No new convention space is being added, but Mohegan Sun’s announced $740 million expansion should add dramatically to its convention business.
Additional guest rooms are expected to allow the casino to handle more groups, especially on weekends — a new source of business for Mohegan.
“We really have been unable to accommodate any conventions on weekends,” said Mitchell Estess, president and CEO of the casino.
The move was seen partly as a response to the $700 million expansion under way at nearby Foxwoods Resort Casino.
The Mohegan Sun project includes 1,000 new hotel rooms, 300 of which will be branded as House of Blues rooms with their own entrance.
When the new rooms open in 2010, the resort will have a total of 2,200. The property has approximately 100,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 40,000-square-foot ballroom.
The rest of the expansion calls for a 1,500-seat House of Blues Music Hall, a 20,000-square-foot Mandara Spa, and 115,000 square feet of retail and dining space, to open in 2009. A new 64,000-square-foot casino will open in 2008.
