foxwoods

Kim Kardashian Takes Part In New Luxury Bowling Lanes Opening

Haute bowling seems to be everywhere. The latest place to bowl in style is High Rollers Luxury Lanes and Lounge at the Foxwoods Resort Casino. Kim Kardashian stopped by over the weekend to walk the red carpet at the grand opening and bowled a few frames in her high heels (check out NBC Connecticut for video).

The boutique bowling complex is a 35,000-square-foot venue with two full-service bars, 20 bowling lanes including six VIP lanes, four professional billiard tables, a two-level lounge with a piano and 50-seat marble bar and three private rooms. It stays open until 1 a.m. (2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday) and has a capacity of 1,000 people. The lounge has a nostalgic Vegas vibe with custom-tailored furniture, dark wood floors, oversized chandeliers, flocked wallpaper, and classic large-format Las Vegas photography. One highlight on the drink menu is a $500 Martini called "The High Roller Experience." It's a giant classic French martini topped with Dom Perignon. Bowling starts at $5 per game per person and goes up to $9 per game per person Friday-Saturday, 5p.m.-2a.m. - $9 per game/person.

Gallery: High Rollers Luxury Lanes and Lounge

Tags: foxwoods, foxwoods resort casino, FoxwoodsResortCasino, haute bowling, high rollers luxury lanes, Kim Kardashian Superstar, luxury bowling

Insider Interview: Foxwoods High Roller Butler Anthony Garry

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services, Tell Us Everything

A love of gambling is one thing – being a high roller is another. For the real "big timers," those who gamble more than $1 million per trip, resorts roll out all the stops – private penthouse suites, insider-only casinos and dining, and service so dedicated, that so long as it's legal, the task will be accomplished.

Foxwoods bears the distinction of being North America's largest casino property. High rollers are comped stays in the hotel's 23 special penthouse suites, which range from 1,000 to 5,000 square feet and offer views of the Mashantucket reservation from 20+ stories up. High rollers are allowed access to private dining a dedicated casino above the hotels' AAA Four Diamond Paragon Restaurant.

Many of New England's elite, including sports figures and celebrities frequent Foxwoods and employ these services. Some utilize the private facilities as a way to evade professional sports regulations that prevent gambling, while others are drawn simply by the allure of convenience – at just under two hours from cities like Boston and New York, it's a much faster "fix" than Las Vegas.

And who would know better what goes on behind the velvet ropes than the men and women who see it all unfold? We got the scoop about what really goes on from Anthony Garry, Foxwoods' head butler and a 20+ year industry vet.

How did you get into the business?

In college, I worked part-time in Atlantic City, and that's what first exposed me to the industry. I was a Chemistry major in college, and originally wanted to be a Pediatrician. I'd like to think I am still in that business. I take care of people and their needs.

How does one train for a job like this?

I started out as a "regular" hotel butler. I was lucky enough to train under two talented individuals who had worked for Steve Wynn at Golden Nugget. I worked my way up the ranks to eventually take over the head butler role.

Tags: butler, foxwoods, FoxwoodsResortCasino, high roller, interivews

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Wynn Pulls Out Of Foxwoods Pennsylvania Casino Project

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

A big shocker out of Las Vegas today. Wynn Resorts has announced that they are pulling out of any potential plans to go forward with investing in the Foxwoods Casino project in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A statement released by Wynn Resorts quotes Steve Wynn as saying: "We are fascinated by the legalization of full gaming in Pennsylvania and stimulated by the opportunity that it presents for Wynn Resorts, but this particular project did not, in the end, present an opportunity that was appropriate for our company."

The news is surprising because earlier this week Wynn submitted sketches for his plans to finish the Foxwoods project and turn it into a luxury casino. He delivered the drawings to the state's Gaming Control Board weeks ahead of the proposal deadline of April 29. Designs showed a limestone building with red canopies, a fountain and lavish landscaping. It all seemed a done deal.

But then on Wednesday, the gaming board extended a $2,000-a-day fine on the Foxwoods Casino project even though Wynn had submitted both the design plans and financial info the regulators had requested. Perhaps Wynn became frustrated at that point. Certainly with Wynn out of the deal the Foxwoods project is in real danger of never being completed. Foxwoods does not have the money to continue the construction and there is a strong likelihood that the gaming license extended to the project may end up being pulled. Local sentiment on the project in South Philadephia has been mixed, some welcomed the jobs and potential tourism that it could bring while others worried over the local impact of having a casino nearby.

Tags: foxwoods, foxwoods philadelphia project, FoxwoodsResortCasino, steve wynn

Steve Wynn Fights For Philly Casino Project

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

When Steve Wynn decided to take over the Foxwoods Philadelphia casino project he was hoping it would be a simple matter of a nod and a wave to get the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to let him proceed with the plans. But it looks like its going to be a bit of an involved process. While the gaming board decided not to pull the license from the project they aren't willing to hand it over to Wynn just yet.

Philly.com reports on Wynn's appearance before the board where he tried to convince them that he had the money and ability to complete the $600 million casino in South Philadelphia. What he mostly provided where pretty words rather than concrete plans and so the board has decided that Wynn must provide detailed financing information, architectural drawings and a construction timetable within the next two months. On April 29 the board will take another look at the proposal. Meanwhile the board continues to fine the Foxwoods group $2,000 a day until a successful project plan has been agreed upon. Local sentiment on the project is mixed, some hope the project will bring jobs to the region while others are protesting the idea of having a casino in the area.

Tags: CasinoRoyale, foxwoods, pennsylvania casino, PennsylvaniaCasino, philadelphia casino, PhiladelphiaCasino, steve wynn, SteveWynn

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Steve Wynn Takes Over Philadelphia Casino Project

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Steve Wynn has had great success in Las Vegas and Macau but will his brand of casino luxury play in Philadelphia? Wynn Resorts has announced that it entered into a letter of intent with Philadelphia Entertainment and Development Partners, LP to take over the PDEP casino project planned for the Philadelphia waterfront. The PDEP is a group of investors who joined with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation to win a casino license in 2006. The tribe runs two Foxwoods casinos in Connecticut but ran into financial trouble last year. The agreement is subject to the approval of the Pennsylvania Gaming Board. Wynn attended the University of Pennsylvania and stated in a release that "Philadelphia has always felt like home to me."

The Philadelphia casino project was originally a Foxwoods project but Foxwoods missed a December deadline to provide detailed architectural and engineering plans. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the Gaming Control Board fined Foxwoods $2,000 per day for missing the deadline (the fees are now in the six figures). The project developers were facing the possibility of further sanctions, including losing the casino license. Wynn will take majority control of the project and be responsible for financing, building and running the casino.

Tags: casino, foxwoods, philadelphia, philadelphia casino, PhiladelphiaCasino, steve wynn, SteveWynn

Foxwoods Resort Courts Luxury Shoppers

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

When the Foxwoods Resort in Southern Connecticut opened in the early 1990s it was a fairly modest affair, with slots and games aimed at a mid-range clientele. Now the massive resort is working on a $55 million renovation that will include the addition of four luxury shops, the type likely to be found in the luxury casinos in Las Vegas. Foxwoods has announced Rolex, Bvlgari, Chopard and Judith Ripka storefronts.

It's part of a larger project turning Foxwoods into a draw for guests from around the world. In May, the $700 million MGM Grand at Foxwoods will open up. The new hotel will have 825 rooms, meeting space, a theater, spa casino and restaurants by celebrity chefs Tom Colicchio and Michael Schlow. The MGM Grand at Foxwoods will have its share of shops including Dunhill, Bally and an Apple store.

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Tags: connecticut, foxwoods, luxury shopping, resort