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Fernwood Hotel hopes Penn gets slots chance


A resort casino at Fernwood Hotel and Resort operated by Penn National Gaming wants to put slots in the Pocono Mountain region of Pennsylvania where gaming revenue will grow the economy, reduce unemployment and generate the greatest benefit for the citizens of the Commonwealth.


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Fernwood Hotel and Resort in the Pocono Mountains recently appeared before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to present its case for a Category 3 Resort Gaming Licence. Spokesperson for Fern-


wood Hotel and Resort, Gina Bertucci, said: “With the expertise of our operator Penn National Gaming, we will deliver the most gaming and tax revenue to the Com- monwealth. We already have


significant resort amenities, have continuously operated for over 80 years, and have the most rooms and annual visitors which makes us the most suitable of any appli- cant. We believe we demon- strated why we should get the licence supported by the fact that we will open quickly with the most revenue from out of state guests.” Fern- wood’s easternmost Penn- sylvania location puts the resort closest to the largest population of adult gamers in the country. Bertucci added: “We are


fortunate to have Penn National Gaming as our man- agers. They are funding the US$55m project and will operate the resort casino. Penn National prepared the revenue projections using their vast experience in gaming which includes owning and operating Holly- wood Casino at Penn National Raceway in Grantville, PA - one of Penn- sylvania’s most successful gaming locations.” Penn National Gaming


owns, operates or has own- ership interests in gaming


celebrates ten years of AAA awards


Bellagio


and racing facilities with a focus on slot machine enter- tainment. The company presently operates 23 facili- ties in 16 jurisdictions. In aggregate, Penn National’s operated facilities feature over 27,800 gaming machines, over 500 table games, over 2,000 hotel rooms and over one million square feet of gaming floor space.


At the November Hear- ings, each of the other appli- cants who presented their case had problems such as not enough guest rooms,


financial difficulties, over- whelming community objec- tion, no amenities, desolate locations with small nearby populations, and no avail- ability to access a diverse workforce. Fernwood Hotel and Resort was able to show that its market of 28m people in New York and New Jersey, when compared to the number of slot machines in the same market, gives it the lowest number of machines per person in the geographic market from which cus- tomers will originate. This means Fernwood will create


the least competition of any applicant to existing Penn- sylvania casinos. Gaming Control Board


chairman Gregory Fajt indi- cated selection would be made at either their Decem- ber 16 or January 6 meeting. Bertucci concluded: “We think the facts dictate - put the machines where the people are and in a region of Pennsylvania where tourism will grow the economy, reduce unemployment and generate the greatest benefit for the citizens of the Com- monwealth.”


CityCenter gets two AAA Five Diamond Awards in first year


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In its debut year, CityCenter Las Vegas has received the coveted AAA Five Diamond Award for both ARIA Resort & Casino and Mandarin Ori- ental, Las Vegas. While the award is


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The Bellagio in Las Vegas has been awarded the pres- tigious AAA Five Diamond Award for the tenth consecu- tive year.


With its service, world- class dining and luxurious amenities, Bellagio is the first resort and casino in Las Vegas to ever reach this amazing milestone and the only hotel in America to have two AAA Five Diamond restaurants under one roof. “The AAA Five Diamond


Award has been the most coveted symbol of excel- lence in the travel industry


since its inception in 1977 and we are incredibly hon- oured to be recognised for the tenth year in a row,” said Randy Morton, president and COO of Bellagio. “We could not have achieved this without our outstanding employees who work around the clock to provide superior service to our guests.” Bellagio continues to be the only resort in the United States to be home to two AAA Five Diamond restau- rants. Joining Bellagio in making Las Vegas history, Julian Serrano’s renowned restaurant Picasso garnered its tenth AAA Five Diamond Award this year while Le


16 January 2011 • northamericannews


Cirque has earned the dis- tinction for the eighth con- secutive year. Further adding to its dining accolades, Bel- lagio’s Jasmine, Michael Mina and Sensi all earned the AAA Four Diamond Award.


Ana Marie Mormandano,


Vice President of Food & Beverage at Bellagio, said: “We uphold the highest standards for fresh ingredi- ents, unique menus and worldly experiences that give our guests a culinary adventure unlike any other.” Bellagio was the first Las


Vegas resort and casino to ever receive the AAA Five Diamond award in 2001.


bestowed only upon select properties deemed the finest in North America, it is even rarer for hotels to attain the rating within the first year of operation. “It takes an incredibly special hotel or resort to earn the Five Diamond dis- tinction after being open less than a year. We congrat- ulate CityCenter for accom- plishing this feat with not only one property, but two,” said Michael Geeser, AAA Nevada spokesperson. “These properties deliver the ultimate in luxury, sophistication and excep- tional service.” Bobby Baldwin, CityCen-


ter’s president and CEO, said: “From inception to operation, our goal with CityCenter was to create a


resort destination that pro- vides guests with services and amenities unmatched in the world. To receive the highest honour in the indus- try with the AAA Five Diamond Award is a reflec- tion of our commitment to this promise and to deliver- ing unforgettable experi- ences for each guest from arrival to departure.” Bill McBeath, president & COO of ARIA, said: “Receiv-


ing this recognition from AAA is the best possible way I can imagine to celebrate our first anniversary. This is a tribute to all of ARIA’s employees, who dedicate themselves every day to delivering wonderful mem- ories to our guests.” The AAA Five Diamond


Award is North America’s most sought-after symbol of excellence in the hospital- ity industry.


Missouri chooses Isle of Capri for Cape Girardeau The Missouri Gaming Commission has selected Isle of Capri’s proposed casino project in Cape Girardeau for prioritisation for the 13th and final gaming licence in the State of Missouri. The project is expected to include 1,000 slot machines, 28 table games, three restaurants, a lounge and terrace overlooking the Mississippi River and a 750-seat event centre at an estimated cost of US$125m. Paul Keller, Isle’s chief development officer, said: “This project represents one of the largest economic development projects in the history of Cape Girardeau. Our goal is to build a showpiece for southeast Missouri, enhance the historic downtown area, and bring hundreds of quality jobs to the community. We look forward to working closely with City and State officials as we prepare to begin construction in early summer.”


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