New Hotel Tower To Include Gaming, Dining Space At Catoosa's Hard Rock Hotel And Casino

NewsOn6.com & Tara Vreeland, News On 6

CATOOSA, Oklahoma -- The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Catoosa has announced it will be building a new 100-room, all-suite hotel tower.

In a news release, the casino says this will be the third hotel tower for their Catoosa property and will include 10,000 square feet of dining and entertainment space and 45,000 square feet of gaming space.

The Hard Rock's CEO says since they've seen nothing but growth, especially since the highway construction wrapped up. He says room demands are high, at an occupancy rate in excess of 90 percent, and they've outgrown the existing facility.

"Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa is the only complete resort and entertainment destination in northeast Oklahoma," said David Stewart, chief executive officer of Cherokee Nation Entertainment. "By adding more hotel rooms and amenities, we are able to provide a greater entertainment experience for our guests, while continuing to deliver what people expect from the Hard Rock brand."

Stewart says they've under built the casino. The demand for more has allowed them to expand and quickly.

"When we built the first tower in 2004, we had no idea that we were going to be able to bring Hard Rock," he said. "Really we've had controlled growth based on demand from our guests."

The current casino offers multiple night spots, a theater-style event center, convention space, an art gallery, a jewelry store, a clothing store and a championship golf course.

The expansion has a $52 million price tag.

"We're going to make it eco friendly, with the Hard Rock 'Save the Planet' idea," Stewart said.

He says they'll start on site work within 30 days. The expanded casino will open in nine months and they hope to open the new tower three months after that. 

The news releases says more specific plans for the property will be announced in the coming weeks.