A rendering of the outside of Riversuites, the hotel Rivers Casino plans to operate in a portion of The Battery in Fishtown.
By Emma Dooling
Rivers Casino Philadelphia plans to open a 62-suite boutique luxury hotel with an indoor basketball court this year inside The Battery, the $154 million redevelopment of a former PECO power plant along the Delaware River in Fishtown.
Riversuites could be accepting reservations as early as the fall, Rivers Casino said Tuesday, and is expected to open by the end of 2023. The Battery is separated from the casino's 22-acre property by Penn Treaty Park. Hotel guests can make the eight-minute walk to the casino along the Delaware Riverwalk, or complete a five-minute drive utilizing the 24/7 complimentary shuttle and valet parking Rivers plans to offer.
The hotel will make Rivers the third casino in the Philadelphia region to offer overnight accommodations, a feature that many gaming destinations offer to keep customers at their properties.
"A hotel addition for Rivers Casino Philadelphia has always been part of the master plan for our Fishtown property," said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rivers Casino and its parent company, Rush Street Gaming. "The location and grandeur of The Battery allowed us to join a neighboring parcel, already in progress, with historic Philly significance."
The hotel, which will be operated by Rivers, will occupy four floors in the Fishtown mixed-use project being led by Lubert-Adler Real Estate Funds. The developer acquired the 11-acre site for $14.24 million in 2019. Other elements of the 1325 N. Beach St. property include 173 apartments, 135,000 square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet of event space.
A rendering of one of the 62 suites at Riversuites
Riversuites will include 62 suites, each of which will include a full kitchen. Many of the suites will feature patios or bi-level lofts that have bedrooms upstairs and a living room and kitchen downstairs.
The suites will be offered in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations averaging 854 square feet each. The largest of the rooms will occupy up to 2,266 square feet.
In addition to the guest rooms, Riversuites will also have co-working areas, lobby gathering spaces, a billiards table and an indoor basketball court, among other amenities. Chicago-based firm Koo Architecture is heading up the design of the hotel.
Riversuites is expected to add more than 40 jobs to Rivers Casino's existing team of more than 1,100 people. The project is being funded by a $7 million private investment.
A rendering of the lobby at Riversuites
Rivers is the latest Philadelphia casino to add overnight accommodations to its portfolio. Valley Forge Casino Resort offers hotel rooms in its Casino Tower and Stardust Tower. The $700 million Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, which opened at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex in February 2021, offers 208 guest rooms.
In March, Parx Casino in Bensalem received approval to move forward with its plans for a 13-story hotel with 300 guest rooms, two restaurants and 14,000-square-foot banquet hall. The Bucks County hotel is still is the design stages but is expected to be delivered in 2025.
Rivers Casino's plans will make Harrah's Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack the only gaming destination in the Philadelphia area without overnight accommodations.