The Bicycle Casino, which has operated in the Los Angeles area since 1984 on December 1 opened the Bicycle Hotel & Casino after adding a million seven-story luxury hotel.
The new hotel has 99 rooms, including 29 suites, a brewery, spa and elevated outdoor pool area.
Bicycle Hotel & Casino CEO Hashem Minaiy declared, “I’ve been wanting to do this project for the last 12 years. Finally, this dream is coming true.” They began work on the project about three years ago and broke ground on October of 2013. “From the day that we put the shovel in the ground, I felt like a different man. I felt like I won the lottery,” he said.
For years players told the CEO that they wanted to be able to stay at the casino, which is located in Bell Gardens. He told the Card Player, “They want their card room to be the best it can be. So their input really motivated me and my team to get the project going. I’m a poker player myself, so I really wanted to build a hotel for the comfort of our players. But my partner, Bob Carter, he took the vision of the hotel and expanded it so that with its guest rooms and amenities, it would appeal to business travelers and players alike. This is a hotel for everyone. Even if you aren’t a card player, there are plenty of reasons to stay here and come back.”
On the first floor is a design of overlapping circles that suggest a bicycle wheel that leads to a restaurant, coffee house, gift shop, the main casino and an Asia-themed gaming area, the Macau Room, featuring a VIP area devoted to baccarat and blackjack. The second floor includes a fitness center, pool deck, spa and sauna. The Bike Brewery features 28 beers on tap.
Poker and poker tournaments will remain the mainstay of the casino. Minaiy told Card Player, “The Bicycle Hotel & Casino has always been known as one of the leaders in the industry when it comes to poker tournaments. These days, players have more choices than ever not only in Los Angeles, but nationwide, when it comes to tournaments, so we pride ourselves on being creative and offering the best structured events.” Now the Bike will offer those players a place to stay, he said.
