US tribal casino operator Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment has unveiled its concept for an integrated resort and casino in Greece.
Going by the name of INSPIRE Athens – positioning it as a sister property to Mohegan’s US$1.6 billion INSPIRE development in Incheon, Korea – the Greek IR concept has been designed by renowned casino resort architects Steelman Partners and draws inspiration from the architectural history of Greece, including Athenian sculptures and buildings such as the Acropolis and the Caryatids.
Along with Hard Rock International, Mohegan is one of two companies bidding to develop the IR, to be located on the site of the former Ellinikon International Airport.
“We understood that INSPIRE Athens was meant to symbolize more than an integrated resort,” said Mohegan Chairman and CEO Mario Kontomerkos. “It is our hope that INSPIRE Athens would be the catalyst that sparks the entire development of the Hellinikon area into the coveted Athenian Riviera, forever redefining the modern identity of Greece.”
A partnership with local firm GEK TERNA, INSPIRE Athens will feature state-of-the-art meeting facilities, a multi-purpose indoor event space, sprawling resort pools and indoor-outdoor F&B venues, with the company explaining the design is meant to capitalize on the Greek affinity for the outdoors.
“We hope we’ll have the opportunity to turn our vision into a reality and further elevate Greece as a must-visit travel destination with this landmark hospitality destination,” Kontomerkos explained.
Further technical details of the proposed hotel, casino, convention facilities and entertainment facilities are prohibited from being released to the public until the tender process is complete, Mohegan said.