Despite Covid-19, construction is moving forward on the Hannahville Indian Community’s $33 million expansion at the Island Resort & Casino in Harris, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula. When completed in 2021, the project will add 138 hotel rooms, bringing the total to 455, said General Manager Tony Mancilla.
“We sell out every weekend. We sell out most summer days, with long wait lists. With this addition, we can accommodate those people. Our council allocates money to meet customer demand, what the customer asks for. They’re asking for more rooms right now and we’re doing that. It’s just a really bright future,” he stated.
The expansion also will add a 200-seat steakhouse restaurant on the 12th floor of the present hotel tower. “That is three times the size of our current steakhouse,” Mancilla said. A children’s waterpark also is in the works.
The property opened its BetAmerica Sportsbook earlier this month, just in time for the kickoff of the NFL regular season. Last year, Island Resort & Casino’s slots took in $52.7 million.
Island Resort & Casino closed on March 21 due to Covid-19 concerns. It reopened May 16 with new health and safety rules, including mandatory temperature checks and face masks for staff and guests. Indoor smoking is banned and slots are sanitized after each use.
