The 0 million Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River casino resort in Murphy, North Carolina celebrated its first birthday on September 28. The venue is owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and operated by Caesars Entertainment. General Manager Lumpy Lambert said, “It’s been an awesome first year. The facility has been well-received. Visitation has been good,” with a total of 1.1 million visitors, according to Harrah’s research, including more than 33 percent from the Atlanta market, a two-hour drive away.
Despite concerns that Valley River would cannibalize guests from the tribe’s mega-casino Harrah’s Cherokee, located an hour’s drive east of Murphy, that has not occurred, Lambert said.
About 16 percent of the property’s 975 employees come from northern Georgia. Lambert noted the casino’s employees consistently rank among the top scorers in customer satisfaction at Caesar’s brand properties. “Our team enjoys their work and are engaging, and that makes a difference from a service perspective,” Lambert said.
Valley River offers a diverse food court but Lambert said in response to customer surveys a sit-down restaurant will open in summer 2017. He added it will be internally branded, not a chain, and will serve three meals a day and possibly incorporate a buffet, similar to the Selu Garden Café at Harrah’s Cherokee. Adding a kitchen would also allow the 300-room hotel to offer room service, Lambert said.
He said the property may add a poker room in the future, but it’s not a top priority now. The poker room at Harrah’s Cherokee is nationally renowned among professional players.
Since its opening, Valley River has donated more than $82,000 to area nonprofits, including Manna FoodBank, Blue Ridge National Heritage, NC Beautiful and the North Carolina Senior Games.
