THACKERVILLE, Okla. –– Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby, along with several elected officials and community members, gathered Wednesday, Nov. 30 to break ground on a new hotel tower at WinStar World Casino.

The new, 18-story hotel tower will be located adjacent to the existing 12-story WinStar Hotel. It will offer casino resort guests an added dimension in luxurious accommodations with 500 upscale guest rooms.

“This project is a significant step toward our goal of expanding WinStar’s appeal as a first-class entertainment destination,” said Gov. Anoatubby. “We believe this new hotel will enhance the positive economic impact WinStar has in this area by employing more local residents and bringing more visitors to the area.”

The new tower, which has not yet been named, will share a grand entrance with the existing WinStar Hotel. The two hotels will also share a new luxury pool and garden oasis with about 50,000 square feet of lush landscaping, several pools, spas and other water features.

The new hotel tower was designed by Hnedak Bobo, the architect firm which designed the award-winning Riverwind Casino in Norman, Okla. Flintco, a Native American firm headquartered in Oklahoma City, will serve as general contractor.

Construction is expected to be complete in the summer of 2013. Once complete, the new hotel tower is expected to employ an additional 150 people.

This latest project comes on the heels of the construction of a new 1,400-space parking lot and a 54,000-square-foot expansion of WinStar World, which will include more games, two new restaurants and a multi-purpose room on the north end of the facility.

The new exterior of the expansion project will feature an elaborate porte-cochère covered entryway and a metal replica of the 1960 World’s Fair Globe.

The project, as a whole, is designed to create a ‘grand’ aesthetic that includes details reminiscent of turn-of-the-century transportation and port-of-call facilities in the golden age of travel.

The gaming expansion and the new entryway are expected to be completed in the spring of 2012.

About WinStar World Casino
The world’s third largest casino, WinStar World Casino offers more than 6,500 electronic games, 76 blackjack and poker tables, a 3,000-seat Global Events Center and a 395-room hotel. Located just north of the Oklahoma/Texas border along Interstate 35, WinStar World Casino presents 24/7 gaming action, world-class entertainers and a wide range of restaurants. WinStar World Casino is an economic enterprise of the Chickasaw Nation. For more information visit our website at www.winstarworldcasino.com or follow on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WinStarWorldCasino or Twitter at https://twitter.com/WinStarWorld.