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One of the world’s most profitable casinos is also one of the newest, tucked away on a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean.
    
Only 12.5 miles long and less than six miles wide, Saipan is the principal island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, a U.S. territory.
    
The Best Sunshine Live casino, which opened on the island in 2015, is only a temporary facility with just a handful of VIP tables. It doesn’t even have a hotel. But according to reports, the gaming hall already ranks No. 4 in the world for VIP rolling chip revenue, a figure based on turnover of about $2 billion a month.
    
With that level of patronage and success, Hong Kong-listed Best Sunshine International, a subsidiary of Imperial Pacific International, is comfortable investing a total of $3.1 billion in an opulent permanent resort, with Phase I set to open in early 2017, just in time to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
    
The lavish integrated resort on Saipan’s western coast promises an atmosphere of unsurpassed elegance. It will include regal façade treatments reminiscent of the grand palaces of Paris, with crystal dragons standing guard in the grand lobby. The casino, with up to 300 gaming tables and 400 slot machines, will feature towering golden columns and gilded stone panels. Sky-lit gaming balconies will overlook the formal garden seascape.
    
The natural surroundings are just as impressive. Saipan is a true tropical paradise, formed by a rising coral reef with soft white-sand beaches, crystal-blue water and a balmy climate (with air and water temperatures of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit year-round).
    
The island is also less than five hours by air from most major cities on the Chinese mainland, and to make it even easier for inbound visitors, the territory allows 45 days of visa-on-arrival entry for Chinese tourists.
    
To date, most of Best Sunshine’s direct VIP patrons hail from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Korea and Saipan, the company has stated. Imagine what will happen when they can actually check in for the night.

Owner: Imperial Pacific Holdings
Architect: Steelman Partners
Total Area: 140,000 sq. meters (35 acres)
General Contractor: Sundt/Yates JV
Investment: $3.1 billion

When Steve Wynn conceived of a new property in Macau’s Cotai region more than six years ago, later dubbed Wynn Palace, the SAR was running strong with no signs of a pullback. VIPs were arriving en masse and Wynn had a corner on many of the good ones at his existing properties, Wynn Macau and Encore Macau. The growth of the mass market was encouraging but not crucial in the face of the healthy VIP segment.
    
And then it all changed. A Chinese economic downturn followed by a crackdown on corruption made a visit to Macau risky, leading to two years of decreasing revenues. Suddenly, a $4 billion investment seemed risky too. But the design was set in stone. And this year’s opening of Wynn Palace was probably the most glittering seen in Macau in several years, unlikely to be rivaled in the near future.
    
Dedicated to art with a floral design, Wynn Palace has the signature of a Wynn development:
    
• Performance lake and fountain show. Eight acres of water with almost 1,200 jets send more than 8 million gallons of water into the air. With more than a dozen intricately choreographed musical shows, the fountains dance to a diverse program of Chinese, European and American songs, operatic arias and musical numbers. Guests can view the shows and enter the heart of the resort via dramatic “Sky Cabs” that travel more than 90 feet above the lake.
    
• Floral sculptures. Guests are welcomed at two major entrances to the resort with two massive floral sculptures, one of a carousel, the other of a Ferris wheel. Each is fabricated from 100,000 real flowers and moves in time to music. The sculptures are custom-made by renowned flower designer Preston Bailey.

• Art, art, art. An investment of more that $125 million has brought thousands of pieces of art for view by visitors to Wynn Palace. Of particular interest is Wynn’s effort to bring Chinese artwork home, including four rare Qing Dynasty vases that are among the finest examples of chinoiserie in the world. The only other such quartet is at Buckingham Palace in London.
    
• Amazing amenities. Wynn’s lead designer, Roger Thomas, outdid himself with the Wing Lei Palace, a spectacular example of restaurant design overlooking the performance lake. More than 1,700 rooms, suites and villas echo Wynn’s focus on luxury. And the spa, Macau’s largest, features 22 treatment rooms alongside the pool and poolside restaurant nestled next to the lake.
    
• Shopping. Like all integrated resorts in Macau, Wynn has shopping—1,850 square meters of shopping. Unlike any other mall, the Wynn Palace Esplanade features 50 of the most renowned names in retail.
    
But Wynn says the luxury he designs into his resorts only works when you have the best service to complement the amenities.
    
“To be the prettiest hotel in the world frankly is something that money and good taste can buy,” Wynn says. “But to be the best hotel is something else altogether. In any hospitality business there are only two words that matter—guest experience. All the rest is irrelevant. All the marble and the crystal chandeliers, all the wonderful good taste that has been put into this building is dedicated to that one thing.
    
“It took six-and-a-half years to design this magnificent building, and yes, the name on the sign is Wynn Palace. But tonight this becomes the palace of the people who work here, and it is they who will make this the best hotel in the world.”

There’s something about being first. People remember Neil Armstrong as the first man on the moon. Few remember who was second. People know Richie Havens opened up Woodstock. Does anybody know who followed Havens?
    
Neither do we.
    
Plainridge Park Casino opened in June 2015 as the first casino in Massachusetts. Working with Penn National Gaming, Turner Construction Company and JCJ Architecture designed and built the $250 million complex ahead of other proposed gaming developments.
    

The expanded racetrack features 44,000 square feet of gaming space with 1,500 slot machines and electronic tables along with live and simulcast horse racing.
    
