Penn Entertainment sets June opening for Hollywood Casino Columbus hotel debut

Pwnn Entertainment says guests will soon be able to book stays at a long-awaited hotel addition rising next to Hollywood Casino Columbus, a project the company hopes will transform the property into a fuller entertainment destination.
Company officials announced that the new hotel tower is scheduled to open June 12, assuming final regulatory approvals move forward as expected. The addition brings a 203-room hotel to the west side Columbus casino complex and represents one of the largest upgrades to the property since the gaming venue first opened.
Exciting News! The grand opening of the new hotel at @HollywoodCbus is set for June 12. The new tower will feature 183 standard rooms and 20 luxury suites, a full-service bar and restaurant, conference rooms, a fitness center, and an outdoor seating terrace. pic.twitter.com/K0BJiIgIKY
— PENNEntertainment (@PENNEntertain) March 12, 2026
To mark the debut, the property plans to host a festival and live concert on opening day, turning the launch into a public celebration for the casino and surrounding community.
Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden described the hotel’s debut as a key step in the company’s broader expansion strategy across several U.S. markets.
“We’re thrilled to officially announce the opening date for our new hotel at Columbus, which positions us to be the top entertainment destination in the region,” said Snowden. “This opening will mark our third retail development project to be completed in under a year, building on the momentum from our new casino in Joliet and second hotel tower at the M Resort.”
The hotel tower itself spans roughly 150,000 square feet. Plans call for 183 traditional guest rooms alongside 20 larger luxury suites designed for visitors seeking an upscale stay directly connected to the casino floor.
Guests will be able to begin booking rooms starting April 15 through the Hollywood Casino Columbus website.
Hollywood Casino Columbus tower expands casino footprint
Beyond overnight accommodations, the new building will introduce additional amenities meant to encourage longer visits to the property. A centerpiece of the expansion is The Hill Eatery & Lounge, a full-service restaurant and bar expected to serve both hotel guests and casino patrons.
The project also includes meeting and conference rooms aimed at attracting small conventions, along with a fitness center and an outdoor terrace seating area overlooking the surrounding property.
Local hiring will ramp up ahead of the opening. Penn Entertainment expects the development to generate roughly 100 new jobs, and the casino has scheduled job fairs on March 27 and April 10 to recruit hotel staff.
The Columbus hotel arrives during a particularly active stretch of development for the company. As mentioned, Penn recently opened a newly built land-based casino in Joliet, Illinois, replacing a longtime riverboat operation there.
The company has also been expanding its presence in Las Vegas. A second hotel tower at the M Resort Spa Casino has opened recently, adding new rooms and guest amenities as part of a broader effort to grow the off-Strip property into a larger regional resort destination.
More projects remain in the pipeline. Penn is preparing to open a new Hollywood Casino property in Aurora, Illinois later this year, while a separate land-based casino development in Council Bluffs, Iowa is targeted for completion in late 2027 or early 2028.
Back in Columbus, the casino is also planning to introduce an expanded high-limit table games room during the second half of 2026, pending regulatory approval.
Featured image: Penn Entertainment
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Suswati Basu is a multilingual, award-winning editor and the founder of the intersectional literature channel, How To Be Books. She was shortlisted for the Guardian Mary Stott Prize and longlisted for the Guardian International Development Journalism Award. With 18 years of experience in the media industry, Suswati has held significant roles such as head of audience and deputy editor for NationalWorld news, digital editor for Channel 4 News and ITV News. She has also contributed to the Guardian and received training at the BBC As an audience, trends, and SEO specialist, she has participated in panel events alongside Google. Her…
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