By By Adam Prestridge
The gaming floor of the new Wind Creek Hotel &Casino will not only house 1,600 electronic bingo games, but numerous amenities that will draw those who prefer Vegas-type luxuries.
When the 17-story casino was designed, architects took into account the complexity of the operation and set out to devise a plan to offer customers a multitude of uses for the multi-million dollar facility.
Aside from the ringing bells and flashing lights of the casino and the high-tech, 236-room hotel, Wind Creek will also offer four restaurants, two entertainment venues, a culinary school, a spa, numerous lounges, conference space and a ballroom. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians also took into account those who oppose their gaming operation when designing the high-rise.
According to James R. Angus, P.E., the Construction Project Controls Manager for Creek Indian Enterprises, a wooden floor and ceiling will encompass the perimeter of the carpeted gaming floor, isolating it from other attractions.
The gaming floor will house 500 more electronic games than the current facility. A bar area called The Drink will act a centerpiece on the main floor with two sides for bartenders to serve customers. It will include a water feature that trickles down glass into a pond with an infinity edge. A huge rock wall divides each side of the bar area and serves as a backdrop for the water feature, which will also serve as The Drink’s signage with water cascading behind it. The bar will also feature tabletop games and two 60-inch plasma screen televisions mounted to the rock wall.
There will also be several additional bar areas and lounges located throughout the facility including a VIP lounge and a circular bar at The Sound, the casino’s entertainment venue. The Sound will feature a full stage, greenroom, hardwood dance floor and banquette seating. According to Angus, it will seat between 85-90 people.
In addition to indoor entertainment, Wind Creek will also offer an outdoor amphitheater with a 2,000 person seating capacity at the edge of a huge pond, which will be located where the current gaming facility now operates. A culinary school and spa will be located on an island in the middle the pond, surrounded by sidewalks and patio areas. A large infinity pool will also be located outside the casino for hotel guests to enjoy.
The Fire, a high-end steakhouse, will be the casino’s premier restaurant offering premium steaks carved by the facilities on-site butcher. A 24-hour caf/ called The Grill will offer visitors made-to-order hot meals or they can choose from five different cuisines offered at The Taste, Wind Creek’s buffet. The Taste offers American, Italian, Mexican, Asian and carvery food as well as a wide selection of sweets on the dessert bar. A coffee shop called The Brew will help perk visitors up by offering a variety of coffees and sandwiches.
Wind Creek will also offer 4,000 square feet of conference space and a ballroom that can also seat 120 people for dinner. There is also a full banquet kitchen on the second floor above the ballroom where food for banquets and other events can be prepared and transported downstairs via a service elevator. The ballroom can also be divided into two rooms for multiple functions.
The corporate and administrative offices for PCI Gaming and property management will also be located inside the casino.
The Tribe recently unveiled its first portion of its resort on Oct. 1 with the opening of the Smoke Shop, which is located adjacent to the casino and hotel. The Smoke Shop also sells gasoline and various grocery items. It took the place of the Creek Texaco Station, which will be torn down for future development, according to Martin.