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South Beach Casino and Resort is city close at just 45 minutes on double lane highway, but it’s a world away in terms of relaxation, customer service and hospitality. Indeed, the 95-room property located on Highway 59 just south of Grand Beach Provincial Park at Scanterbury, has been accorded Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence for 2014. “It’s all about our staff,” says Tick Rowson, Director of Marketing, South Beach Casino and Resort. He suggests that because they are not located inside the city of Winnipeg, they have to be on their best game to attract patrons and keep them happy with in-room comfort, a well-considered buffet and menu, as well as the very best in gaming. “We can’t sidestep service. Our 250 staff are trained to really deliver and pay attention to all the little things,” he says, pointing to simple service aspects such as free valet parking and coat check, as well as complimentary non-alcohol beverages like café mocha or hot chocolate in the gaming areas. The hotel offers 95 well-appointed rooms. Within this portfolio, South Beach gets it right with 10 Grand and five Junior suites, as well as Luxury King rooms and Standard rooms that are anything but standard with deluxe
button with many guests since the property opened. According to Rowson, they have promo packages throughout the year. For example, the hotel’s Sunday to Thursday promo rate for a Deluxe room is just $77 during the winter season when they also have groomed power toboggan trails right to the casino.
configurations that provide either a massive king bed or two queens for maximum comfort. The gaming area delivers a lot of action. Rowson reports the facility sports 600 slot machines, the majority of which are the popular penny variety. There are also a host of gaming tables. Here, guests can join in on poker or blackjack while they work up an appetite before heading to Mango’s, South Beach’s acclaimed restaurant, or to the Blue Dolphin Lounge where they can relax poolside on the edge of the massive tropical swim area that features a cascading waterfall. Mango’s features a different buffet every day, a fact that has people taking the short drive down from the beaches or from nearby Selkirk to check out the specials. “We see a lot of action from Winnipeg and even out of province locations such as Kenora, with people dropping in to play at the tables and then stay the night. Great food is just part of our winning package,” says Tick. For example, Thursdays have the foodservice team creating what many believe to be Manitoba’s finest seafood buffet. Also popular is Saturday’s regular Prime Rib feature, as is the Beer N Steer promo that has guests enjoying a nice piece of beef and a brew for just $12.59.
“We also offer 50 percent off dining on Sundays for our patrons who are age 50 and older. Our Ocean Club membership is free to all. And with our current promotion, people get cash back when they spend at the resort casino. Get points and use them to trade for services in the hotel or take it home in cash when you leave,” he says, concluding that with so much on offer at the Resort and Casino, patrons can’t lose. Certainly, this is the view on Trip Advisor where page after page of comments point to a winning level of service and a resort package that delivers both excitement and relaxation. Forget the airport line-ups and hours behind the wheel to get to distant attractions. South Beach Casino and Resort is just 45 minutes north, but with its iconic palm tree fronted Miami-style design, it feels as if it’s a world away.
Helping to drive customer numbers is a slate of promotions, which have hit the happy Winter 2014 | STYLE MANITOBA | 33