Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina expects to complete a new 532-room tower this year that will give the property the largest hotel in the state. It’s the third hotel expansion at Harrah’s Cherokee since 2002.
The first tower opened with 252 hotel rooms, and a second tower in 2005 expanded the room count to 576. The latest addition will bring the hotel’s total room count to more than 1,100, including 78 new suites.
The expansion is part of a $633 million project designed to turn the casino and hotel into a full-purpose resort destination and make it more competitive once the economy rebounds.
The project will also include a new hotel entrance and lobby, and by 2012, the former entrance area will be turned into a 16,000-square-foot spa.
The casino will also be renovated, nearly doubling in size from 88,000 square feet to 150,000 square feet with 1,200 new games. Six new retail shops, six new restaurants, a 3,000-seat event center and a second eight-story parking garage also will be added.
