See Potawatomi’s Latest Updates In $190 Million Renovation
Final phase, with new sports-betting venue, is set to complete in 2024.
1833 Club at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. Photo taken Sept. 7, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino unveiled a series of renovations Thursday morning to the gaming and entertainment destination — the latest in a multi-phase, $190 million project.
The most recent additions include two new gaming areas, a new bar and restaurant and more than 300 new slot machines on the casino’s second floor.
“It is our priority to bring our guests the next level of gaming, and do so in an inviting and entertaining atmosphere,” said Dominic Ortiz, CEO and general manager of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.
The renovation project, which encompasses 114,000 square feet within the casino, first began in May 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2024. The intention, said Ortiz, is to provide a modernized experience for guests while keeping pace with Milwaukee’s rising status.
“Milwaukee has been receiving so much exciting attention and we want to make sure we are viewed as a premier entertainment destination, not just for those in the immediate area, but for people traveling to the city for business or a getaway,” said Ortiz,
In return, he said, the hotel and casino strives to uplift the city and its residents. Potawatomi Hotel & Casino employs more than 2,000 people; the latest phase of renovations added 250 to that total.
“What really makes this place special is the city of Milwaukee and the 2,000 employees,” he said. “We couldn’t be more happy to put them in a venue like this that they can be proud of as well.”
Ortiz, accompanied by several other Potawatomi executives, marked the grand opening with a Thursday morning ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new, VIP-exclusive 1833 Club. Opened on Sept. 1, 1833 features 89 slot machines, four high-limit blackjack tables, custom-designed sofas, a high-end liquor bar and an exhibition kitchen with celebrity guest chefs.
Located just outside the VIP club is ElevenHundred, Potawatomi’s newest — and largest — gaming lounge, with 633 slot machines, 16 gaming tables, a dual-wheel roulette game and electronic blackjack and craps. ElevenHundred Bar & Lounge, located within the gaming area, features a granite-topped bar and custom LED lighting. The space can accommodate up to 78 guests, including “slot seats” at the bar.
An additional gaming area, The Atrium, includes 78 slot machines. Its walls are decorated with moving projections of Potawatomi woodland florals, lending an immersive feel to the space.
The casino also recently debuted Street Eatz, adding to the 11 existing eateries on-premises. The bar and restaurant serves a street food-inspired menu of barbeque, brats and tacos, as well as slushy cocktails and beer.
In early August, the casino celebrated the grand opening of Rock & Brews, a bar and restaurant opened in partnership with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS. Additional dining establishments including Cream City Coffee and Potawatomi Marketplace, which features a variety of fast-casual restaurants, also opened within the past several months.
As work begins on the final phase of renovations, Ortiz said there’s not much to share at this point, though he reiterated his excitement for the upcoming Sportsbook, a sports-betting venue that will replace the former Northern Lights Theater.
“This new retail Sportsbook is going to reset the stage for the whole region,” he said. “We have so much excitement to come for 2024.”
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