April 25, 2017
ilani : What Happens in Ridgefield — Stays in Ridgefield
From the moment you step in through the large glass doors it's very clear, "We're not in Kansas... err Ridgefield anymore Todo." Welcome to ilani!
The New ilani in Ridgefield, Wa: a massive curved structure embraces guests on opening day.
Parking at ilani - on the left is one of a few (4 at least) Electric Vehicle Charging/Parking stations and the right is the directional Parking Lot sign, as you can see the sign is a bit small.
An exterior view of the Self-Parking entrance. Luckily this huge awning kept everyone dry while they waited :)
The House Rules - posted just inside the breezeway between the large sets of glass doors.
ilani interior map. These can be found on the electronic kiosks located immediately inside the two main entryways just in front of the gaming floor. You may want to take a picture as these are the only two locations where you can find them.
Self-Parking Entryway: Opening Day lines for Momentum Rewards. ilani's member rewards program.
Overhead Lighting Fixtures (beyond a chandelier) above each main entrance. The art overhead is so breath-taking we almost forgot to look down... and find even more great art.
Quick peek into Marshall Rousso at ilani
Just some of the many items and souvenirs available at The Cowlitz Trading Post. We really liked the rain jackets :)
The Michael Jordan's Steakhouse Storefront. On opening day there was quite the line, but with good reason! We loved this signage and the adjacent texture wall.
The opening day line. Passing bye and smelling without tasting - was probably the hardest thing we'll do this week. We're making plans to come back very soon!
The very cool texture wall on the MJ Steakhouse Storefront. This was actually pretty easy to miss because the storefront was so large and had so many interesting elements (like giant chrome orbs). We love this accent!
Line & Lure Seafood Kitchen and Tap Sign
Line and Lure Interior Hostess Station
The Market: A shared café area servicing Smashburger, Butcher + Baker, I.TALIA, Chef Jet and the local Coffee Shop.
Coffee Shop adjacent to The Market
Muse: The Stage area is looking ready to rock!
MUSE: A very neat divider wall
A Native American Photo Collage detailing Cowlitz Tribe members. This photo-collage stretched along both sides of the Valet Entrance and were beautiful to look at and offered a very valuable glimpse into local history.
Valet Entry w/ Threshold Map Mosaic and a view of the gaming floor.
Cowlitz Threshold Map Mosaic
Seashell Mobiles above the gaming floor
Very interesting lighting fixtures above the gaming floor. We found these to be quite beautiful in construction and presentation. Those well lit coffered ceilings are working well in this space!
Many of these columns can be found throughout the gaming floor. We really enjoyed the angular forms and warm lighting found here, almost relaxing to look at :)
"It's called ilani and it's like nothing else."
ilani (pronounced: å - luhn - å) is a partnership between Salishan-Mohegan LLC in collaboration with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. A fruitful partnership that spans the country; the Mohegan tribe in Connecticut partnered with the Cowlitz tribe of Washington to open the casino. We went for a quick visit on opening day (Monday 4.24.2017) to check it out. Recap below :) The New ilani in Ridgefield, Wa: a massive curved structure embraces guests on opening day.Parking
Parking was very easy, the broad roadways (mostly double-lanes at least) round-a-bouts and unobstructed views made it very easy to navigate. We didn't know where we were going, but it felt like we had plenty of time to figure it out because there wasn't a ton beside the roadway. The signage was pretty straightforward and there were (probably will be for a while) plenty of personnel directing traffic and answering questions. The only issue we had was finding our car again (actually kind of tough). The light-posts have the standard tiny sign with what appear to be battleship coordinates (J-7 and the like) but what wasn't standard is the grid with which these coordinates... well... coordinate. The take-away is that the parking lot grid isn't a grid, it's definitely a polygon. This isn't a major issue - unless it's cold and raining and you're trapped in a never-ending search for your car amongst 2,999 others. It's not likely - but hey, it could happen. Another big plus we noticed here was the up-front parking for Electric Vehicles, pretty cool and very eco-friendly! Parking at ilani - on the left is one of a few (4 at least) Electric Vehicle Charging/Parking stations and the right is the directional Parking Lot sign, as you can see the sign is a bit small. An exterior view of the Self-Parking entrance. Luckily this huge awning kept everyone dry while they waited :)Entrance
