GRAND CASINO HOTEL RENOVATION PROJECT
By Hannah Torkelson, MLCV Senior Communications Strategist
The Grand Casino hotel room and lobby renovation project is complete. Construction began in September 2023 and concluded in July 2024. During the course of nine months, teams with PCL Construction, including over 60 Mille Lacs Band TERO workers, collaborated to help the Grand Casino hotels enter their new chapter with beauty. The hotels remained open during construction, as floor turnaround and peak noise hours were scheduled accordingly, ensuring guests and community members could continue to stay.
Visitors can now experience a space filled with brightness, geographical elements, and touches of Ojibwe culture. The project falls within pillar three of MLCV’s strategic plan — to strategically grow and revitalize our current portfolio of businesses. The hotel lobbies and rooms at both casino properties were transformed to provide guests with a fresh, contemporary feel while drawing on the natural surroundings and the Ojibwe culture on which the hotel’s foundation was formed. Standard rooms feature improved comfort with a clean, minimalistic design while remaining warm and welcoming in their color palettes. The Presidential Suite has enhanced amenities, including a large fireplace, a 65-inch TV, and marble bathroom tiling. Themed suites are also available, consisting of a sports pub theme with dart boards and multiple TVs, a speakeasy theme with leather furniture, moody vibes, and a bar, as well as a spa theme suite where relaxing in a sauna or steam shower, is just steps away.
The hotel lobbies have become distinct in their improved brightness and natural wood tones. Each lobby has aspects that resemble the cultural-rich landscape on which they were built. At Mille Lacs, visitors will find a nod to Lake Mille Lacs with typography designs behind the front desk, reflecting the depth of a lake, light fixtures resembling an agate, and carpet that illustrates water’s calm and continuous movement. Hinckley also has water-inspired designs like blue-toned carpet and flowing overhead lighting while considering the more prevalent forest area with standing wood elements and birch bark.
The artwork at both casino hotels is sourced from Indigenous artists within Minnesota. Their unique work can be found in each room, with even more variety in the lobbies and suites. From a ricing pole and knockers to abstract prints, guests will be invited into the Ojibwe culture during their stay in more ways than one.
Lacs Hotel took place on July 11, 2024, while the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Grand Casino Hinckley Hotel took place on July 12, 2024. Complete with speeches, a champagne toast, room tours, and celebrational events, the occasions brought together MLCV and Grand Casino Associates, local officials, and community members to say goodbye to the old and embrace the new.