If you are in Las Vegas (or planning a visit) and looking for a fun, exciting, family-friendly activity, check out FlyOver, Las Vegas’s brand-new flight simulation attraction. FlyOver makes you feel like you are flying over top landmarks in Las Vegas and the Western United States, including the Las Vegas Strip, Yellowstone National Park, the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, and a floodgate release at Roosevelt Dam in Arizona. BWA served as project architect, and provided interior design for FlyOver’s common areas.

Planning to attend the 2021 Washington Indian Gaming Association's Northwest Indian Conference and Expo Aug. 30-Sept. 1? Be sure to visit BWA at Booth #206, to say hello and discuss your project needs with BWA’s Native American casino gaming resort design experts.

In honor of the event, we are highlighting a number of our Native American Gaming and Hospitality projects. For The Legends Casino Hotel in Toppenish, WA, (and client Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation), BWA completed a 183,000 SF expansion that increased casino gaming floor from 40,000 to 60,000 SF, and added a new 10,000 sf conference and event space and 200 room hotel.

The 2021 OIGA Conference and Trade Show will be held in Oklahoma City August 16-18. In honor of "the biggest little show in Indian Gaming', BWA is highlighting Apache Casino Hotel, our recent Oklahoma Native American Gaming and Hospitality project (and reach out to John Hinton, BWA Director of Native American Projects, to discuss your project needs).

The Fort Sill Apache Tribe tasked BWA to design a major new event center and to remodel portions of its Lawton, OK casino, while maintaining existing gaming operations. The event center is divisible into smaller rooms for conferences or special events. Paying respect to the tribe’s long history of making beautiful and functional baskets, venue design elements include natural wood tones and basket weave patterns. BWA also expanded the back of house area to create more space for operations and training, and to improve building efficiency.

We hope you were able to visit BWA’s booth at this year’s NIGA's Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention, and discuss your project needs with our Native American casino gaming resort design experts. In honor of the first in-person tradeshow of the season, BWA is highlighting several of our Native American Gaming and Hospitality projects.

Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, MN required a dynamic approach to resolve the challenges created from previous casino additions. For owners the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, BWA conducted a ten-year Master Plan (with MLC) that included two parking garages, a hotel tower expansion, entertainment center, golf course club house and separate casino. BWA also unified the property by consolidating previous additions and creating a spacious and coherent design. BWA is currently providing architectural and interior design for a remodel and expansion of the original facility.

We hope you were able to visit BWA’s booth at this year’s NIGA's Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention, and discuss your project needs with our Native American casino gaming resort design experts. In honor of the first in-person tradeshow of the season, BWA is highlighting several of our Native American Gaming and Hospitality projects.

For the Barona Band of Mission Indians, BWA linked an all-new 100 key guestroom and suite tower to the casino building and its amenities. Per the tribe’s request, the buildings resemble farm and ranch structures, with a pond in front of the Porte Cochere and a water wheel as prominent site features. The project’s program also allows for future growth at the property.

In honor of the upcoming 2021 NIGA Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention July 19-22, BWA is highlighting some of our past Native American Gaming and Hospitality projects. For the Swinomish Casino & Lodge in Anacortes, WA, BWA’s casino expansion/remodel consisted of a new hotel tower, with breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape; and opening up the casino floor, with increased gaming options and improved sightlines. BWA also consolidated food service options and designed a new center bar. The result is a truly memorable guest experience, all completed on a challenging 12-month design through construction schedule.

Be sure to visit BWA at Booth #1412, to see more of our exciting casino gaming and hospitality projects, and to discuss your project needs with BWA’s Native American casino gaming design experts.

In honor of the upcoming 2021 NIGA Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention July 19-22, BWA is highlighting some of our past Native American Gaming and Hospitality projects. At the Clearwater Casino Resort in Suquamish, Washington, BWA renovated the hotel tower, with an updated and more sophisticated approach. Finishes and artwork increase the property’s connection to the Pacific Northwest surroundings and the culture of the Suquamish Tribe. Custom furniture, fabrics and lighting are contemporary but warm, with a rustic feel inspired by nature and the property’s signature exterior color palette.

