Belterra Casino Resort
Florence, Indiana
With its golf course, spa and concert hall, Belterra Casino Resort in southern Indiana, less than an hour’s drive from Cincinnati, is like “a Bellagio in a cornfield,” Robinett said. And once there, groups can enjoy deals for gaming, shows and even private group lessons on how to play craps, blackjack and poker.
Belterra has more than 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including the 9,500-square-foot Belterra Ballroom that can be divided into two or three smaller rooms.
CenterStage Showroom is a 12,800-square-foot hall with a stage that can handle a Tony Bennett concert or about 1,500 people for a theater-style conference.
“It’s our ‘wow’ room for concerts and events,” Robinett said. “Groups love to use the stage and the massive screens.”
One of the best spaces in the casino is above it: the Boat Top. The casino is a riverboat on the Ohio River, and the top of it is a 16,700-square-foot space that groups use for lunches, dinners and cocktail receptions for up to 1,000 people.
“Being on the Ohio River, the rolling hills, live music — it’s just an ‘aah’ factor,” Robinett said.
In October, Belterra’s parent company launched a $15 million renovation of the hotel’s 608 guest rooms, which will be “hollowed out” and renovated. The project is expected to be complete in January.
Last year, Belterra wrapped up a $15 million project that revamped the casino’s buffet restaurant; converted a cafe into Stadium Sports Bar and Grill, a wood-paneled sports pub; and turned Jeff Ruby’s into 19 Steak and Seafood, a fine-dining steakhouse that can host private group dinners.
Mount Airy Casino Resort
Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania
Nestled in the woods of the Pocono Mountains, Mount Airy Casino Resort dishes up plenty of nature alongside the resort’s spa, 18-hole golf course, concerts, comedians and pool parties.
The hotel event center is nearly 4,000 square feet, which can be split up into three smaller rooms, and it has an 1,800-square-foot lobby for prefunction space. Adjacent to the lobby is an executive boardroom.
Mount Airy offers some less conventional event options, including Gypsies nightclub, which can hold about 400 people. The three-tiered space has a stage on the ground floor, tables and lounge areas on a second tier and the bar on the third level, which makes it great for presentations, said Victoria Rogers, director of hotel sales. Groups can also use the 480-square-foot VIP room behind Gypsies.
The resort’s new indoor-outdoor pool, bar and patio opened Memorial Day weekend. The glass-enclosed pool area is climate controlled, so it can be comfortable for lunches and cocktail hours, and also opens up onto the patio, Rogers said.
Guests also enjoy hiking, biking and horseback riding. The resort has an on-site nature trail and works with nearby guest ranches that offer trail rides for groups. Mount Airy also partners with Pocono Whitewater to arrange rafting trips, biking, paintball and other outdoor activities.
