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<< Previous   of   Next >> Dan Bates / The Herald  (click to enlarge) A mockup of a typical room at the Tulalip Hotel done in October includes a desk with an office chair. Standard-room rates at the hotel will be about $130 per night. (click to enlarge)   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, February 28, 2008 Tulalip Hotel already in vogue It won't open for another four months, but some dates already are selling out. By Krista J. Kapralos Herald Writer TULALIP -- To book the luxurious 3,000-square-foot Tulalip Suite in the yet-to-open Tulalip Hotel for a full year, someone would have to shell out about $1.8 million. Too pricey for Snohomish County? Apparently not. "One gentleman asked us for the price and wants to book it for the year," said Brett Magnan, Tulalip Casino Resort vice president. "He said he could spend his money other places, but that he'd love to book our top suite." The man lives locally, but the hotel hasn't signed on the deal yet, Magnan said. In fact, the hotel's grand opening is still four months away. But that hasn't slowed the rising tide of inquiries that have rooms and events booked out as far as October, Magnan said. Several nights in October already are sold out during the Skate America figure skating event scheduled for Everett's Comcast Arena. As the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics edge closer, the hotel will likely be booked solid, Magnan said. "A lot of the rooms are sold out in Vancouver and Whistler now, so people are looking for other areas, and Tulalip makes perfect sense," he said. "We're having conversations with people who want to book the hotel for 50 to 100 rooms." Magnan and other Tulalip Resort Casino officials like to think they're setting a new standard for luxury for the northern Puget Sound region. There, at the edge of the Tulalip Indian Reservation, which was for decades one of the region's poorest areas, guests will experience hotel rooms, restaurants, shopping, spa services and gambling only matched by resorts found in Las Vegas, Magnan said. The hotel will have five luxury suites, including the Tulalip Suite, for those who crave a splurge. Two Asian-style suites -- one at 1,000 square feet and another at 2,000 square feet -- will have feng shui design meant to keep guests from Asia feeling at home. Those suites will run between $1,200 and $2,500 per night. A Technology Suite will include a television inside the bathroom mirror. "When you're shaving, you can watch CNN in the morning," Magnan said. A plasma screen will display rotating artwork, and a 70-inch plasma television -- able to be divided into up to six screens -- will hang over the fireplace. To stay, guests will pay between $1,200 and $1,500 per night. The 1,500-square-foot Player's Suite will include a professional-size pool table, a Golden Tee golf video game, arcade games, a Nintendo Wii gaming system and other features. That will cost $2,500 per night. Brides are already lining up to get married at the hotel, Magnan said. One Saturday in August already has three weddings booked. Wedding guests will be able to mingle around an indoor pool with a rock waterfall, and makeup artists and masseuses at an American-Indian themed spa will be ready to prep members of the bridal party for the big day. There's only one way to save money or get extra perks in the hotel: gamble big. The highest of rollers can expect to be upgraded to a suite now and then, Magnan said. A standard room, which will run about $130 per night, could be discounted to $75 if the guest is a frequent visitor who spends enough time at the tables. "We'll evaluate your play," Magnan said. "If it was to a certain level, then you could be completely comped." Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.

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