Mohegan Sun officially unveils second hotel

Mohegan Sun's 400-room, 242,000 square-foot $139 million Earth Tower, celebrated its grand opening this morning with a special ribbon cutting event. Mohegan Sun President and General Manager, Ray Pineault and Mohegan Tribal Chairman, Kevin Brown "Red Eagle," kicked the ceremony off by thanking all of the men and women who worked diligently over the last year and a half to design and construct a truly beautiful addition to Mohegan Sun's property.

A second hotel at Mohegan Sun's flagship destination was something that both the Mohegan Tribal Council and Mohegan Sun Senior Leadership have long anticipated since putting original plans on hold back in 2008 due the economic downturn. Chairman Brown spoke to those hard decisions as well as the impact that this long awaited second hotel has already had, stating, "For us, this new hotel does represent the ability to have more room nights and stays, right here at the casino and that has already, just in these early days, proven itself out with the demand that has been placed on this new hotel. But it's also important to the state, because it represents the 2,000 jobs as this went through the construction phase and represents 200 permanent jobs, as we extend our team members, into this facility, and keep it up and running."

To help usher in the new hotel and speak to the importance of the strong relationship between Mohegan Sun and the State of Connecticut, additional special guests included Governor Malloy, Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman, Senator Richard Blumenthal and Congressman Joe Courtney.

U.S. State Senator Richard Blumenthal concluded his remarks by stating, "In Washington, when I talk to colleagues about what is happening to the Native American tribes in their state, they look, with reverence and some envy, at what you have done here. It is a great American success story, not just in dollars and cents, not just in spectacular building, or in entertainment and enjoyment that you have brought to countless people, but in the triumph of hope, and vision over obstacles, that would have deterred others."