Casino Resorts: Latest Guest Offerings

LATEST GUEST OFFERINGS - CASINO RESORTS

Several casino resorts around the region are offering guests and groups a number of special programs, discounts and exclusive offerings.

HERE IS A SAMPLING FROM A FEW OF THESE PROPERTIES.

1. VALLEY FORGE CASINO RESORT

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA

Valley Forge Casino recently launched the award-winning B Connected player loyalty program, fully connecting Valley Forge customers to Boyd Gaming’s nationwide family of casino properties. B Connected offers benefits including discounts on hotel stays and retail purchases, special discounts with exclusive partners, and access to annual Boyd Gaming promotions and contests.

Additionally, Valley Forge Casino is continuing to provide a value for engaged couples with a creative micro-weddings package. For a fixed price with additional upgrades available, the wedding package provides a plated dinner, champagne toast, beer, wine and soda, and a wedding cake, making it an effortless experience with no added stress.

2. MOUNT AIRY CASINO RESORT

MOUNT POCONO, PA

Mount Airy Casino Resort has always been committed to the highest standards for cleaning, but now also will also be cleaning, sanitizing, and maintaining the property during closure. Health and safety continue to be their highest priority.

3. HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO, ATLANTIC CITY

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is offering a variety of special guest experiences, which include hands-on F&B classes like Sushi School and happy hour specials every Friday in Kuro and every Saturday-Sunday in the Lobby Bar.

When it comes to safety initiatives, Hard Rock’s SAFE + SOUND program, developed by a team of hospitality and gaming experts in collaboration with worldwide health and sanitation specialists, includes directives of key agencies, such as the World Health Organization and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

SAFE + SOUND is focused on enhanced cleaning practices, social interactions and workplace protocols while ensuring transparency. As part of the program, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is required to pass a 272-point inspection independently assessed by NSF International.

2

4. OCEAN CASINO RESORT ATLANTIC CITY, NJ

Ocean Casino Resort currently is offering one comp room per 20 rooms booked for all groups, as well as a flexible cancellation and attrition policy.

In addition, Ocean Casino Resort recently announced the opening of The Cove, its new high limit slot experience. Adjacent to Wahlburgers®, it will offer over 140 high limit slot machine favorites. The Cove offers dedicated cocktail service with an enhanced beverage selection, private restrooms, and a cage exclusively for guests playing in this section.

5. MOHEGAN SUN

UNCASVILLE, CT

Meeting and conventions groups who choose Mohegan Sun have access to a vast amount of catering service options provided by award-winning chefs. Mohegan Sun also offers over 30 world-class dining options on property. Recently, the property welcomed the return of its highend lounge, novelle, and is excited for TAO Asian Bistro and Lounge to open as its newest dining option in winter of 2021.

novelle is a freshly rebranded venue offering small plates, a craft cocktail menu and intimate live entertainment courtesy of a new stage. Also, novelle has expanded gaming offerings. Full safety precautions have been implemented, as well, including capacity limits, distanced seating and plexiglass dividers on table games.

4 3

5

IDEAS FOR GREAT TRAVEL EXPERIENCES

Whether planning group travel experiences and team building or looking for personal opportunities to enjoy a little fun and adventure, destinations throughout the region offer plenty of ways to do so safely. Looking ahead toward the warmer months, the possibility of being able to offer even more choices adds to the enticement of these already attractive travel destinations.

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

Annapolis is world renowned as America’s Sailing Capital and one of the top waterfront destinations in the country. Lovers of all things nautical head to Maryland’s capital city each year. Sailing, cruising, stand up paddle boarding, canoeing, and kayaking are among the options for outdoor enthusiasts.

In addition, Annapolis is home to more 18th century brick buildings than any other city in the nation, and its Historic District is a Museum without Walls, where every step along the brick-lined streets is a reminder of what has been and what could be. Annapolis is home to the oldest State House in continuous legislative use in the nation, as well as the homes of Maryland’s four signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Banneker-Douglass Museum, Maryland’s official repository for African American culture and heritage.

