After six years, the million renovation at the Golden Moon Hotel & Casino at Pearl River Resort in Philadelphia, Mississippi, was completed and revealed to the public on January 31. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians ‘Tribal Chief Phyliss J. Anderson said, “When our investors had confidence in our performance at the Pearl River Resort, this enabled them to invest in our future with us as partners.” The operation refinanced its debt last year, borrowing another million for renovations.
In 2009, the Choctaws cut Golden Moon’s hours to weekends only, due to the recession and competition. The following year the tribe closed the Golden Moon and turned it into a concert venue. The original Choctaw casino, Silver Star, which opened in 1994, remained in operation across the street on Mississippi 16. In fact, said Pearl River President and Chief Executive Officer Holly Gagnon, “If you want to change your luck, you just walk across the sky bridge.”
Gagnon and other managers took over in mid-2012 and since then Moody’s said casino profitability has improved. Gagnon said that’s due to “better marketing, better negotiating, better operating.”
Architecture group Marnell Companies of Las Vegas designed the renovation, with input from Gagnon and players. “A lot of this had to do with feedback from our customers. We went to other markets and asked why they weren’t playing with us anymore. Our current players were adamant they needed to see the Golden Moon back because they missed it so much,” Gagnon said.
The remodel features a new 70,000 square foot gaming floor with 1,150 slot machines, 25 table games, an elevated 14-table poker room, a one-of-a-kind video wall and a new center bar. Marnell also designed a dramatic architectural ceiling treatment to create a more intimate atmosphere, warm cove lighting, decorative fixtures and special carpeting that incorporates Choctaw motifs.
In addition, Golden Moon and Silver star now feature Konami Gaming’s SYNKROS casino management system. Now guests are notified by text when their hotel room is available for check-in and when their table is ready at any of the resort’s restaurants. Also, kiosks take c care of various transactions such as reprinting cards and comps. The introduction
The remodeled 1,074 guest rooms feature 42-inch flat screen televisions, new furniture and Choctaw-inspired artwork.
Resort officials said 100 more employees will be hired, bringing the total to 2,400 to 3,000 at the summer peak. More than 40 percent of the employees are members of the tribe, which counts 10,000 members.
The tribe hopes the reopened Golden Moon will bring back gamblers and compete more effectively with the Poarch Band of Creek Indian’s three Alabama casinos. Said Gagnon, “We hope to recapture the players who left us with the Golden Moon’s closing in 2009. We really did need to stay competitive and relevant with the gaming facilities that have opened up both in south Mississippi on the coast, as well as in Alabama.” One advantage is the Mississippi casinos offer table games and real slots, unlike electronic bingo games offered Alabama.
“Being proud of what we have here has got to go through all of our tribal members’ blood veins. This belongs to us, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and when I think about what this place is going to do for our people, it fills me with so much pride,” Anderson said.
