A NEW CHAPTER IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: Folling a three-year, casino-wide transformation, Tulalip is bigger, bolder and filled with new ways to play, dine, relax and enjoy an enhanced resort experience
By Lisa Robertson-Dziedzic
Marci Fryberg, president and COO of the Tulalip Gaming Organization, oversees Tulalip Resort Casino, one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier casino resort destinations. Located about 30 minutes north of Seattle, the property features a 12-story, 370- room hotel, a sprawling casino, multiple restaurants and bars, entertainment venues, a 14,000-square-foot T-Spa and convenient access to Seattle Premium Outlets.
The resort recently completed a three-year, casino-wide transformation—the most significant financial commitment to its gaming facilities since opening in 2003.The project added more than 400 slot machines to bring the gaming floor to more than 2,600 games, and introduced new food and beverage options and guest amenities. Among the highlights are the dramatic 38-foot Center Bar, new North Bar, renovated High-Limit Slots Room and refreshed casino and resort spaces.
The transformation also places a strong emphasis on the culture and heritage of the Tulalip Tribes, incorporating design elements inspired by the Salish Sea, coastal shorelines and Pacific Northwest forests. Tulalip Resort Casino has earned the AAA Four-Diamond designation for 18 consecutive years, and the latest expansion and renovation marks an exciting new chapter for the property.
Strictly Slots had the opportunity to ask Fryberg a few questions about the ambitious project, the guest experience and what’s new at Tulalip Resort Casino.
SS: What are you most excited for guests to see, experience and discover in the newly transformed property?
MF: There are so many things we’re excited for our guests to see and experience now that the renovation and expansion of Tulalip Resort Casino is complete. We have dramatically expanded the casino by 35%, which provides our guests with added gaming floor experiences, new food and beverage choices and fresh amenities. The spectacular Center Bar, new North Bar and renovated High-Limit Slots Room are all standout features. Guests also will notice the new design themes that seamlessly link the North expansion with the original casino floor, creating an immersive, casino-wide experience that also honors the culture and heritage of the Tulalip Tribes.
What can players expect from the expanded gaming floor, and are there any new games or features you’re especially excited about?
Our guests can expect more of what they love thanks to this expansion. With new conveniently located amenities, new game titles and proven classics, and surrounded by dramatic, floor-to-ceiling design elements, our guests are enjoying more player-friendly comforts and gaming variety. We are constantly on the lookout to introduce fresh slots titles. Earlier this year, we were the first casino in Washington to introduce Konami Class II slots, with a mix of Konami’s hit game themes and titles. We also offer a mix of fresh featured slots including Bank Buster Buffalo, Forbidden Jewels Cash Claw, Fu Fu Dragon Sun and Jumanji Next Level, to name a few.
The new Center Bar is certainly hard to miss! What was the inspiration behind this dramatic centerpiece, and what did you want guests to feel when they gather there?
Guests are raving about the Center Bar. Beyond its beauty and grandeur, our goal was to create a welcoming place where guests can rendezvous with friends, relax and plan what’s next—more gaming, taking in a show in the Orca Ballroom or Canoes Cabaret, or grabbing a bite to eat at one of our fabulous restaurants. This truly is a showcase bar, standing 38 feet tall and surrounded by comfortable seating for up to 60 people. It’s a distinctive landmark easily seen from nearly every vantage point on the casino floor.
The property draws inspiration from the Salish Sea and Pacific Northwest. How did you weave Tulalip culture and traditions into the guest experience?
We set out to honor the Tulalip Tribes’ culture and traditions, and the renovation sets a welcoming tone with its rich palate of colors and use of natural materials. Design themes represent the dynamics of the nearby Salish Sea, coastal shorelines and forest environments. The prominent ceiling treatment includes a distinctive wayfinding architectural feature symbolic of a water current with other elements representing schools of fish travelling parallel to fishing nets, and elements representing ripples, piers, nets, forage fish and jellyfish. I think guests will find both beauty and a unique story in the design.
Food is such an important part of the casino resort experience. With upgrades to several restaurants and the addition of Salish Sweets, what are some of the new or refreshed dining experiences visitors shouldn’t miss?
You’re absolutely right, guests should not miss Salish Sweets, our new gourmet local ice cream shop. It takes ice cream treats to a whole other level, with decadent cones and sundaes straight out of Instagram or a magazine photo shoot. The striking new North Bar serves a variety of cocktails, wines and craft beers, and provides access to an outdoor covered patio complete with seating and outdoor smoking area. The renovation also included casino floor-facing design upgrades to our award- winning restaurants, including Blackfish Wild Salmon Grill & Bar, Tula Bene Pastaria + Chophouse and Journeys East.
Tulalip has earned the AAA Four-Diamond designation for 18 consecutive years. After such a major renovation, what did you want to preserve about the guest experience?
We are honored to be the only resort casino in Washington to have consistently earned AAA’s Four Diamond designation for nearly two decades, and it’s a privilege to provide the kind of service to our guests required to maintain such a distinction. The combined expansion and renovation represents the most significant financial commitment to our gaming facilities since we opened in 2003. Our goal is always focused on delivering an unparalleled guest experience each day and far into the future.
For someone planning a weekend getaway, what does the ideal Tulalip weekend getaway look like, beyond the gaming floor?
There is so much to see and do here, guests can build all types of getaways depending on their mood. To start, I suggest looking at your calendar. If your schedule permits, check out upcoming shows in the Orca Ballroom, Canoes Cabaret or Tulalip Amphitheatre. A one or two night stay in one of our luxurious rooms or suites is a must, with dinner reservations at award-winning Blackfish or Tula Bene Pastaria + Chophouse. After some gaming excitement, book a rejuvenating massage in our popular 14,000-square-foot T-Spa. A little “retail therapy” may be in order just next door at Seattle Premium Outlets with its line-up of 130 designer brand stores. I also highly recommend a visit to the nearby The Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve, where the history, cultural values and spiritual beliefs of the Tulalip Tribes are showcased.
When you personally walk through the newly renovated property, what’s the one thing that makes you stop and think, “This was worth it”?
Every day, I step through the doors and just think, “Yes! Look at this place!” From the moment you step through the new entrances, it is evident that years of thoughtful planning and hard work by our team exceeded our goal to provide an unparalleled guest experience. And based on guest responses already, they agree, and have shared our excitement as each element or phase in the process has been revealed.
