To become a bigger dealer in the competitive stay-and-play regional gaming market, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and its casino consultants are raising the stakes.

The popular casino, perched on the plateau of the Muckleshoot Reservation at 2402 Auburn Way S., is undergoing a significant upgrade and expansion – as announced in February – to include a new, overall floor plan, greater food options, expanded gaming space, a large events center and a larger smoke-free area.

And soon, the tribe will add a luxury hotel to the casino landscape.

The tribe announced last week its plan to open an 18-story, 400-room luxury hotel tower – the first major addition to the casino since it began operations 24 years ago. The hotel is anticipated to open in the second quarter of 2021, according to the Muckleshoot’s April 25 news release.

When built, the casino resort hotel will be the largest of its kind in the state. Tulalip has the biggest casino and the largest casino resort hotel in Washington at 12 stories and 370 rooms, according to state gaming venue listings.

And the Tulalip Tribes’ plans continue to go big. Construction is underway on a new, $140 million Quil Ceda Creek Casino and 150-room hotel being built in Tulalip.

Tribe and casino officials last week declined to disclose the cost of the Muckleshoot project. They did, however, acknowledge the need to respond and meet “guest demand” and “a widening customer base” with an enhanced casino and resort hotel.

“The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe has a history of innovation and leadership in Indian gaming,” Muckleshoot Casino General Manager Conrad Granito said in the news release. “This logical evolution of their well-respected casino brand acknowledges consumer desires for a one-stop entertainment destination where fun, relaxation and dining beyond anything the market currently offers is just steps away.”

Although the hotel will be built on site, the tribe did not disclose its exact location, among other project specifics.

Regarding the tribal-owned firework stands sales lot and discharge area, gaming officials said in an email that “usage will continue independently of the casino.”

According to the release, the hotel tower will offer sweeping views. Sixty percent of the accommodations will allow for panoramas of Mount Rainier, while other rooms will have a view of the Olympic Mountains.

Guests will be able to enjoy an indoor, climate-controlled pool, pamper themselves with signature spa treatments, and other features, according to the release. The hotel will offer a rooftop, fine-dining restaurant and a supervised play area/arcade for children.

According to the release, the hotel resort at Muckleshoot Casino will be the “pinnacle of expansion” already underway, which “completely re-envisions the gaming destination.”

The first phase of the project will add a 20,000-square-foot, technologically advanced events center, a trio of fast-casual dining destinations, a high-energy center bar, and more, the release said. Smoke-free gaming at the casino also will increase. Additionally, a carefully-curated cultural gallery will celebrate the history and journey of the Muckleshoot Tribe.

The tribe expects completion of the expansion’s first phase in spring 2020.

Once the full transformation is unveiled in 2021 with the resort’s debut, the casino will boost its capacity to 157,000 square feet of continuous gaming, 29,000 total square feet of event space and more than a dozen dining choices.

Many of the hotel tower’s rooms will offer sweeping views, including panoramas of Mount Rainier. COURTESY IMAGE, Tribe/Smarthouse Creative