Black Hawk – Ameristar Casinos Inc. wants to make Colorado mountain gaming a destination and is spending a lot of coin to do so.
The Las Vegas-based company on Thursday debuted an $80 million renovation of its casino here and announced details about an adjoining 33-story, 536-room hotel slated to cost $180 million and open in mid-2008.
The centerpiece of the addition will be a towering hotel that will feature bathrooms with LCD screens and 42-inch plasma TVs in every room. The suites will feature double-sided fireplaces and jetted tubs.
“We think our Black Hawk property reflects Ameristar’s innovation and creativity and will soon be recognized as the premier casino in the Denver area,” said Ameristar chief executive Craig Neilsen, who was on hand for the launch.
With $5 bet limits, Colorado’s mountain casinos are virtually unknown outside the state.
But Ameristar officials say they can attract regional gamblers with upscale renovations – even though their Black Hawk casino posted revenues of just $51 million last year.
“You have to spend the money to be the best,” said Ray Neilsen, an Ameristar vice president and the CEO’s son.
Ameristar acquired the Black Hawk casino – formerly known as Mountain High and now called Ameristar Casino Black Hawk – in December 2004 for roughly $120 million.
The renovations include:
- A poker room that resembles those from the Mirage and Bellagio casinos in Las Vegas.
- A Starbucks coffee shop that sells pastries prepared by chefs at the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas.
- An upscale restaurant and VIP lounge.
- A bigger gaming area and parking garage.
Ameristar operates seven casinos in six states and has offered $1.5 billion for the parent company of the Tropicana casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, N.J.
Staff writer Andy Vuong can be reached at 303-820-1209 or avuong@denverpost.com.