There are two main entrances to ilani, a valet parking and a self parking entrance. Both entrances are large enough to accompany even the opening crowds as well as feature some great works of art. The breezeways offer posted house rules detailing what is allowed on premises, but very easy to miss as the allure of the gaming floor looms heavy on the horizon. From inside it feels as if you've been transported to Las Vegas. Everything in view lends itself to the thought. A 100,00 Square Foot Gaming Floor (with 2,500 Slot Machines and 75 table games) rests at the center of the space with 15 dining and drinking venues and 3 individual retail spaces line the perimeter. The House Rules - posted just inside the breezeway between the large sets of glass doors. ilani interior map. These can be found on the electronic kiosks located immediately inside the two main entryways just in front of the gaming floor. You may want to take a picture as these are the only two locations where you can find them. Self-Parking Entryway: Opening Day lines for Momentum Rewards. ilani's member rewards program. Overhead Lighting Fixtures (beyond a chandelier) above each main entrance. The art overhead is so breath-taking we almost forgot to look down... and find even more great art. Quick peek into Marshall Rousso at ilani Just some of the many items and souvenirs available at The Cowlitz Trading Post. We really liked the rain jackets :)Food + Beverage
The big highlights in Food and Beverage are Michael Jordan's Steakhouse and also Line and Lure Seafood Kitchen + Tap. These - for us - were two really clear and exciting choices, but there really are a lot of winners here. Mainly - anyone with a stomach :D The Michael Jordan's Steakhouse Storefront. On opening day there was quite the line, but with good reason! We loved this signage and the adjacent texture wall. The opening day line. Passing bye and smelling without tasting - was probably the hardest thing we'll do this week. We're making plans to come back very soon! The very cool texture wall on the MJ Steakhouse Storefront. This was actually pretty easy to miss because the storefront was so large and had so many interesting elements (like giant chrome orbs). We love this accent! Line & Lure Seafood Kitchen and Tap Sign Line and Lure Interior Hostess Station The Market: A shared café area servicing Smashburger, Butcher + Baker, I.TALIA, Chef Jet and the local Coffee Shop. Coffee Shop adjacent to The MarketEntertainment
The line-up is still evolving, but it's pretty apparent that MUSE - an excellent looking bar - will offer up some of the best live entertainment in the area. We thought one of the coolest additions to this space were the couches separating the dance floor and seating area of the concert venue along with the interesting divider walls surrounding it. Muse: The Stage area is looking ready to rock! MUSE: A very neat divider wallArt + Architecture
The clear highlight of our visit to this wonderful new establishment was the Art + Architecture. Not only is this 'brand-spankin'-new, state-of-the-art $510,000,000 building' equipped with all of the cool new stuff you'd expect (you know, electronic billboards and self-help computer kiosks) but it actually featured the past as well. We can only imagine this was top of mind for the Native Cowlitz Tribe - because it really shows in all the details. Bright lights and exciting gaming were definitely placed front and center for all to enjoy, but that atmosphere was completely encompassed by a sense of culture. The entrances are some of the easiest places to find history here. A Native American Photo Collage detailing Cowlitz Tribe members. This photo-collage stretched along both sides of the Valet Entrance and were beautiful to look at and offered a very valuable glimpse into local history. Valet Entry w/ Threshold Map Mosaic and a view of the gaming floor. Cowlitz Threshold Map Mosaic Seashell Mobiles above the gaming floor Very interesting lighting fixtures above the gaming floor. We found these to be quite beautiful in construction and presentation. Those well lit coffered ceilings are working well in this space! Many of these columns can be found throughout the gaming floor. We really enjoyed the angular forms and warm lighting found here, almost relaxing to look at :)
