Indiana: Churchill Downs opens Terre Haute's luxury hotel with a ribbon-cutting ceremony

Louisville-based Churchill Downs cut the ribbon Wednesday on the final major piece of the $290 million Terre Haute Casino Resort -- its 122-room luxury hotel. The building opens its doors to the public just over a month after the casino’s grand opening.

The ribbon for the new hotel's grand opening was cut in the presence of Churchill Downs and Terre Haute officials. At the time of the casino’s inauguration in April, CEO Bill Carstanjen told investors that he expected the hotel to give an even greater boost to the casino, which he says is already witnessing strong numbers.

“Terre Haute Casino Resort has already attracted thousands of visitors from the region to enjoy an unparalleled gaming experience,” Carstanjen said. “The opening of the new luxury hotel component furthers our commitment to bringing new vibrancy to Terre Haute with this premier entertainment destination and marks a significant milestone for Churchill Downs Incorporated.”

The hotel’s grand opening was scheduled for 4:00 PM local time on May 15th, with a ceremonial first check-in, which was followed by the opening of the Altitude Bar and Lounge on the venue’s 10th floor at 8:00 PM and a fireworks display to end the night, according to Inside Indiana Business.

The property's new Altitude Bar

The resort also marked the opening of the Queen’s Beans Coffee Shop on Thursday. It will be followed by the Hotel Lobby Bar opening on Friday afternoon.

The Terre Haute Casino Resort houses over 1,000 slot machines, 50 electronic table games, and 30 table games, as well as six live poker games. Terre Haute Casino Resort offers regionally inspired food and beverage amenities including the Four Cornered Steakhouse, Rockwood Bar and Grill, The Soda Shoppe, Crossroads Center Bar, and High Limit Bar.

According to Mywabashvalley, Terre Haute Hotel is the “only luxury hotel” in Terre Haute and officials said that it is already almost 85 percent booked "all the way through September." The 10th-floor Altitude Bar will also allow guests to see some of the best views Terre Haute has to offer.

The publication quoted the resort’s general manager Mike Rich as saying that this brings the entire resort together. “We are really excited to bring the product that we have brought so far to the community, and this really helps round it all out and brings a full resort experience to Terre Haute,” he said. “We couldn’t be more excited to be able to open it all today.”

The development of Terre Haute Casino Resort generated nearly 1,000 construction jobs and will continue to provide approximately 550 full-time and part-time jobs to the region. CDI officially broke ground on the entertainment venue in June 2022 with construction management partner Wilhelm Construction.