L’Auberge Casino & Hotel to open in 2012 in Baton Rouge
By: Nancy Cook
Updated: May 16, 2011
Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: PNK) today announced the name of its newest casino hotel destination -- L'Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge.
Set to open in the summer of 2012, L'Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge will extend the brand of the Company's flagship property, L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Anthony Sanfilippo, president and chief executive officer of Pinnacle Entertainment, commented, "Throughout the South, the L'Auberge brand is associated with warm, friendly and welcoming service along with memorable experiences for our guests, as well as quality lodging, dining, entertainment and gaming. We believe that L'Auberge Baton Rouge will transform the entertainment experience for Baton Rouge residents and regional visitors alike."
Sanfilippo, well-versed in Louisiana’s gaming market, was the general manager of northwest Louisiana’s first riverboat casino, Harrah’s, which opened April 20, 1994.
Mickey Parenton, vice president and general manager of L'Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge, said, "Our vision is to create a special destination for the residents of Baton Rouge. With its sweeping views of the Mississippi River, L'Auberge Baton Rouge will be stunning. We look forward to welcoming guests to L'Auberge Baton Rouge in 2012."
"Our team members are as important to our success as the design of our facility," Parenton said. "L'Auberge Baton Rouge is expected to create more than 1,000 new permanent jobs in the market, and toward the end of this year we will open an employment center to help find new members for our Baton Rouge team. As in Lake Charles, L'Auberge Baton Rouge is expected to become an employer of choice for the region."
The new Baton Rouge property will feature a single-level, 30,000-square-foot gaming floor with 1,500 slot machines and 51 table games, including a poker room; a hotel with 206 guestrooms and a rooftop pool; a multi-purpose event center with concert seating for up to 1,400 people or banquet seating for up to 800 people; a covered parking garage; and unique dining and entertainment venues overlooking the Mississippi River.
Representing a $357 million investment, L'Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge is expected to open in the summer of 2012, pending regulatory approval. A complete project fact sheet and project webcam can be found at www.pnkinc.com under the "New Developments" section.
