunica
New Surprises Adding To Groups’ Big Wins
By Peyton Posey If a group is looking for built-in gaming entertainment coupled with affordable accommodations, then Tunica, Miss., is the winning choice, said
Tunica County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Sales Manager Anne Coggins. “We are an affordable city, and the presence of nine casinos is the reason we are a meetings destination,” she said. “There is non-stop entertainment that you don’t have to pay extra for, which can be a valuable marketing tool.”
Compared to other metro cities, Tunica area hotels and casinos can offer the best mid-week rates around, said Michael Pastore, director of hotel operations at
Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall. “We can provide the same service, but better and cheaper. It helps when groups are planning travel budgets that we can offer such great rates,” he said. “That’s what continues to draw repeat customers to our area.”
Situated “in the middle of America,” Coggins said, Tunica not only showcases casino properties and more than 6,300 hotel rooms and suites but also several venues for meetings, conventions or other events. One such space is the 48,000-square-foot Tunica Arena and Exposition Center, which remains booked solid year after year, especially for equine events, said Administrative Manager Rebecca Fyfe.
“Besides a few days here and there, we are booked completely for 2008,” she said. “The draw for the expo center is that the facility is entirely under one roof. Sometimes places (that hold equine events) have outside barns, but ours is indoors, so if it’s raining there’s no problem with the people or animals getting wet.”
On hand to service each event is a dedicated group of employees, Fyfe said. “We are a very hands-on staff and make sure we have people available to guide you through the entire event. Plus, our facilities are very clean, which some places with barns on site may not be. It really is a one-of-a-kind space.”
Tunica, Mississippi’s RiverPark rests along the Mississippi River and provides meeting spaces, a museum and access to a river boat for cruises. |
Another popular venue for meetings and receptions is the 168-acre Tunica RiverPark, which is located on the Mississippi River. The park features a two-mile nature trail, outdoor exhibits, an observation deck and a veranda. Groups can utilize the 1,331-square-foot meeting room, which can accommodate 120 persons, said Executive Director Jerlene Rhodes. “With beautiful views of the Mississippi River, the park is an excellent choice for year-round events,” she said. The venue can also be booked for pre-function events in the 2,169-square-foot lobby or on the spacious terrace, Rhodes said.
The views and unique spaces continue to draw repeat groups to the RiverPark, which is the only venue in the state located directly on the river, said Claire Pittman, public relations manager for the Tunica County CVB. For the past two years the park has hosted an 850-person luncheon during the four-day Hunter and Outfitter Convention for the conservation-based organization Grand Slam Club/Ovis. The park has also welcomed the Mississippi Sweet Potato Council several times, as well as the annual convention of the United States Sweet Potato Council twice in the last decade, according to Pittman.
RiverPark has an on-site museum and interactive center and a riverboat cruise boat, the Tunica Queen. The 400-seat luxury ship offers sightseeing and private dinner cruises February through December.
Casinos
Tunica’s casinos play a key role in the area’s appeal as a meetings destination.
A new development on the horizon is the $1.3 billion Myriad Botanical Resort set to include six planned casinos, 1,000 casino hotel rooms, a 150,000-square-foot convention and exposition center with a 600-room hotel, a 5,000-seat entertainment arena, an 18-hole signature design golf facility, a health club and spa, private label restaurants, retail shops, botanical gardens and a water/snow park. The developer, Delaware-based Myriad Entertainment and Resorts Inc., announced in early October plans to purchase more than 500 acres in Tunica for construction of the complex. The deal is set to close in mid-November, said company spokesperson Kelly Lynch.
The
Gold Strike Casino Resort offers 1,160 guest rooms in the hotel tower overlooking
the Mississippi River. According to property officials, its newly renovated 10,000-square-foot ballroom can accommodate 650 people, banquet style, or more than 1,000 people, theater style. The four breakout rooms range in size from 500 to 1,200 square feet, and the resort also houses four dining choices, including the Chicago Steakhouse, the Atrium Café, the Courtyard Buffet and a food court.
Key Info · Sales Tax: 7 percent
· Hotel Tax: 3 percent
· Average room rate: Group rates are often available from $48 to $60 per night for mid-week bookings Sunday through Thursday, according to destination marketing officials.
· Transportation: Blue City Tours offers shuttles to and from the Memphis International Airport, and a shuttle service provides transportation seven days a week, on three different routes, to all nine casinos. Cab rates begin at $2 per mile. |
Sam’s Town, one of Tunica’s largest casino properties, encompassing 1.5 million square feet on 272 acres, offers more than 17,000 square feet of meeting space, Pastore said. The 1,600-person capacity River Palace Entertainment Center features live events on the weekends and has the capability to host weekday meetings as well, he said. The complex also has six additional breakout rooms that can accommodate up to 1,200. In January 2008, the hotel is set to undergo a $9.2 million renovation of 365 of its 850 guest rooms and suites, Pastore said. “We will be updating the rooms from floor to ceiling,” he said, with new triple-sheet bedding, furniture, carpet, paint, artwork and draperies, and new flat panel televisions.
Additional casinos include the
Grand Casino Resort Tunica, which features three choices of accommodations: the 597-room Terrace Hotel, the 568-room Veranda Hotel and the 188-room Grand Hotel. The grand ballroom is one of several function rooms that comprise the resort’s 45,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Horseshoe Tunica features 500 guest rooms and suites, plus a health spa, restaurants and retail shops.
With 494 guest rooms available, the
Hollywood Casino offers a 14,000-square-foot ballroom located adjacent to the casino floor.