To help curb the spread of COVID-19, Annapolis and Anne Arundel County restaurants are restricted to curbside pickup, carryout service, and/or delivery through January 12, 2021. Should it be deemed safe to do so, restaurants are poised to begin offering outside dining options and inside seating at a reduced capacity the following day. Once restrictions are eased, a host of restaurants are expected to resume their practice of offering outside dining in heated tents.

To supplement its inside dining capabilities, Flamant plans to resume serving guests in its newly built outdoor enclosed patio that provides year-round protection from the elements. Reynolds Tavern had been supplementing its indoor seating capacity by serving guests in its outdoor Beer Garden that features eight globe-like structures. Instead of offering tastings in its wine sales room, Thanksgiving Farm Winery has been offering wine by the bottle as well as carryout wine tastings that can be enjoyed in its expanded outdoor seating area.

In the BWI/Arundel Mills region, one of the largest commercial casinos in the country, Live! Casino & Hotel, has been providing guests with gaming fun in a safe environment. When the gaming is through, players can walk across a promenade to Maryland’s largest outlet and value retail shopping, dining, and entertainment destination, Arundel Mills Mall.

Despite the pandemic, several new establishments have opened in Annapolis, including the 28-seat nano-brewery, Forward Brewing, Dangerously Delicious Pies, and the California-inspired kitchen and wine bar, Smashing Grapes.

On the arts scene, Gallery 57 opened in summer 2020 and is home to the Annapolis Art Alliance. It offers a “fusion of the arts,” featuring paintings in all media, photography, jewelry, sculpture, glass work, pottery, textile, mixed media, and more.

Returning visitors will notice a surge in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County’s outdoor arts scene, too, with a number of new murals having been added, including a 7,000-square foot Breonna Taylor mural designed to be viewed by satellite! More murals are in the works.

For those in search of something “off the beaten path,” Sandy Point State Park could be the perfect choice - a 786acre treasure on the northwestern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Quiet Waters county park is situated between the South River and Harness Creek and offers 6-miles of scenic paved trails - one of eight regional Anne Arundel County parks waiting to be explored.

Honey’s Harvest Farm in nearby Lothian offers farm workshops, farm-to-table events, nature walks, and farm tours that encourage visitors to graze along the way. Their mission is to provide fun and healthy farm experiences and nutrient dense food and medicine.

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater sits on a 2,650-acre campus that spans forests, wetlands, marches, and 15 miles of protected shoreline. The site serves as a natural laboratory for long-term and cutting-edge ecological research.

When the weather gets warmer, there is a host of ways individuals and groups can get out on the water – from riding the water taxi to taking a 40-minute cruise of the Annapolis Harbor to two-hour sailing cruises on the twin 74’ wooden schooners, Woodwind and Woodwind II, as well as aboard the newly refurbished Chesapeake Bay skipjack, the Wilma Lee. Tours of the U.S. Naval Academy will resume soon as it’s deemed safe to do so, and groups can time their visit to enjoy the 4,000-plus strong Brigade of Midshipmen in noon formation.

The newly renovated Annapolis Maritime Museum will offer on-site tours that recount the story of the Chesapeake Bay’s heritage and bounty through hands-on and state-of-the-art virtual experiences. In mid-January, Historic London Town and Gardens will resume tours of its 23-acre site.

Rendering of the Roland E. Powell Convention Center expansion in Ocean City, MD

OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND

Historically, Ocean City has embodied the family vacation and it also has long been a popular business destination, having hosted state government, professional services conventions and trade shows in the Roland E. Powell Convention Center for many years. Additionally, more than 30 hotels here offer meeting rooms and services. Dance and cheer competitions, sports tournaments and e-marketing groups see Ocean City as a prime meeting place, too.

