R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press Bartender Taylor Hyslop adds finishing garnishes to a bloody Mary for Tiffany Couillard to serve a customer at Firekeeper’s, a bar and restaurant inside the Island Resort and Casino.

HANNAHVILLE — The Island Resort and Casino has steadily grown, appealing to customers from a variety of places and walks of life. It brings together a gaming floor, entertainment venue, event space, pool, spa, nightclub, golf courses and multiple bars and restaurants. With new offerings also came increased demand. Today, the Island has 454 guest rooms and suites and employs over 800 people.

One might say that the start of gaming in Hannahville began with bingo. For years, the Hannahville Indian Community worked with limited resources. The community organized bingo to raise money for their baseball team, operating just out of vehicles and the baseball field itself, until 1981 when a designated bingo hall opened.

Four years later, the Hannahville Casino opened across from the Tribal Administration Center. In 1987, it was renamed Chip-In Casino. An expansion of Chip-In opened at the present site of what is now the Island Resort and Casino in 1991.

Expansions and additions continued periodically throughout the years. Player Services Manager Robin Bourdeau — who has worked at the Island for 27 years — said the dynamic, forward-thinking cooperation between all departments has made the evolution of Island Resort and Casino rewarding to see.

“Our council and upper management never allows anything to get stagnant,” said Bourdeau. “We’re constantly doing something; there’s always something on the horizon.”

The Island Showroom, which seats 1,315 audience members, was part of a 1998 rebuild of the casino that Bourdeau said pulled in new groups of people. Headlining acts in the showroom regularly include well-known comedians and musicians; this year, Styx and Smash Mouth are on the docket along with popular tribute Glam Band and many others.

A couple years after the opening of the rebuilt casino, its name changed from Chip-In to Island.

The Convention Center opened in 1999 and now hosts weddings, banquets and other special events. It was expanded in 2011.

In 2000, the RV park opened, as did the Island Oasis Convenience Store.

An expansion to the showroom and gaming floor, in addition to the Beachcomber Restaurant and Bar — now Five Bridges Bar — came in 2006.

The 11-story Palm Tower went up in 2007. So, too, did Club Four One, which provides free weekly entertainment — national and local bands or performers from Bonkerz Comedy Club — Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

The 2008 opening of Sweetgrass, an 18-hole championship golf course, brought an entirely new demographic to the resort. The first professional golf championship was held there in 2011, and since then, Sweetgrass has landed on nationally-ranked lists, making it a destination sought by golfers from around the country.

“That was a whole new stream of business for us,” said Bourdeau, adding that the clientele can fluctuate based on the season.

“The surge is in the summer,” said Media Specialist Caroline Carlson, “but it’s steady all year-round.”

T. McC’s Sports Bar opened in 2015.

Drift Spa — offering massages, a salon, sauna, saltwater pool and other amenities geared towards relaxation — opened in Palm Tower in 2016.

Sage Run golf course opened in 2018.

In 2020, Island Sportsbook became the first sports betting venue in the Upper Peninsula.

A $30 million expansion centered around Palm Tower was completed in 2021. It included the top-floor Horizons Steakhouse, indoor family waterpark Splash Island, and over 100 new guest rooms.

Everything is under one roof — the golf courses obvious exceptions — and patrons come from around the Midwest and beyond for the “total experience.”

Tour buses have always traveled to the casino, Bourdeau said, “but as we grew, the distance that the buses came and the quantity of buses increased.”

“We are a destination, and we encompass the total experience,” said Bourdeau, referencing the tagline. “I’m glad I’m part of it.”

Employees seem to enjoy their time at the Island, with many building their careers there. Though Carlson has worked for the resort for less than two years, she sees the appeal: “It’s a great place to start, and it’s a great place to stay,” she said.