Opening date December 8, 2016 Casino type Land-based | No. of rooms 308 | |
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Location National Harbor, Maryland Total gaming space 135,000 sq ft (12,500 m) Owner MGM Resorts International | ||
MGM National Harbor is a US$1.4 billion resort in National Harbor, Maryland. The resort opened on December 8, 2016, and is operated by MGM Resorts International.
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Location
MGM National Harbor is situated on 23 acres near Interstate 495 and north of National Harbor's waterfront district. It is located near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and approximately 10 miles (16 km) from Washington, D.C.
History
MGM Resorts International received a license in December 2013 to develop a US$925 million resort (later increased to US$1.2 billion) in National Harbor. The company received the license after competing with bids from Penn National Gaming to develop a US$700 million facility at its Rosecroft Raceway and Greenwood Racing to develop a US$761 million facility near Maryland Route 210.
Construction on MGM National Harbor began in April 2014, and opened on December 8, 2016. Doors officially opened after 10:30 p.m., 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled time. Within an hour, almost every seat on the gaming floor was filled.
Design
The white exterior of the building is in keeping with the marble used in many of the buildings in Washington DC. The organization of the casino is along a central axis, similar to the arrangement for the National Mall. The design was provided by HKS, Inc. while the architect of record for the project is SmithGroupJJR.
Legal Actions
In April 2015 the MGM casino was sued by a group of Prince George’s County businesses who claimed the casino didn't comply with minority-business contracting standards.
Features
MGM National Harbor includes a 23-story hotel with 308 rooms, 135,000 square feet (12,500 m2) in gaming space, retail space, a spa, seven restaurants, a 3,000-seat theater with seven VIP suites, 27,000 square feet (2,500 m2) of meeting and event space, and a parking garage for 4,800 cars. Hotel room rates begin at $299. A total of 4,000 employees work at this location.
The gaming space features 126 table games, 3,300 slot machines and a poker room with 39 tables. An Asian gaming pit features 16 Macau-style baccarat tables, a high-limit lounge, and two luxury lounges named Felt and Blossom. The latter, named after an annually blooming flower, is open 24 hours.
The resort's public spaces feature a permanent collection of art inspired by the Washington metropolitan area and developed in collaboration with Prince George's County Arts and Humanities Council, Atlantic Arts, and RareCulture. Artists, sculptors, and photographers featured in the collection include Alice Aycock, Charles Hinman, Chul Hyun Ahn, John Safer, Liao Yibai, Margaret Boozer, Martha Jackson Jarvis, Sam Gilliam, and Terry O'Neill. The west entrance to the facility features a 25 foot by 15 foot iron archway composed of "found objects" such as farming tools, children's toys, wheels and axes designed by Bob Dylan.
On December 18, 2016 the 66th edition of the Miss World pageant was held at the resort theatre.