Over the past year, however, all destinations have shared the same challenges. Ocean City has, of course, adopted very strict safety measures within both the Roland E. Powell Convention Center and the Town itself. Some employees were reassigned to keep things busily moving forward throughout the city. Keeping the visitors and residents safe has been the focus. Whether it was to regretfully cancel some popular events like Sunfest or adjust others for limited participation, safety is the prime driver.

The Ocean City CVB has developed communication “tool kits” for its marketing partners and collaborated with entities throughout town to make resources available from the front desk to the back of the house at hotels, restaurants and attractions. This has helped implement a much broader communication flow from the Town of Ocean City to its business partners, one that can continue to be utilized well after the pandemic ends. This more proactive communication has been well-received by the business community and has yielded positive results.

The boardwalk is available to everyone and especially refreshing in the colder months. Restaurants are open, many with seasonal specials, and they are stringently following health guidelines.

Shopping is always popular, as are visits to Assateague Island where the famous wild ponies roam. Enjoy a drive around the rural surrounding area with changing landscapes and finish up with a bayside dinner and view of the sunset.

The charming town of Berlin offers quaint shops and unique eateries. In Ocean City is the Life Saving Station Museum, along with the Performing Arts Center within the Convention Center, which will be better than ever following the pandemic. Favorite festivals also will return as soon as it is safe enough to do so.

In addition, the Roland E. Powell Convention Center is expanding, slated for completion in early 2022. More exhibition space and added bay view event areas will be exciting additions.

Many new hotels have opened in Ocean City in the last year or so, too. Tru, Aloft, Fairfield, Home2 and several Hampton Inns have taken their place among many iconic hotels such as Clarion, Carousel, Princess Royale, Grand Stowaway, Holiday Inn Oceanfront, Hilton, Days Inn Oceanfront and more.

Winter Trails and Galactic Snowtubing at Camelback Resort, Tannersville, PA

CAMELBACK RESORT POCONO MOUNTAINS, PA Camelback Resort is a natural choice for meeting planners who want to avoid air travel or to meet regionally. The resort’s customized team building activities incorporate the surrounding mountain setting while allowing planners to accomplish their objectives in a fun and exciting way.

Guests enjoy Camelback Resort’s many activities, including waterparks (indoor and outdoor), zip lining, the mountain roller coaster and aerial ropes course. Guests are likely to talk about how they learned to ski or snowboard and share tales of their snowtubing experiences at the resort and Camelback’s activities team presents fun, tasty and memory making programs that can be enjoyed by all.

The resort is highly focused on safety and providing clear and transparent communications with clients and guests at all times. With protocols changing so frequently, the resort’s team has worked very hard to stay informed, adapt, prepare and communicate.

“We have conducted multiple training sessions for our team members, incorporated clear signage and ‘code of conduct’ messaging for our guests, incorporated even higher levels of cleanliness than required, and imposed maximum occupancy standards to maintain distancing,” explains Robin Lattinville, director of sales for Camelback Resort. “We have installed new technology for purchasing tickets without standing in lines, and we are rolling out an app that will make this even easier. So, in many ways, Camelback Resort will emerge from the pandemic better and more efficient than ever.”

For group events, the resort has become more flexible and empathetic with an understanding of how difficult it is to plan an event in the current environment. On-site technology has been upgraded to make it easier for clients to schedule hybrid meetings. Camelback also has incorporated flexible cancellation and rescheduling policies and is launching a powerful virtual site inspection tool to allow prospective meeting planners to immerse themselves into the resort right from their office.

Visitors to the Pocono Mountains can incorporate skiing into their program, and Camelback has long been known for its outstanding ski school. Groups can take advantage of its programing by planning a group lesson as part of a team building experience.

Another popular activity is snowtubing and Galactic Snowtubing. Camelback has 42 snowtubing lanes with two magic carpet lifts. This year, the resort increased the food and beverages services at its tubing hill – adding food and beverage trucks, seven new fire pits and expanded seating in the viewing/dining area. Galactic tubing starts after dark with music and laser lights adding to the experience.

