Over $100 million and two years later, the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas, opened April 21. The property features a hotel, restaurants, bars, pool, spa, event center and new gaming facilities.
“Everything that we try to do is technologically advanced but also incorporate that level of luxury,” General Manager Wayne Smith said.
The hotel is booking rooms for the half already completed. The remainder of rooms will be finished by the end of April, according to KATV.
The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in shipping delays and employment, which has affected the opening of some amenities.
“We’ve got three stations in the food court,” Smith said. “We can’t open two of them because we don’t have enough staff. Ever since the stimulus package money came out in February, we are just not getting folks to come in,” Smith said.
After the racing season winds down, track staff can transfer to the hotel and event center.
Smith said the horse racing legacy is infused throughout the venue, according to Arkansas Online. Racing art adorns the walls of the 198 hotel rooms. Most rooms and restaurants have views that overlook the track.
The casino expansion added more square footage and more natural light. Smoking is now banned, although a designated area is in the works.
Other elements include:
- A high-limit room with three high-limit tables and over 80 slot machines along with a dedicated bar and patio.
- The First Turn bar that provides a view of the first turn of the track
- The Bugler, Oaklawn’s fine dining restaurant
An event center that can accommodate 1,000 people for a plated dinner or 1,500 people for a concert.
