Whether it’s a massive casino, a new hotel tower or an upcoming racing track, Great Canadian Gaming hopes to be on its best hand to attract visitors. And this year, it’s hoping a new executive hotel will bring more visitors to the resort.
“When guests come to the property, the first thing they go through is, ‘This is really like Vegas,'” says casino general manager Wayne Odegaard.
Balancing risk and reward – Pickering, Ont. New casino gets cash injection
This gibbon became pregnant while in isolation. how is that possible?
It is the first executive hotel to open in Pickering, Ontario, and features 275 rooms, including full living suites, accessibility rooms, and other amenities. With the casino and now the hotel tower, the idea is to help create a space where visitors can escape without boarding a plane.
“To create a fully integrated resort within the Durham Live community, where you can enjoy the hotel, the area, the restaurants. And find a place to truly relax,” Odegaard said.
This is on top of their 96,000-square-foot casino that opened earlier in the pandemic. And with talk of a shopping center, race track and even a water park, they hope to bring to the Durham area everything you’d find on the Vegas Strip.
“Every week and every month we’re going to introduce some new products within the facility,” Odegaard says.
And you’ll not only feel the Vegas experience, but taste it too.
Whether it’s the robot servers at Vancouver’s pristine Asian restaurant Sun Sui Wah, or the upcoming Copperhorn Meet, Odegaard says the goal is to set Pickering Casino Resort above all else.
“As it builds out. I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come. It’s truly going to be a vacation, stay, destination for the Pickering area.”
In late spring you’ll also be able to attend a show with the 2,500-seat amphitheater. There was a private show last month, but they expect to bring many more shows to the area when it’s open to the general public.
And as announced late last year, a new venue right next to the casino is sure to get people’s hearts racing, the new Porsche Experience Center. This is the first time in Canada and will give Porsche enthusiasts a chance to test drive the car and see other attractions.
Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe says he’s excited to see what the development will bring.
“We are excited about it. We think it will increase tourism, increase employment,” says Aish. Because we are short of hotels and think this is a great addition.
The mayor says that with a variety of facilities including Durham live venues and film studios, shopping centers and even a water park, they hope the attractions will help boost the economy for the city.
“Our hosting revenue is said to be around $16 million a year.”
The arena is expected to open in the early spring with several new additions coming in the coming months.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.