AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — The Spokane Tribe, casino staff, and the public celebrated the newly expanded hotel Friday, with a ribbon cutting officially opening the new wing of the building.
It’s the culmination of decades of planning – and 20 months of construction.
The new hotel opened to VIPs during Hoopfest and is now taking in all guests.
“This is the transition from the original casino into what now is the hotel lobby and the connection to the gaming floor,” said director of hotel operations Matt Damskov, as he pointed out where the new addition begins. “Everything from the tile all the way down is all brand new.”
From the new retail shop, guest registration, and its 175 rooms, the hotel was all the vision of former Spokane tribal council members and an economic plan drafted in the late 90s.
‘A lot of our youth, some of the younger people working in this establishment. That was all part of going through this, to get our people working, get jobs, get revenue,” said tribal council chairman Greg Abrahamson.
The resort and casino are hiring right now to staff the new hotel, adding to the hundreds of people already employed.
“When we first started this four years ago, we were [at] 150 employees,” said general manager Javier de la Rosa. “Today we’re at 600 employees, so the economic impact is incredible.”
Damskov says the hospitality industry is rebounding post-pandemic.
Last spring another casino and resort in Airway Heights opened its latest expansion. Northern Quest’s River Tower boasts 192 rooms, including 17 suites. At the time it opened in May 2023, it was the largest casino resort in Washington with a total of 442 rooms.
The Spokane Tribe’s new expansion is already bringing in more people.
“People on staycation, on vacation but also business travelers. We’re right next to the airport, Air Force base is right here,” Damskov said.
Rooms will average between $130 and $200, based on demand and other factors. The hotel is now accepting reservations and they suggest you book early.
The entirety of all revenue goes to the Spokane Tribe.
Tribal and casino leaders aren’t relaxing just yet. They’re already talking more gaming, more rooms, and even more for this growing community.
“There’s more to come,” de la Rosa said. “The conversations have already started.”
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or search for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com.