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Monarch Casino Resort Spa

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Coordinates: 39°47′54″N 105°28′57″W / 39.798464°N 105.482379°W / 39.798464; -105.482379
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Monarch Casino Resort Spa
The Monarch in December 2019, during expansion work
Location Black Hawk, Colorado
Address 488 Main Street
Opening dateFebruary 4, 2000
No. of rooms516
Total gaming space64,000 sq ft (5,900 m2)
OwnerMonarch Casino & Resort Inc.
Previous namesRiviera Black Hawk (2000–2013)
Monarch Casino Black Hawk (2013–2020)
Renovated in2020
Coordinates39°47′54″N 105°28′57″W / 39.798464°N 105.482379°W / 39.798464; -105.482379
Websitemonarchblackhawk.com

Monarch Casino Resort Spa is a casino resort in Black Hawk, Colorado. It is owned and operated by Monarch Casino & Resort Inc. The property includes a 64,000 sq ft (5,900 m2) casino and a 23-story hotel tower with 516 rooms.

The casino opened on February 4, 2000, as the Riviera Black Hawk, and originally lacked a hotel. It was developed by Riviera Holdings, which also owned the Riviera hotel-casino in Las Vegas. In 2012, the Riviera Black Hawk was sold to Monarch, which rebranded it the following year. A renovation and expansion began in 2015, and eventually concluded in 2022, after construction delays. The $442 million project included the addition of hotel rooms and more casino space, both debuting in November 2020.

History[edit]

Early years (2000–2012)[edit]

The resort began as the Riviera Black Hawk, and was the second gaming property by Riviera Holdings, which also owned and operated the Riviera hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Construction on the Black Hawk location was underway in 1998.[1][2] It had a soft opening on February 4, 2000, with an official grand opening the following month. The Riviera Black Hawk cost $75 million. The casino featured table games, 1,000 slot machines, a 490-seat entertainment venue, a buffet, and a coffee shop. Unlike its Las Vegas counterpart, the Black Hawk property lacked a hotel.[3]

Riviera Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2010, and announced a year later that it would sell the Riviera Black Hawk to focus on its Las Vegas property.[4] The Black Hawk location was sold to Monarch Casino & Resort Inc., owner of the Atlantis Casino Resort in Reno, Nevada.[5] The $76 million sale was finalized in April 2012.[6][7] Monarch also bought 1.5 acres of vacant land, just east of the Riviera, for future development.[8] With 988 rooms in Black Hawk, Monarch considered the local hotel market to be in need of expansion. This was a primary factor in purchasing the Riviera,[9] which was among the largest casinos in Black Hawk at the time, with 750 slot machines.[10]

Name changes and expansion (2013–present)[edit]

New parking garage in 2017

The property was renamed the Monarch Casino Black Hawk in October 2013.[11] A $295 million renovation and expansion was launched in 2015,[12] starting with a new, nine-story parking garage on the property's east side.[9][13] After its completion, the existing garage was imploded in December 2016, making way for a hotel tower.[13][14] The expansion project also included additional casino space.[9]

The renovation and expansion, when originally announced, was expected to conclude by the end of 2017.[9] However, it would go on to be disrupted by construction delays.[15] The 23-story tower was eventually topped off in January 2019, and work on the overall property was expected to finish later in the year. The tower was designed by MBA Architecture and Interior Design, and built by PCL Construction.[16]

Construction of the hotel tower

Monarch's relationship with PCL deteriorated due to the delays,[17] and the contractor sued Monarch later in 2019, citing breach of contract and other issues. The suit concerned cost overruns brought on by problems encountered during construction. PCL alleged that Monarch repeatedly declined to approve a guaranteed maximum price, and Monarch called the suit "an attempt to deflect attention from [PCL's] failures to deliver the completed project in a timely and cost appropriate manner."[15] Monarch later sued PCL in 2023, over hotel defects,[18] and PCL subsequently stated that the expansion project "went off the rails" due to micromanagement.[19]

The 2019 opening of the new facilities was eventually delayed until the following year,[20][21] with the new casino space opening on November 19, 2020. The hotel portion began a phased opening starting six days later.[22] The property, renamed Monarch Casino Resort Spa, includes 516 rooms.[22][23] It competes against the 536-room Ameristar Black Hawk.[9] The Monarch is the first gaming property encountered by motorists entering from the city's south side.[10][24] It is the area's second high-end resort after Ameristar, which originally opened in 2001 and added a hotel in 2009.[25]