In honor of the upcoming 2021 NIGA Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention July 19-22, BWA is highlighting some of our past Native American Gaming and Hospitality projects. For the Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino in Buffalo, N.Y., BWA designed the renovation of 10 penthouse suites to complement the views of Niagara Falls through floor-to-ceiling windows. The epitome of elegance, the suites are equipped with exclusive amenities and technology to provide an upscale guest experience.

Be sure to visit BWA at Booth #1412, to see more of our exciting casino gaming and hospitality projects, and to discuss your project needs with BWA’s Native American casino gaming design experts.

In the June issue of Indian Gaming magazine, BWA’s John Hinton is featured in the 2021 Indian Gaming Tradeshow Preview: Spotlight on New Products and Services.

At this year’s tradeshow, be sure to visit BWA at Booth #1412, to see our exciting casino gaming and hospitality projects, and to discuss your project needs with BWA’s Native American casino gaming design experts

Heading to the 2021 NIGA Indian Gaming & Tradeshow Convention July 19-22? Be sure to visit BWA at Booth #1412, to see our latest exciting casino and hospitality projects, and to discuss your project needs with BWA’s Native American casino gaming design experts. This year’s event takes place at the newly opened Caesars Forum in Las Vegas. Entering its 35th year, the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention has established itself as the premier event for the Indian Gaming industry, and the figurative heartbeat of Native American success.

According to John Hinton, BWA Director of Native American Projects, even before COVID, casino floor design was becoming more open, due to interactive and alternative gaming that was already changing the gaming experience. BWA has also been helping clients see more possibilities throughout their venues, catalyzed in part by social distancing’s flexibility needs.

BWA and its most recent expansion projects at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California are among the ‘Top Tribal Treats’ featured in the current issue of Tribal Government Gaming magazine

Food offerings play a key role in the casino entertainment guest experience, and buffets are no longer business as usual. For the refresh of the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace, BWA (in conjunction with designer Tetsuo Aoyagi, of Tokyo’s MUKU Design Studio) created a buffet that showcases food preparation in a strikingly modern upscale setting, with views of nine exhibition kitchens where master chefs make a show of the culinary creative process. Unique, themed dining sections feature cool steel, warm woods, or shimmering layered glass partitions. The Bacchanal Buffet recently reopened.

CATCH, located at Aria Resort & Casino, draws from the hallmark indoor-outdoor theme of its worldwide locations, with a decidedly Las Vegas flavor. Designed by BWA in conjunction with The Rockwell Group, this ‘see-and-be-seen’ restaurant has flexible spaces that can be separated architecturally and through the use of intelligent lighting and audio components, and which serve as breathtaking backdrops for the perfect social media photo opp. The entry tunnel features a dramatic pergola filled with flowers and twinkling lights.

Travel the world (virtually) from the upscale, experiential Vista Cocktail Lounge, located at Caesars Palace Las Vegas. BWA’s design, in conjunction with Rockwell Group, features an interactive and immersive experience, with digital displays throughout the lounge displaying everything from rainstorms over Shanghai, sunset views over Dubai, and fireworks exploding over New York City. Plush leather banquettes provide comfort for taking in the show.

Upscale dining should be an experience that helps showcase the cuisine, and Carbone, at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, delivers. BWA’s design team created a celebrated concept that pays homage to the glamour, showmanship and tableside service of mid-20^th century Italian-American restaurants. The Michelin-starred restaurant features the Blue Room, with a lively atmosphere and bar, and the Red Room, with a sophisticated ambiance inspired by the Milan Opera, and a private, intimate dining room.

Event centers incorporated into well planned and designed properties can accommodate a variety of functions, while providing a comprehensive and engaging guest experience. For the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel property in Prior Lake, MN, BWA created a master plan that unified the property with an updated, cohesive, and open design. BWA also added a hotel tower expansion, retail space, bars and dining outlets, an expanded casino floor, a 21,024-SF entertainment center/showroom, and 21,000-SF of convention space.

Bringing the excitement of major gaming venues together with the natural beauty of a property can add up to a significant draw for event guests, as it has at Snoqualmie Casino. BWA worked with the Snoqualmie Tribe to realize their vision of creating a great lodge, with a fun and exciting atmosphere. Along with 11,500-SF of convention space, the property features a 50,000-SF casino and 1,000-SF of retail space, with elements the decidedly northwest flavor of its Washington state location, both inside and out.

