In 2005 the Grand Biloxi Hotel Casino & Spa was completely devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The property was rebuilt from the ground up and opened again in 2006. On the first day of summer last year, Caesar’s Entertainment held a grand opening celebration for the re-branded  Harrah’s Gulf Coast after completing a plush renovation of the casino. A 10.5 acre concert green across the way also opened with a concert by Darius Rucker along with fireworks for the casino.

Now Caesar’s has announced that they plan to renovate the hotel beginning in November, investing $14 million in redesigning and upgrading all 494 rooms in the hotel. Some of the enhancements to the property will include 49 inch HD flat screen TV’s in the rooms, new plumbing and lighting fixtures, upgraded bathrooms, custom bedding and furniture, textiles and flooring. Renovations should be completed in time for the spring tourist season.

Harrah’s Gulf Coast General Manager Jonathan Jones tells local media, “All over our region we’re seeing revitalization, and the health of our tourism and gaming market continues to be strong.” He continued, “These two factors have illustrated an importance to make additional capital investments in our hotel,” he said. “We look forward to building upon the great foundation of amenities we have here at Harrah’s with an additional opportunity to entice more visitors to our resort and region.”

The immediate area’s gambling industry is experiencing a sort of renaissance with upgrades to existing properties and new casinos coming onto the scene. Last month IP Casino Biloxi announced that they had completed an $8 million upgrade of 350 guestrooms and were about to embark on another $2.5 million endeavor to redo more than 50 suites.

Scarlet Pearl Casino is scheduled to open just across the Back Bay in D’Iberville on December 9th, offering a 14 story luxury hotel, premium 18 hole miniature golf course complete with exploding volcano, and a 60,000 square foot casino and poker room.

The highly anticipated Biloxi Pointe Casino also seems well on its way to becoming the area’s next gambling property after the Biloxi City Council approved the mayor’s plan to connect a loop road around East Biloxi.

Harrah’s Gulf Coast’s new design elements will celebrate local culture including artworks and photography in the hallways by local artists. Elevators and the lobby will also be refurbished.

“At our core, we have a desire to consistently improve,” Jones told GulfLive.com. “We’re energized and excited to unveil this newest enhancement to all of our guests, and continue to deliver the best entertainment and hospitality service in the region.”