The existing casino structure remained in operation throughout the expansion project,[26] and was renovated thereafter.[22] Casino space was nearly doubled with the 35,000 sq ft (3,300 m2) addition, for a total of 64,000 sq ft (5,900 m2).[22][27] The casino has 1,100 slot machines and a sportsbook.[28] Other new features included a rooftop pool, a spa, and several restaurants. Work on the property concluded in March 2022,[29][30] at a final cost of $442 million.[22] The new and renovated areas were designed to emulate resorts in Las Vegas.[22][24][28] The expanded property employed 1,000 people,[31] and is Monarch's second resort.[22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Brooke, James (December 28, 1998). "Competition between Colorado gambling towns gets nasty". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved June 2, 2024. In Central City, residents now look enviously down Gregory Gulch, where building is under way on Las Vegas-style casinos with names like Riviera, Mardi Gras and Isle of Capri.
  2. ^ "Cash flow falls at Riviera, increases at Tropicana". Las Vegas Sun. April 20, 1999. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  3. ^ Simpson, Jeff (February 9, 2000). "Riviera Holdings pleased with new Colorado casino". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on May 10, 2001.
  4. ^ Green, Steve (September 29, 2011). "Riviera selling Colorado casino, focusing on Las Vegas property". VegasInc. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  5. ^ Sieroty, Chris (September 30, 2011). "Riviera Holdings sells Colorado casino for $76 million". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  6. ^ "Monarch Casino Completes Acquisition of Riviera Black Hawk". GlobeNewswire. April 26, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  7. ^ Velotta, Richard N. (May 2, 2012). "$20 million in renovations planned for the Riviera". VegasInc. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  8. ^ "Monarch Acquires Land Next to Riviera". Reno Gazette-Journal. October 6, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b c d e Harden, Mark (June 19, 2015). "Work stepping up on $295M Black Hawk casino-hotel project". Denver Business Journal. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Reno's Atlantis owner moves into Colorado". Reno Gazette-Journal. October 1, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Colorado business briefs". The Denver Post. October 28, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  12. ^ "Profits flow in '15 for Atlantis owner". Reno Gazette-Journal. April 23, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b Svaldi, Aldo (November 30, 2015). "Colorado casinos hit a hot streak, getting best start of year since 2007". The Denver Post. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  14. ^ Paul, Jesse (December 21, 2016). "Parking garage implosion at Black Hawk casino is emblematic of town's hopes for future". The Denver Post. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Chartier, Doug (October 7, 2019). "Black Hawk Casino Expansion Marred by Contractor's Lawsuit". Law Week Colorado. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  16. ^ Oppermann Stern, Kris (January 14, 2019). "PCL Construction tops out Monarch Hotel and Casino". Colorado Real Estate Journal. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  17. ^ Shriber, Todd (September 3, 2019). "Monarch Casino Stock Tumbled After a Contractor Sued The Company". Casino.org. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  18. ^ Ducassi, Daniel (February 10, 2023). "Colo. Casino Sues Construction Co. Over Hotel Defects". Law360. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  19. ^ Ducassi, Daniel (September 5, 2023). "Colo. Casino Owner Was 'His Own Worst Enemy,' Builder Says". Law360.
  20. ^ Stutz, Howard (September 5, 2019). "Lawsuit with general contractor slows completion of Monarch's Colorado casino expansion". CDC Gaming Reports. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  21. ^ Crowley, Matthew (October 31, 2019). "Black Hawk expansion opening delayed as Monarch misses on earnings and revenue forecasts". CDC Gaming Reports. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g Sealover, Ed (November 18, 2020). "Peek inside Black Hawk's newest casino resort as it preps to open". Denver Business Journal. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  23. ^ Renoux, Matt (March 9, 2022). "Black Hawk casino completes $400M expansion, 516-room hotel". KUSA. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Brown, Charlie (May 1, 2021). "Central City's Monarch & Ameristar Casinos". Colorado Expression Magazine. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  25. ^ Stutz, Howard (September 4, 2022). "Legal changes make Colorado an enticing casino market for Nevada operators". The Nevada Independent. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  26. ^ "Building Blackhawk". Colorado Construction & Design. March 10, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  27. ^ Demopoulos, George (June 19, 2015). "Black Hawk casino places $230M hotel bet". BusinessDen. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  28. ^ a b McKee, David (April 5, 2022). "Colorado: Black Hawk's casino market draws analyst rave". CDC Gaming Reports. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  29. ^ Singer, Daliah (April 13, 2022). "Black Hawk Is Upping Its Cool Factor with the Revamped Monarch Casino Resort Spa". 5280. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  30. ^ Sealover, Ed (March 3, 2022). "Black Hawk's Monarch Casino unveils lineup of new restaurants it hopes will draw Denverites". Denver Business Journal. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  31. ^ Schulz, Bailey (August 21, 2019). "Colorado casino-resort recruits workers in Las Vegas". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved June 2, 2024.

External links[edit]

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