As in-person events return, conference centers with flexible spaces that make gatherings of every size and type feel special will be essential. For the Apache Casino & Hotel in Lawton, Oklahoma, BWA designed a new 53,000-SF events center that features themes inspired by the Fort Sill Apache Tribe’s history and the local countryside. The center can be configured as a 1,200-seat showroom, ensuring no guest is more than 100 feet from the stage, or easily divisible for smaller events. Four large VIP suites provide additional functionality. BWA also created an expanded back of house to create more space for operations, training, and improved efficiency.

Did you know that ESPN’s sports betting show, The Daily Wager, comes to you from the network’s studio at the LINQ Hotel + Experience in Las Vegas, in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip? BWA designed the space, which serves as the epicenter of ESPN’s sports betting-themed content for linear, digital, and social shows. The state-of-the-art multi-studio space (opened in Fall 2020) also will play an important role in Las Vegas major sporting and marquee events, and in producing segments for ESPN’s SportsCenter.

As you browse Indian Gaming Magazine's 2021 Buyer's Guide & Directory, check out BWA's ad on page 38, featuring our recent renovations for Morongo Casino Resort & Spa. Completed in 2020, the project included Casino Gaming Floor Renovations, and multiple exciting new dining options to satisfy the tastes of a variety of guests: Splash Bar, Pink Coffee, Mozen Asian Kitchen, Good Times Café, and the Crystal Hearts Bar.

Want to know more about the project, and how BWA can help you realize the vision for your own project? Contact John Hinton, jhinton@bwaltd.com

Casino gaming operators know that today’s guests want dining options that cater to a variety of tastes, moods, and moments. For the recent expansion and remodel at Swinomish Casino & Lodge in Anacortes, WA, BWA updated a range of food service amenities, from the Bay Food Court, to fast casual and upscale restaurants, and Center Bar for craft cocktails. BWA also added a larger kitchen and increased back of house areas.

Not your dad’s sports bar: The Book, Caesars Entertainment’s sports lounge at The LINQ Las Vegas, is the latest evolution in sports books, with state-of-the-art sports betting, augmented reality, and non-gambling gaming activities geared towards younger patrons.

To appeal to the Millennial and Gen-Z demographic, BWA elevated food and beverage offerings with a wall of self-serve beer taps, and the bright and lively Sticky Chicken food truck, with fast-casual options that guests can consume while betting or watching the big game at one of The Book’s Fan Caves or various seating configurations.

In a venue the size of the Las Vegas Convention Center (one of the busiest convention centers in the world), the ability to easily navigate your way through food options and quickly return to your event is an important part of the dining experience itself.

BWA revitalized the layout and design of multi-venue food courts in the LVCC’s North Hall, South Food Hall, and the Concourse. Key issues to solve included creating a space where convention goers could select food items from various vendors and pay at one central location, and the means for patrons to circulate, select food, eat, and return to the show quickly, particularly during peak dining times.

BWA designed food and beverage venues, created comfortable and flexible seating arrangements and clear wayfinding indicators, and simplified the main circulation paths for a more intuitive user flow. The result is a more unified design aesthetic that helps users make their way through the dining experience efficiently, while easing the stress of navigating a high traffic/high turnover environment.

As casino gaming and entertainment offerings evolve to further enhance the guest experience, so are their dining options. Food halls, regional cuisine, and fresh new thinking about buffets - along with environments that make the space itself part of the draw - are key to the new dining excitement.

As part of their renovations at the Apache Casino Hotel in Lawton, OK, BWA designed the Apache Grill with elements including natural wood tones in a basket weave pattern, and basket-style light fixtures. Completed in January 2020, the design pays respect to the Fort Sill Apache Tribe’s long history of making beautiful and functional baskets.

