MGM Detroit Officially Opens

The Net is abuzz with the stories of the opening of the new MGM Grand Detroit, and rightfully so. She sounds like a beautiful new gem for the casino lovers of that northern midwest. Finally, an alternative to driving to Canada!

Here's a little from the Casino City Times:

Eight years after opening its initial Detroit venture, MGM Mirage pulls the wraps off its $800 million MGM Grand Detroit this morning, doubling its casino size, adding hotel rooms and offering amenities the company hadn't been able to provide.
Murren is unabashed in his praise for the resort, one of three casinos operating in Detroit.

"In Atlantic City, this facility would give the Borgata a run for its money. On the Strip, it would be a very relevant property," Murren said. "In Detroit, it's in another galaxy in terms of the competition."

Even with an interim facility, MGM Mirage has fared well in Detroit.

According to the Michigan Gaming Control Board, through August the MGM Grand Detroit reported total adjusted revenues of $329.8 million, ahead of both the MotorCity and Greektown casinos. Through the first six months of 2007, MGM Mirage said the casino represents roughly 5 percent of the company's overall financial picture.

Murren said the company doesn't give investors projections, but it was safe to say MGM Grand Detroit will be a much larger slice of the MGM Mirage pie.

The casino will grow to 100,000 square feet with 98 table games (up from 72) and 4,500 slot machines (as opposed to 2,840 at the interim casino). The 18-story hotel tower will feature 400 guest rooms. The previous casino did not have a hotel. The new property will have a variety of dining options, including two restaurants operated by celebrity chef Michael Mina and one by Wolfgang Puck. The MGM Grand Detroit will also offer several entertainment options, lounges and a 20,000-square-foot spa.

And here's a snip from the Detroit News.com:

No one's betting the new MGM Grand Detroit will steal hordes of gamblers away from Las Vegas or Atlantic City, but hopes are high the $800 million resort, hotel and casino complex will help put the Motor City on the map as a regional entertainment destination.
Business, tourism and city officials are touting the opening of MGM Grand, the first of the city's three gaming operations to have a permanent facility up, as a new era for Detroit's $1.3 billion-a-year casino industry and for the often-maligned city as well.

Read more at both of those news sites, and see more by heading to the Motor City yourself!

Image of Detroit from Flickr.

October 3, 2007

MGM Detroit Officially Opens