WEB EXCLUSIVE: Connecticut
Connecticut boasts two massive casino resorts just 15 minutes apart: Foxwoods Resort Casino, which is owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and Mohegan Sun, which the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut opened in 1996.
Mohegan Sun covers 240 acres along the banks of the Thames River, said Randy Fiveash, director of the Connecticut Office of Tourism. The resort boasts more than 360,000 square feet of gaming space in three casinos: Casinos of the Earth, Sky and Wind. Mohegan Sun also has 1,200 guest rooms and a 20,000-square-foot spa.
Foxwoods includes 4.7 million square feet, about 340,000 of which is dedicated to gaming. The resort features six individual casinos that have 380 gaming tables and more than 6,300 slot machines, Fiveash said. Foxwoods also has more than 2,200 guest rooms.
Both resorts are also in the middle of major retail expansions. Mohegan Sun is building a new shopping area called the Downtown District that is slated to open in early 2015, and Tanger Outlets at Foxwoods is expected to open in May 2015, Fiveash said.
Each casino resort is like its own city, its own destination, that allows guests to do whatever they enjoy: golf, concerts, spas, theaters and more.
“They are each a destination in themselves; that’s why they’re great for group tours or families,” he said. “You walk in the lobby, you see kids and teenagers, you see people of all ages because there’s entertainment for all ages.”
The resorts are also located in “unbelievably picturesque places,” Fiveash said.
“You don’t get that packed-in feeling of being on a strip,” he said. “You truly are in a resort.”