Location IS everything (along with memorable guest experiences, of course), as illustrated by this drone shot of the Swinomish Casino and Lodge in Anacortes, Washington. BWA remodeled and expanded the existing hotel tower, taking advantage of the breathtaking views of the Swinomish Channel to the east and Padilla Bay, San Juan Islands and Mount Baker to the north. BWA also remodeled and expanded the casino floor to improve sightlines and increase gaming options, designed a new center bar, and added convention and retail space, and new dining options. The project was completed in 2019, on a fast track schedule; design through construction had to be completed in 12 months. (BWA is currently working with the tribe on carpet replacement for the event center).

Everyone at BWA, particularly Leonard and George Bergman, were saddened to learn that legendary magician and entertainer Siegfried Fischbacher passed away. He was very close to their father and BWA founder, Joel Bergman. When Joel received the HOSPY Lifetime Achievement Honoree in 2014, Siegfried and partner Roy Horn generously paid tribute to Joel for his contributions to casino design.

The three developed a lifelong friendship after Joel met them, along with a lion, while remodeling the Stardust in 1970. (Siegfried & Roy appear in the following video at 6:30).

Southern California’s tribal casinos have been in an expansion boom in recent years, with more multimillion dollar projects underway. One of the major projects completed in 2020 was the Morongo Casino Resort renovations in Cabazon. BWA's Morongo projects included Casino Gaming Floor Renovations, Splash Bar, Pink Coffee, Mozen Asian Kitchen, Good Times Café, and the Crystal Hearts Bar.

Congratulations to James Horvath, BWA Senior Vice President in his new role as 2021 President of AIA Las Vegas.

Designing for the gaming, entertainment and hospitality industries requires in-depth understanding of the functional, operational, economic and aesthetic considerations behind each. With more than a quarter-century experience with every project type, BWA has helped clients plan, design and renovate the projects that have kept their properties on the map as destinations of choice.

From the moment guests arrive, their experience is BWA’s responsibility—from configuring access to the property to setting the ambiance and creating moments that enhance their enjoyment and bring them back again.

Casino Style Magazine, BWA talks about the process the firm undertook to transform the tent structure of the Apache Casino Hotel in Lawton, Oklahoma into a permanent facility. Completed in early 2020, the renovated property houses casino gaming operations and a variety of exciting new amenities that elevate the guest experience.

Bergman Walls & Associates (in conjunction with Kenneth Ussenko Design) recently completed a number of renovations at Morongo Casino Resort, including a casino floor expansion that increased the size of the gaming floor by 30%, and added new slots and table games, along with several new restaurants and bars.

Among Bergman Walls & Associates’ recent renovation work at Morongo Casino Resort is Mozen Asian Kitchen (in conjunction with Kenneth Ussenko Design). The restaurant, designed as an indoor/outdoor style environment, features dining spaces with beautifully detailed paneled walls, fabrics and textures inspired by the Far East, and a ‘street side’ canopied bar.

Photos by John Thomas Photography/Courtesy of Yates Construction.

Pink Coffee is among the recent renovations by Bergman Walls & Associates (in conjunction with Kenneth Ussenko Design) for Morongo Casino Resort. The bright, playful, Parisian street café inspired space features signature roast coffees, pastries, housemade gelato, and other refreshments.

Morongo Casino Resorts’ Crystal Hearts lounge, designed by Bergman Walls Associates (in conjunction with Kenneth Ussenko Design), is among the renovations BWA completed earlier this year at the property. Located in the heart of the casino near the blackjack tables and high-limit slots, the high-style bar feature signature cocktails and rare liquors.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, Southern California casinos have marked a year of growth, with several moving forward with construction projects and expansions, and openings of new amenities. Among them is Morongo Casino Resort in Cabazon. Bergman Walls & Associates recently completed renovations for Morongo include Casino Gaming Floor Renovations, Mozen Asian Kitchen, Good Times Café, Pink Coffee, Crystal Hearts Bar, and the Splash Bar.

BWA Vice President and AIA Las Vegas President-elect James Horvath, AIA, was a recent guest on AIA LV’s Allied Member virtual event “Coffee with an Architect”. James answered questions and shared his observations and insights on how hospitality design firms and their clients are weathering pandemic-related challenges.

In October 2020's Indian Gaming magazine, BWA's John Hinton shares his insights regarding amenities tribes can re-imagine or add to safely draw patrons to their properties, and to create new revenue generation opportunities during the pandemic and beyond.