MGM Resorts’ Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi is set to undergo a series of changes, according to Brandon Dardeau, recently appointed president and chief operating officer at the venue. A timetable to start work by April has been proposed, which would see all the hotel rooms in the property remodeled by November, along with new carpeting, lights and wall coverings in hallways.
The remodeling of the hotel rooms is set to cost “millions of dollars,” according to the Associated Press. But the casino president said he also wanted the Jia restaurant to be redesigned, an expansion to the cafe, and the introduction of a new themed section for fans of the Buffalo slot machines.
While improvements initially launched two years ago with the remodel of the suites at the venue, the refresh, which was intended to move quickly into the hotel rooms, was subsequently delayed amid the Covid-19 pandemic. It is now set to continue this year, and expected to end by November. Earlier this month, MGM Resorts announced the promotion of Dardeau as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Southeast operations, overseeing the Beau Rivage and also Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Mississippi.
According to Dardeau, guests at the hotel will sleep on the same mattresses in the rooms at MGM’s famous Bellagio casino resort, in Las Vegas. Customers will be able to check in, set the thermostat and open their hotel room door with their smartphones, should they choose to do so.
The executive further revealed the cited news source that the guest room makeovers are being designed by MGM Resort International’s own interior design group: the decor will be specific to Biloxi, using a collection of soft beach and sunset colors, including sand and turquoise, for “a Southern flair.”
The re-imagination of the Asian Jia restaurant is set to feature new furniture and lighting, and is now open to the casino floor. The redesign is expected to be completed in time for Lunar New Year, on February 1.
Brandon Dardeau, president and chief operating officer at Beau Rivage.
Meanwhile, Terrace Cafe, located inside the front entrance and adjacent to the buffet, will be getting more space and a new identity. With nearly 700 seats for the buffet, the section in the atrium will be absorbed into a restaurant named Atrium Cafe, the executive told Sun Herald.
And, at the far end of the buffet, a former private dining room is being converted into a new room called BuffaloZone. Once the transformation is completed, it will be unveiled as a new themed amenity, filled with popular Aristocrat slot machines like Buffalo Chief, Buffalo Diamond and Buffalo Gold.
Besides the new and expanded amenities, the casino, as well as all other MGM properties, will also feature MGM’s reimagined rewards system, which is changing from M Life to MGM Rewards starting February 1. The new system is set to also give customers points for non-casino activities, including hotel stays and meals.
Additionally, entertainment is set to return. While many national acts have not yet resumed touring due to the ongoing pandemic, Dardeau says offerings are not only limited to headliners, and also remarked on the role the casino floor, shops and restaurants play within the experience.
Opened in 1999, Beau Rivage is Mississippi’s biggest casino on the Gulf Coast, and the tallest building in the state. It features 1,740 rooms and, at that time of its opening, it was the largest hotel-casino in the United States outside of Nevada. It offers 72,000 sq ft of gaming space.
