Big bet

Luxury casino-resort near Texas-Oklahoma border gambles on $500 million expansion

The expansion will make Choctaw the Oklahoma hotel with the most guest rooms.

Photo courtesy of Choctaw Resort and Casino

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is placing a more than $500 million bet on expanding the Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, near the border of Texas.

The Choctaw Nation broke ground April 25 on a project that will add 1,000 hotel rooms to the Choctaw Casino & Resort — bringing the total to more than 1,600 and making it the Oklahoma hotel with the most guest rooms. In addition, plans call for a bigger gaming floor, new pools, a “lazy river” feature, a parking garage, more retail space, additional entertainment options, and more restaurants.

The $500 million-plus expansion is set for completion in the spring of 2021. This will be the fourth major upgrade at the resort and casino since the property debuted in 2006.

Officials say the expansion will add 1,000 jobs in Durant. About 2,800 already work at the casino and resort.

“The Choctaw Nation’s latest expansion in Durant will elevate the resort and gaming experience in Oklahoma to the likes of which are typically found only in Las Vegas,” says John Tynan, chairman and CEO of TynanGroup LLC, the developer for the expansion.

TynanGroup’s corporate offices are in Tempe, Arizona, and Santa Barbara, California.

“The expansion will go a long way in meeting the demands of our growing customer base by delivering exciting new enhancements and luxury amenities for all who visit,” says Gary Batton, chief of the nearly 200,000-member Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

In the 2018 budget year, businesses operated by the Choctaw Nation generated revenue of nearly $1.5 billion. Choctaw’s casino business encompasses 18 locations in Oklahoma.

hotels

Turkey Day news

San Antonio eats up top-10 rank on list of best cities for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving pumpkin pie at Kona Grill in San Antonio

Photo courtesy of Kona Grill

San Antonio is one of the best place to celebrate Thanksgiving in Texas in 2024.

San Antonio is sitting at the head of the table as one of the best places in the country to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, a new study has revealed.

San Antonio ranked No. 7 out of 100 of the largest U.S. cities in WalletHub's annual "Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving" report, published November 12. The city made a big leap over its 2023 ranking as No. 14, and remains the second highest-ranked city in Texas.

The study analyzed each city based on 18 metrics to determine the best places for Thanksgiving, such as the number of pumpkin patches per capita, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, the number of volunteer opportunities, the average weather forecast, and more. The metrics were then organized into five overall categories to determine the rankings.

The categories that San Antonio ranked the highest in were the average weather forecast during the holiday period (No. 2), and affordability (No. 11), while the lowest-ranked category was for safety and accessibility (No. 90). Other categories that determined San Antonio's overall ranking were the number of celebrations and traditions (No. 14), and a "giving thanks" rank (No. 75).

"The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

By Thanksgiving on November 28, San Antonio will be fully decked for the December holidays. San Antonians who will have extended family in town during Thanksgiving weekend can take in of all the marvelous Christmas lights brightening the city. The home of the Alamo certainly goes all out for the most wonderful time of year.

Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas ranked two spots above San Antonio as the fifth best city for Thanksgiving. Houston ranked No. 23, while Austin only came in at No. 39.

San Diego, California (No. 1) topped the overall list of best places to go for Thanksgiving this year, followed by its Golden State neighbors San Francisco (No. 3) and San Jose (No. 4). Atlanta, Georgia (No. 2) rounds out the top five.

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