But Plainridge is more than a place to make a bet. It has live music, upscale casual dining, and the first-ever Doug Flutie Sports Bar, named after the former Boston College and Patriots quarterback. A 1,100-space parking garage completes the complex.
    
First built in the late ’90s, Plainridge began as an undistinguished two-story steel and metal structure. It was important to seamlessly integrate racing with the casino, says architect James T. Murphy, project manager and director of risk management for JCJ Architecture.
    
“To that end, there’s a single entrance for all patrons. And the existing building is no longer all racing. The first-level track-side has upgraded finishes for track customers. The second-level trackside is now a banquet/multi-use facility that can accommodate up to 500 people.”
    
JCJ upgraded the second-level Simulcast Theater to accommodate family dining, while converting the first-level simulcast into Slacks Oyster House and Grill.
    
Because the original building was nondescript, JCJ created a unified identity and appearance. “It got a facelift,” says Murphy. “By applying finishes, colors and textures of the new onto the existing building, there’s a visual relationship between the two. The exterior expresses a clean and contemporary geometry, inspired by the site’s previous use as a rock quarry. By using stone to highlight each stair tower and by providing a sleek horizontal façade, the exterior has a distinctive, modern expression.”
    
The design incorporates sustainable features including a broad array of solar panels which contributed to an LEED Gold certification. Storm water discharge is accommodated on-site and does not run off the property. In addition, Plainridge contains over 20 charging stations for electric vehicles.
   
The casino also references Flutie’s hometown-hero status with a display of memorabilia. “To honor a very local and specific point of pride brings a special regional touch to the facility, creating a strong connection for first-timers or repeat guests,” Murphy says.

Owner: Penn National Gaming
Architect: JCJ Architecture
Builder: Turner Construction Company 
Investment: $250 million

The most luxurious accommodations at the new Crown Towers Perth will set you back a bit.
    
“You’re looking at about $20,000 to stay at the top villa,” Crown Ltd. CEO Barry Felstead says of the lavish six-star hotel tower, on track for a December opening.
    
Crown Towers aspires to be not just the finest hotel in Perth, but the tallest in the city and the most opulent in Australia. The $568 million, 25-story structure will add 500 new rooms to the complex, for a total of 1,200.
    
Amenities will include a new VIP gaming hall, a full-service spa, a business center and convention complex, and abundant retail and dining options. The latter will include internationally renowned brands such as Nobu, Silks, Bistro Guillaume, Rockpool and Epicurean.
    
YWS Design, which is the lead building designer of Crown Towers Perth, is leading more than 20 design and consulting firms in delivering this world class integrated resort. The look is truly luxe. The tower’s architectural aesthetic is one of contemporary elegance. It all starts at the dramatic podium. Arriving guests are greeted by a series of seven-meter-high glass wall panels and stone columns. The distinctive aesthetic continues in the lobby, where an atrium, skylights and expanses of glass bring in abundant light and picturesque views.
    
A multi-tiered pool area will be a relaxing retreat for guests, who can enjoy luxury cabanas and a cocktail bar surrounding a circular infinity pool. Large outdoor patios and cantilevered roofs will offer shade and protection.
    
With event spaces such as the Great Lawn and the palatial Crown Ballroom, Crown Towers Perth “will surpass even the most seasoned traveler’s expectations,” according to a statement from Crown.
    
Felstead goes a step further, saying the hotel tower overlooking the Swan River will be “the best hotel in Australia, there is no doubt.
    
“It will be absolutely magnificent.”

Owner-Operator: Crown Ltd.
Designer: YWS Design
Builder: Brookfield Multiplex
Materials: 2,500 tons of steel
Investment: $568 million

Last summer, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma broke ground on a comprehensive expansion and renovation of its Choctaw Grant Casino Resort in the community of Grant. On August 18, tribal leaders and state and local officials turned the first shovels for the project, to be designed and built by the Hnedak Bobo Group (HBG).
   
The project will improve the resort’s existing operation and alleviate traffic while adding exciting new amenities.
   
The expansion includes:

• A new 96-room hotel tower featuring 23 luxury suites;
• A new lobby and check-in that will create an enhanced arrival experience for hotel guests, with a sundry, valet, bellhop and business center;
• An expanded swimming pool and outdoor bar nestled in a tropical garden;
• An exclusive new poker room and 125 new slot machines; and,
• Food and beverage options including a new 155-seat bar and grill; an expansion of the popular Firehouse Buffet; and a  convenient new grab-and-go coffee shop.

HBG designers coined the term “refined rustic” to describe the design approach. At once contemporary, edgy and pastoral, the concept builds on the Choctaw brand’s warm color palette as well as the existing property’s transitional styling, natural textures and materials and wood accents.
   
The designers also drew inspiration from the Oklahoma landscape: grain stalks blowing in the fields, the vast open sky, and a natural palette of deeply contrasting colors. The team was especially taken with the shape and texture of the area’s weather-worn grain silos.
    
The aged structures have a timeless, iconic aesthetic that combines wood and metal in a multitude of patterns, textures and patinas. This raw materiality within a distinctive contemporary form creates visual interest and consistency among new and existing building elements.
    
“Choctaw red” color accents throughout the resort will further reinforce the brand.
    
The resort will remain open throughout construction, which is expected to be complete in June 2017.

Owner-Operator: Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Architect/Interior Designer: Hnedak Bobo Group (HBG)
Employment: Estimated 80 new jobs
Investment: $50 million