Harrah's Ak-Chin is a hotel and casino located 39 miles (63Â km) south of Phoenix, Arizona in Maricopa. It is owned by the Ak-Chin Indian Community and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corporation. The 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) casino has video poker and slot machines, as well as blackjack, keno and bingo and has a 24-7 operation.
In July 2011, the casino underwent a $20 million expansion, with addition of a new 152-room hotel tower that doubled its capacity. The resort now has 300 rooms, and an outdoor swimming pool, completed in 2012. The resort features five restaurants, an entertainment venue, meeting and conference space, and the only bingo hall in the Caesars organization.
History
Harrah’s Ak-Chin has served more than one million customers since opening on December 27, 1994. It has hosted more than 750,000 hotel guests since 2001.
Timeline
- December 27, 1994 â€" Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino opens in Maricopa, Arizona. It is Arizona’s first, and only, Indian casino to have a management partner.
- October 1997 â€" A Harrah’s Ak-Chin guest wins $330,000 on a malfunctioning Quartermania slot machine. Some debate follows as to whether or not the guest will be paid because the machine was faulty, but Harrah’s eventually awards her the full sum.
- June 2003 â€" Ak-Chin bingo operations move from the casino to the newly built Bingo Hall.
- March 2001 â€" Harrah's Ak-Chin opens its resort hotel with 144 guestrooms and four guest suites.
- February 2003 â€" The casino begins to offer tables games such as poker and blackjack.
- November 2009 â€" The 148 rooms on the property are remodeled.
- December 2009 â€" The Ak-Chin Indian Community extends the Harrah’s management agreement for five more years.
- June 2010 â€" Harrah’s Ak-Chin breaks ground at the site of its hotel expansion: a five-story, 152-room hotel tower on the existing property. All 152 rooms will include upgraded amenities, including 50-inch flat screen televisions.
- July 2010 â€" The Ak-Chin Indian Community purchases Southern Dunes Golf Club, which is managed by Troon Golf. The club is open to the public and offered as an amenity to resort guests.
- November 2010 â€" Harrah’s Ak-Chin completes a remodel of The Buffet.
- July 2011 â€" Harrah's Ak-Chin completes $20 million expansion and opens the new hotel tower.
- May 2012 â€" Harrah's Ak-Chin completes remodel of pool with swim-up bar.
- August 2013 â€" Harrah's Ak-Chin completes a $1.25 million renovation of the 2765-square-foot Lounge.
- December 2013 â€" Harrah's Ak-Chin completes renovation of the Total Rewards Center and adds Dunkin' Donuts.
Casino
The 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) casino has reel and video slot machines, video poker, and live poker, as well as table games such as blackjack, keno, and bingo. The Ak-Chin Bingo Hall is the only bingo hall in the Caesars organization. Gamblers must be at least 21 years old to gamble at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino. The casino is open 24 hours a day.
The casino has 1,089 slot machines, the maximum allowed in an Arizona casino per the State of Arizona Gaming Compact.
Amenities
Dining
- Agave’s Restaurant â€" a casual café with indoor and outdoor seating; it serves traditional breakfast and lunch cuisine daily.
- Copper Cactus Grill â€" open 24 hours a day, this snack bar offers food on the go. Fare includes breakfast burritos, hamburgers and pizza, as well as snacks like nachos and pie.
- Dunkin' Donuts
- The Buffet at Harrah's â€" open daily for lunch and dinner, the remodeled 8,000-square-foot (740 m2) buffet features food stations, where chefs prepare a wide array of foods, such as sautéed pasta, grilled steaks and rotisserie chicken, and wok items. Gelato is hand-served. Omelets are made to order at Sunday brunch. It has Friday and Saturday Night Seafood Buffets, and a Sunday Champagne Brunch.
- The Range Steakhouse â€" open for dinner nightly, with a full range of courses.
Entertainment
Harrah’s Ak-Chin provides free live entertainment for guests in The Lounge, featuring a variety of music by local bands, as well as regional and national touring acts. In 2014 touring acts included Neal McCoy, Diamond Rio, Color Me Badd, JT Hodges, and Tonic.
Additional amenities
The Ak-Chin property features an outdoor pool, complete with a large spa and a swim-up bar. Cocktail and food service is available for guests.
In July 2010, the Ak-Chin Indian Community purchased Southern Dunes Golf Club, located near the resort in Maricopa. Southern Dunes is managed by Troon Golf. The course covers more than 320 acres and features an 8,000-square-foot (740 m2) clubhouse. In 2009, Southern Dunes was named among Golfweek's “Best You Can Play, State-By-State†list of courses in the United States. The club is open to the public for a fee. It is offered as an amenity to resort guests.
In the fall of 2012, the Ak-Chin Indian Community opened the 165,000-square foot UltraStar Multi-tainment Center at Ak-Chin Circle, operated by California-based UltraStar Cinemas. The project cost $50 million, and provides restaurants, a bowling alley, and areas for staging events. It is located near the city of Maricopa, which has 43,000 residents.
Awards
- Harrah’s Ak-Chin was named a "2010 Most Admired Company" by Arizona Business Magazine and BestCompanies AZ. *Phoenix Business Journal has ranked the facility as one of the “Best Places to Work in the Valley†in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011.
- Ak-Chin Southern Dunes was ranked #5 in 2015 of "Best Courses You Can Play in Arizona" by Golf Magazine & Golfweek
- Harrah’s Ak-Chin was awarded the 2011 Volunteer Service Award from the Arizona Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism.
Total Rewards program
The Caesars Entertainment brand has a casino loyalty program called Total Rewards. Guests earn Reward Credits every time they play with their Total Rewards card at participating casinos. These can be used at other participating casinos.
See also
- List of Caesars Entertainment properties
- List of casinos in Arizona
References
External links
- Official website
- Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club
- UltraStar Ak-Chin
