Murphy – Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel hosted a media event last month to tour the newest expansion.
The Cherokee Scout joined individuals and other media outlets on the tour, which included a walk around the construction zone complete with hard hats, safety goggles and vests.
With a five-prong approach to the expansion the casino and hotel aim to offer a dynamic addition in the areas of lodging, retail space, rooftop dining, spa amenities and parking.
Hosted by General Manager Lumpy Lambert – along with Valley River communication and public relations personnel, as well as representatives from Caesar’s Design & Construction Team – the tour offered guests an bird’s-eye view from the rooftop area to the expansive indoor pool area as well as model rooms.
“We’re thrilled to share our progress made to Valley Tower and are eager to welcome guests to experience luxurious new rooms and enhanced amenities soon,” Lambert said. “Every detail of the Valley Tower has been thoughtfully designed with our guests’ comfort and enjoyment in mind.”
Those model rooms draw heartily from the influence of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains surrounding the hilltop property. Hues range from deep blues to neutral creams, imitating morning mountain mists as well as the textural accents and warm wood tones that mimic the area’s topography. It draws the eye in with visual interest, while being naturally relaxing in dulcet hues of soothing azure and optically dazzling wooden accents.
This expansion, veritably on the heels of the one finished for 2024, allows for a 12-story addition dubbed the Valley Tower, which will feature an additional 296 rooms, fitness center, indoor pool and a spa facility with amenities including hot tubs, a sauna, steam room and relaxation lounge, according to regional communications manager Kelci Coker.
“This expansion looks to also enrich the area economically in that between local food, lodging and labor force – along with equipment and materials – upon completion this project is estimated to bring $35 million to the local economy,” Coker said.
Coker added that that impact is already being felt, too, with Harrah’s Valley River focused on hiring local contractors and using local resources when available.
Jimmy Peavey with Caesars Design & Construction reiterated that the work has been mostly commissioned to local and regional contractors, adding that “we are seeing initial numbers put out in press releases that do reflect we’ve got 400 to 500 workers on site now to help with the local economic impact.”
With the $275 million projection for the expansion and for the fact that the completed project will bring in an expected “100 jobs in food, beverage, hotel and facilities along with retail that will start at $15 per hour, these wages will significantly benefit the area,” according to a release and fact sheet.
The highly anticipated Valley Tower’s rooms will provide four different types of amenities, including ADA compliant rooms at both the luxury and premium scales. These four types of rooms will include deluxe rooms, which will feature standard accommodations along with a mix of commensurate conveniences.
Mountain View rooms will offer magnificent views of the Great Smoky Mountains along with more deluxe amenities room to room.
Premium rooms will offer king-sized beds along with sleeper sofas and exclusive amenities such as custom spa bath products. Luxury rooms will also enjoy a prime location near elevators as well as other complimentary conveniences.
Each type of room will come replete with coffee makers, dressers and desks, high-definition televisions and free wi-fi. The scale of amenities will differ according to each type of room.
Apart from the lodging addition, the expansion will showcase a premier rooftop dining area, which was recently announced as a Ramsay’s Kitchen in a partnership with television star Gordon Ramsay.
The multi-Michelin-starred chef Ramsay has teamed up with Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River to bring his cuisine to Murphy exclusively in the 12,000-square-foot area with a seating capacity of 197, with an outdoor terrace feature with seating for 16, a 19-seat bar area, plus a private dining area and wine cellar for more intimate gatherings.
“We’re incredibly excited to continue our partnership with the Ramsay team and introduce this new dining concept at our property,” said Lumpy Lambert, general manager of Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel.
“The cozy ambiance of the venue paired with Chef Ramsay’s thoughtfully curated, internationally inspired menu will undoubtedly provide our guests with an unforgettable experience,” according to a release from Harrah’s.
Lambert stressed what the additional parking, although not as glamorous as some of the offerings, will do for the local property.
“We found that some guests went elsewhere because of our parking situation, and we do appreciate our guests’ patience with us as we work to offer more convenience and parking. We know sometimes when you have to shuttle guests that’s not optimum, so our new garage will help alleviate this,” Lambert said.
The new five-story parking garage will feature 1,300 spaces, along with 10 electrical vehicle charging stations, as well as direct access to the gaming floor through the new lobby space.