The surrounding Pocono Mountains Region encompasses a large area. During the winter, sleigh rides, cross country skiing, hiking, craft brew trails and snow machine experiences are popular and easily accessible. Mount Airy Casino is less than 10 minutes from Camelback and offers gaming, plus entertainment and great dining. Another popular destination is Jim Thorpe, a charming historic village touted as the “gateway to the Poconos,” which serves as a wonderful day trip.

“Many of our meeting attendees and guests enjoy exploring the natural beauty of the Pocono Mountains and its whitewater rafting, hiking, biking, fishing, golfing and horseback riding,” notes Lattinville. “Warmer weather team building activities include a ropes course challenge, a geo cache scavenger hunt, zip lining or a good old-fashioned corn hole tournament.”

Connecticut Science Center, Hartford, CT

CONNECTICUT COAST

Connecticut is known for its richness of historical and cultural arts attractions (including more than 1,500 sites on the National Historic Registry), most of which can be used as unique venues for after-event socials.

This scenic state is compact, yet offers many types of meeting venues and hotels in a range of picturesque locations. Its size makes it easy for groups to meet and still plan day trips to numerous off-site attractions from Long Island Sound’s sandy beaches to theaters and museums in exciting cities to two of the world’s largest casinos to cruising the Connecticut River to hiking the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, there is something for every attendee.

Ever since March of 2020, the Connecticut Convention and Sports Bureau (CTCSB) has been working to support its partners, including convention centers, hotels, convention services, restaurants, attractions, and other hospitality industry entities.

“We reached out to state, national, and international meeting planners and sports promoters to help them to reschedule and rebook events and overnight rooms anywhere in Connecticut through our wide network of industry resources,” asserts Robert Murdock, president and director of sports marketing for the CTCSB. “One of our key sales tools is the bureau's new, reimagined website, www.ctmeetings.org, that features more images, a simpler layout and easy navigation for meeting planners, search engine optimization, and video capability. As Connecticut’s hospitality industry slowly reopens, our bureau will move forward with our partners to welcome visitors and attendees to our scenic and dynamic state.”

Many of Connecticut’s major attractions remain open, carefully employing a range of health and safety protocols. These group-friendly attractions include: The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk with its Imax Theater and Seal Spotting and Birding Cruises; Mystic Seaport Museum and nearby Mystic Aquarium; Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resorts Casinos; the Connecticut Science Center; New England Air Museum, and The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.

The Florence Griswold Museum Historic Homestead is a distinctive setting where a generation of America’s finest Impressionist artists painted “en plein air” in the “old-fashioned” garden on the banks of the Lieutenant River. It is noted for its collection of American Impressionist paintings, Georgian architecture of Griswold’s house, lightfilled, modern spaces of the Krieble Gallery, and rolling 13acre landscape.

Discover the scenic Long Island Sound off the Connecticut shoreline aboard charter fishing boats. In addition, nature lovers can enjoy 110 state parks and 32 state forests, most of which are open year-round.

The Connecticut Wine Trail boasts two dozen vineyards –many offering tours and samplings and are venues for offsite social events. Along the Connecticut Beer Trail, a growing number of unique microbreweries offer tours, samplings and venues for off-site social events, as well.

Connecticut Freedom Trail documents and designates sites that embody the struggle toward freedom and human dignity, celebrate the accomplishments of the state's African American community, and promote heritage tourism. It consists of more than 130 sites in over 50 towns.

The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk features more than 1,200 marine animals of 259 species, offering visitors personal interactions with animals. R/V Spirit of the Sound™, its 64-foot all-aluminum catamaran, provides cruises year-round.

At each of these destinations, meeting groups and leisure travelers will find plenty of options that can be enjoyed safely. Looking to the future, their expanded offerings will create even more opportunities for outstanding travel experiences at a time when it is needed most.