by Matthew S. Robinson
There are currently 232 Indian casinos with hotel properties with a combined total of 61,322 rooms – an average of 264 rooms per casino with a hotel. During 2024, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe opened its hotel at Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn, WA. Additionally, the Spokane Tribe of Indians opened hotels at its Mistequa Casino Hotel in Chewelah, WA in March and its Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino in Airway Heights, WA in July. In May, the Chickasaw Nation opened its Lakecrest Hotel and Casino in Ardmore, OK, and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma opened its Choctaw Landing Casino and Resort in Hochatown. Also in May, the Karuk Tribe of California opened the hotel component at its Rain Rock Casino in Yreka. In California, with the July soft opening of its Chicken Ranch Casino Resort, Chicken Ranch Rancheria discontinued operations at its small boutique Jamestown Hotel. There were also several post-pandemic readjustments in room counts accounted for in 2024. Table 1 presents the historic, estimated and forecasted number of hotel rooms at Indian casinos with hotels.
Table 1
In 2025, it is anticipated that 11 new Indian casino hotels and eight hotel expansions will commence operations, adding almost 3,000 rooms with combined project costs exceeding $3 billion. During 2026, three new Indian casino hotels and one expansion at an existing Indian casino are expected to commence operations, adding almost 550 rooms with combined project costs of well over $500 million. And in 2027, another four new Indian casino properties with hotels are expected to commence operations, adding almost 1,300 rooms with combined project costs in excess of $1.5 billion.
The number of Indian casinos with hotels varies significantly by number of rooms per property. As presented in Table 2, of the 232 Indian casinos with hotels in operation by the end of 2024, the largest segments by size are made up of those with less than 100 rooms (76 properties) and those with between 100 and 200 rooms (64 properties). With respect to the number of gaming positions per hotel room by size segment, the ratio ranges from 3.4 to 8.8 gaming positions per hotel room with the general pattern being smaller properties with higher ratios, larger properties with smaller ratios, and the average overall ratio of gaming positions per hotel room being 5.4 gaming positions per hotel room.
Table 2
With respect to quality, it is difficult to compare the various properties due to vast differences in not only size, but services and amenities. The most comprehensive data to date is the annual AAA ratings survey. The AAA Diamond Rating process is North America’s premier hotel rating program. To apply for evaluation, properties must first meet 27 essential requirements based on member expectations – cleanliness, comfort, security, and safety. Properties selected for evaluation must demonstrate the strict quality guidelines required to be AAA approved. Properties that are AAA approved are assigned a rating of one to five AAA Diamonds, ranging from simple to luxurious. The Diamond ratings indicate the extensiveness of services, amenities, and décor provided.
According to the 2025 AAA hotel Diamond inspection survey, 42 hotels at 40 Indian casinos received four-diamond ratings and one Indian casino hotel received a five-diamond rating. In 2025, Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel in Highland, CA, received a five-diamond rating – the first ever awarded to an Indian casino affiliated hotel.
Table 3 presents a summary of the 42 four-diamond hotels and one five-diamond hotel at Indian casinos for 2025. These 41 Indian casinos with four- and five-diamond hotel ratings account for approximately 17.7 percent of total Indian casinos with hotels and 32.2 percent of total rooms at Indian casinos with hotels. While receiving the prestigious four-diamond or five-diamond rating is quite an achievement, a hotel property with such quality and related facilities and amenities is not necessarily the most appropriate for all Indian casinos with hotels.
Table 3
While being the highest quality property in a market is something to strive for, a three- or three-plus diamond ranking may suffice, depending on the competitive hotel supply. Another concern is that too nice of a hotel may discourage middle-market and/or more price sensitive guests from spending the night on property, resulting in a potential loss in incremental gaming and associated revenues. Remember to build for your market and your guests as “build it and they will come” is not a guarantee for success.
Matthew S. Robinson is Co-Founder and Principal of KlasRobinson Q.E.D., a national consulting firm specializing in the feasibility and economic impact of casinos, hotels, and other related ancillary developments in Indian Country. He can be reached by calling (800) 475-8140 or email [email protected].