AURORA, Ill. (WBBM Newsradio) – After more than three decades on the Fox River, Hollywood Casino Aurora is preparing to leave its longtime riverboat home behind and open a sprawling new land-based entertainment complex next month.
The new $360 million development near I-88 and the Chicago Premium Outlets is expected to open June 24 and will feature more than 1,200 gaming positions, a sportsbook, a luxury hotel, spa, event center and multiple celebrity-chef dining options.
“We’re working really hard to make sure it’s an exciting and well run opening day,” said Greg Moore, vice president and general manager of Hollywood Casino Aurora.
The new development marks a major shift from the casino’s original riverboat model, which opened in the early 1990s.
“The old property served us well, it’s been there for over 30 years now,” Moore said. “It was designed to, I hate to say it, but just be a casino. This is a full-on entertainment complex where it is a casino and an entertainment venue and an outdoor courtyard and a spa and a hotel.”
Sorella by Giada at Hollywood Casino Aurora
Rachel Pierson
Among the new dining options is Sorella by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, along with additional concepts from chefs including Stephanie Izard.
The connected hotel will include more than 220 rooms and suites, though guests may notice something missing when they check in.
“It turns out that in some cultures, four is not a lucky number,” Moore said. “Much like you would see hotels that have a lack of a 13th floor, it just made perfect sense to skip the fourth floor and go straight to five.”
A look inside a hotel suite at Hollywood Casino Aurora
Rachel Pierson
Moore said the casino is also positioning itself as a full-service event destination capable of hosting concerts, conferences and weddings. In preparation, Moore said he even became ordained in Illinois.
“In the event somebody decides that they’re going to go Las Vegas-style and need to get married on the fly, I am now an ordained minister in the state of Illinois,” he said. “So I can step in and make sure that gets done.”
The property will also allow guests to carry drinks throughout much of the complex thanks to a newly created roaming liquor license approved in coordination with the city.
Hollywood Casino Aurora is expected to officially open to the public on June 24.
