WAYLAND, Mich. — Gun Lake Casino is celebrating the near completion of a $300 million expansion that includes a new hotel and an Aquadome.
The new 15-story, 252-guest-room hotel is nestled right next to a 32,000 square-foot-Aquadome equipped with three pools. This glass atrium, dubbed the Wawyé Oasis, will be home to palm trees and set at a balmy 80 degrees.
The Gun Lake Tribe, leaders, Clark Construction representatives and others hosted a topping-out ceremony Thursday.
An evergreen tree was placed on top of the final beam to symbolize luck and prosperity for the project.
"For us, it's another milestone in our journey for self-determination and our sovereignty," Bob Peters, Tribal Chairman of Gun Lake Tribe said. "The sky's the limit for the Gun Lake Tribe."
The expansion has been in the works for years, and crews will start furnishing some hotel floors in late June and early July.
Gun Lake Casino leaders are excited to see guests explore the expansion once it opens next year.
"There's a misperception in terms of what's happening in the Wawyé Oasis. It's really kind of a multipurpose type of facility," CEO of Gun Lake Casino Sal Semola said.
"It'll be 80 degrees in the area year-round. There's three pools in there. There's a swim-up bar. We're going to do live concerts there and it will also be a nightclub. And we also do banquets as well. It's just a phenomenal space, and it's really going to be a lot of fun."
The expansion is scheduled to open in the spring of 2025.
Gun Lake Casino is off Exit 61 on US 131, and it's halfway between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
The casino is owned by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians.
You can take a look at the project renderings here and learn more about what's coming soon here:
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