Brought in 97,830 visitors to the Gulf Coast in 2024
When the 32-story Beau Rivage Resort & Casino was built 26 years ago, there were some who were dubious that there would be enough customers to justify the $750-million building—the tallest and largest building in the state that still holds the record for the most expensive construction project in the state’s history.
“People thought Steve Wynn, who built the Beau Rivage, was making a huge gamble,” said Beau Rivage Director of Communications, Mary Cracchiolo. “The gamble paid off with the Beau doing even better than expected with revenues and occupancy. We have a lot of seasoned employees who understand this market. It is a regional market but a nationwide destination. Now, 26 years later, not only did we survive, but we are thriving doing better than ever in the history of the company. It has been really great. It is a wonderful story.”
The plan was never to be just a local’s casino. Today the Beau Rivage, owned by MGM Resorts International, has a nationwide reach probably few people imagined possible in 1999.
“Our MGMAir program provides air service from the East Coast and the MidWest,” said Cracchiolo. “That program has evolved to be a key part of our business. We started with a handful of markets 26 years ago to flying to 91 cities in 2024. Partnering with Sun Country, we are flying people in from all over. Any given night, people from seven cities are on the property. We sell packages all over. We brought in nearly 100,000 people in the past year. It has been a good thing for this property and the Mississippi Gulf Coast to tap people from long distances away.
“People love it down here. The Beau has been great for tourism and economic development. People come for the Beau Rivage attractions but also like the baseball games across the street, great restaurants and many other attractions. Visitors like to go over to Bay St. Louis and Ocean Springs.”
Long known for outstanding entertainment, the Beau Rivage did popular Broadway shows this summer and in 2024. The recent 18-show engagement Grease was sold out.
And MGM has continued to invest in the property that has outstanding views from nearly every hotel room. About $130 million has been invested in capital projects in the past few years including $55 million for remodeling rooms and converting rooms to suites.
“When we opened up, we were a large resort but learned we didn’t have enough suites,” said Cracchiolo. “We have slowly, steadily been adding suites and Beau Rivage currently has 1,727 rooms including 1,619 standard rooms and 108 suites. We redid the buffet, added a state-of the-art poker room and a noodle bar in Jia, our Asian restaurant. We have made enhancements to the gaming floor. All the carpet has been replaced in the three-million-square-foot facility.”
The past few years, there have been more construction projects at the Beau than all previous years compared.
Cracchiolo said it was a lot of fun celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2024, looking back to reflect on the impact with employees, vendors and loyal guests who love the Gulf Coast and love the Beau.
“Not only did we make it 25 years, but we figured out how to keep people coming back,” she said. “The gaming floor has new machines, new lighting, new awnings and new carpet. And more enhancements are coming to the high-limit area. We are proud of the product we offer. December used to be a slower month but has evolved to become a holiday destination draw. We offer a lot of activities. People come from all over the country to enjoy the holidays in Gulfport.”
While Covid was a challenge, Mississippi opened up earlier than some other states. People wanted to stay closer to home, and felt comfortable with the precautions taken at the resort.
“During Covid, we saw more people trying us out, coming to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and really liking it,” she said. “People weren’t traveling internationally or cross country, and wanted to go somewhere with beaches and open air.”
While the BP oil spill was another big disruptor, the Beau Rivage and The Nature Conservancy used a settlement from BP for the Save Our Shells project to help restore the oyster shell beds destroyed by the oil spill. In 2022, 45,000 pounds of oyster shells were trucked in from the MGM properties in Vegas. Recently the Beau opened Coraline’s, which specializes in seafood, and currently the restaurant provides about 3,000 pounds of month of oyster shells that are used to replenish the reefs.
“There are currently 13 restaurants involved with more being added,” said Cracchiolo. “The shells are saved from going into a landfill and are being used to replenish oyster reefs that are not only good for oyster production, but also help prevent erosion and improve water quality. It is important for the ecology of the whole Gulf Coast. The seafood industry is a tough industry. We are trying to keep jobs and the seafood industry on the Coast. We are super proud of that very innovative program.”