Rivers Casino Philadelphia Plans Luxury Hotel

Article ByDavid Weir

July 12, 2023

Spread the Word:

Posted in: Pennsylvania Gambling News, US Casino News

Rivers Casino Philadelphia has announced its intention to open a boutique luxury hotel, Riversuites at The Battery, in the Fishtown neighborhood. It’s just a few minutes walk along the river from the casino.

The 62-room hotel is expected to open by the end of 2023 at a projected construction cost of $7 million.

It will be part of the wider redevelopment project at the 11-acre site known as The Battery, which aims to give new life to a disused former power plant site.

Rivers Philadelphia operator Rush Street Gaming has partnered with Lubert-Adler, a Pennsylvania-based property development firm, to build its hotel at The Battery.

“A hotel addition for Rivers Casino Philadelphia has always been part of the master plan for our Fishtown property,” Rivers Casino and Rush Street Gaming CEO Tim Drehkoff said in a joint press release.

 “The location and grandeur of The Battery allowed us to join a neighboring parcel, already in progress, with historic Philly significance.”

Mixed Use Redevelopment

The hotel will occupy four floors of The Battery’s existing adaptive reuse complex, offering a unique waterfront experience.

The hotel’s 62 rooms promise to fit high-end specs, with suites averaging 854 square feet and some even larger, up to 2,266 square feet. The suites will include full kitchens, and some will feature patios or bi-level lofts.

Most of the rooms will offer “unobstructed views of the Delaware River, (extending) well beyond the Pennsylvania and New Jersey shorelines, past the Ben Franklin Bridge,” according to the press release.

Lubert-Adler bought the former Philadelphia Electric Company power plant in 2015 from local real estate mogul Bart Blatstein, operator of one of America’s largest indoor arcades.

The plant closed when it was decommissioned in 2008. As well as the casino’s new hotel, it will soon host a mixed-use redevelopment, including office space, event facilities, and private residences.

Architectural Stunners

In addition to its proximity to Fishtown and the casino, the Riversuites hotel will offer a range of amenities.

That includes coworking areas, lobby gathering spaces, a billiards table, and an indoor basketball court.

The Battery, described as an “architectural stunner,” was designed in Beaux-Arts classical revival style by prestigious Philly architect John Windrim.

Formerly the Delaware Power Station, the 11-acre complex was commissioned as a PECO power plant in the early 1900s. Today, it is a $154 million redevelopment initiative by its Philadelphia-based owner, Lubert-Adler Real Estate Funds.

“VIPs and out-of-town guests have long inquired about overnight stays at Rivers Casino Philadelphia, and they’re about to get a penthouse-style option,” said Eric Althaus, general manager of the casino.

“We’re thrilled to introduce this entirely unexpected luxury suites collection that’s exclusive to Rivers Philly.”

The hotel project is expected to add more than 40 permanent hospitality jobs to the casino’s existing workforce of more than 1,100 people.

Rivers Philadelphia was the first casino in the city when it opened its doors under the name of SugarHouse Casino in 2010. In 2019, Rush Street Gaming purchased the venue and remodeled under its Rivers brand.