Mt Airy
by Tanya Franklin
The Pennsylvania countryside is beautiful year round. Riding to the Poconos Bob and I take care to allow the scenery to calm our somewhat frenzied nerves. As we pass lush farms, roadside stands and rolling hills we see the well-worn Delaware Water Gap in the distance. Bob is animated from several cups of coffee and as we approach the gap says loudly, “Here we are— the Poconos!”
From the gap it is only a short drive to Mount Airy Casino Resort. Bob, still over caffeinated, begins to tell some fishing stories about the bass he caught in a small pond in the Poconos. I smile and feel calm knowing our destination is near.
Wow! Coming up on the property of Mount Airy and seeing the front of the lodge is something else. Regal in appearance … a royal mansion of a hotel has risen from the ashes, so to speak, of the old Mount Airy Lodge. Without the stimulation of caffeine I exclaim loudly, “Hallelujah! Just look at this!”
Bob gets his keys back from the valet and we enter the hotel. Inside we gaze at the beautiful lobby done in various hues of red. In the center are a fountain and two staircases on either side of the cascading water. We’re here. The check-in process for representatives of the press is simple and the desk clerk is friendly and very helpful, answering all our questions.
We step into the elevator and are not sure how to use it. The room key card is needed to get it to move. So after figuring out what to do, we go to our room, taking note of the fancy elevator and appealing hallway.
“Absolutely gorgeous!” I shout. Bob is amazed that I am not unpacking but rather taking photos of the room with my iPhone.
In the room is a king-size bed, which has night reading lights in the ceiling over each side. The curtains are a wonderful medley of royal blue and beige and they nicely pull together the other colors in the room. There is also a comfortable blue sitting chair and, for our convenience, a table, in-room bar, snack concession and refrigerator. The bathroom is luxurious. It has two rooms in it; one with a glass encased shower and bowl-style sink and the other, a toilet.
After unpacking, we decide to do a little exploring. Bob, seeing a sign for spa and salon, says, “Let’s check it out.” At the desk are a couple of attendants. We explain who we are and why we are there, and two nice young women offer to give us a tour. In the spa are eucalyptus steam rooms, a sauna, rainfall showers, a locker room, and a quiet room. The spa and salon offer massages, body treatments, clinical spa treatments, nail treatments, hair design, hair removal, health coaching, and formal hair and makeup.
After going through the spa, we check out the fitness room. Bob, showing off, picks up the heaviest dumbbell and says, “Want to do some curls?” I laugh as he pretends he isn’t straining. I get on the stair stepper and Bob tries out one of the treadmills. Both of us are huffing and puffing after a few minutes of exercise. We both make resolutions to “get back in shape.”
After leaving the fitness center, we walk down the corridor and into the pool area. The pool is inside and out. It has cabanas on the water that have chairs, couches, and tables. They can be reserved for parties and Get Wet events, which are held on weekends and have top tier entertainers. There is a bar at one end and seating areas all along the outside.
Tired, we decide to go back to the room, freshen up and then have dinner. Bob takes a half hour nap and I just watch a little TV.
Dinner is reserved for us at Guy Fieri’s, one of several restaurants operating at Mount Airy. Guy Fieri actually owns six restaurants and when he is not on the road doing his show, Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, he makes sure that he visits his restaurants. He will be at his Mount Airy restaurant July 30. We did not see him but we ate some of his famous American food. Bob had ribs and I had a Caesar salad.
Bob wants to play slots after diner. “Come on,” he says. “Lets turn a little one into a big one.” Yeah. We both find suitable penny machines and play for about an hour. We’re hardly a high stakes couple, but I think our play has as much intensity as someone playing in the high limit room with hundreds instead of cents.
Bob done playing asks, “Are you ready for roulette?” I say, “Honey, I’m ready for bed.” So off to our luxurious room we go.
Saturday is a big day. I have an appointment for a massage at the spa. I want to lay in bed, so I send Bob. “You want me to get the massage at the spa? He incredulously asks. “Yes babe, I say, turning over.”
Bob comes back from the spa looking like he came off a month’s vacation. “I’m so relaxed,” he says. “You should have gone. Valarie gave me an incredible massage, loosening every muscle in my body while using aromatic oils to fill the air with pleasant scents. Even my feet are relaxed. Then I sat in the eucalyptus steam room, took a shower and would have hung out a lot longer but we have that tour.”
Tour! I remember suddenly. We are going to meet someone at the checkout desk who is going to show us around Mount Airy. It is noon and we need to meet at 1 p.m. I need to get ready. I tell Bob I am going to get ready and he says, “See you in three days.” An ongoing joke about how slow I am getting dressed and out. I answer, “I’ll be ready on time.” Bob leaves to take a walk around outside while I get dressed and fix my face.
Vincent Jordan meets us at the checkout desk. We are surprised to meet this very professional looking, impeccably dressed gentleman. He introduces himself as Vincent, but I cannot address him that way. Something makes me call him Mr. Jordan. And yet he is totally unassuming and friendly. He is not just any tour guide, but the vice president of marketing and player development. I am impressed.
Mr. Jordan takes us to every nook and cranny of the hotel/ casino. As we walk front line employees great him with affectionate nods, and an electrician getting a room ready for an appearance of Damon Wayans that night asks him a question. He answers and they go back to work. We find out soon that Vincent Jordan is on top of everything.
As we are touring the casino and passing rows of slot machines, gaming tables and all the confection and quick eat shops, Mr. Jordan introduces us to various front line employees. The fact that the casino is family owned comes through in the obvious mutual concern and respect shared by Mr. Jordan and the staff.
The casino rings with the sounds of buzzers, bells and background music. Action is in the air and it is contagious. Mr. Jordan shows us a room where one bet in a slot machine can be $100 or thousands can be spent in one bet at a table. This is the high limit room. “This room,” Mr. Jordan artfully says, “is not for everyone.” As frustrated penny slot players we know that is true.
Next he takes us to the poker rooms and we watch people play for a while. They seemed very intense, and I have to admit, devoid of tells.
After seeing the poker room, we go to the VIP Room. Mount Airy, like most casinos, has a point system. Players are rated at different levels depending on the points they accumulate based on either the money they spend gaming or the time. “Yes,” Mr. Jordan tells us, “you don’t have to be a high stakes player to get to a level that allows you to come into the VIP Room.”
The VIP Room is a place where gamers can rest from the action. There is usually food, hors d'oeuvres and something to drink, in addition to a bar. In the room, players relax, joke with one another and share a kind of camaraderie because of their mutual love of gaming.
Being a rainy day, we do not get to walk on the golf course, but looking at it from inside Mr. Jordan, proud of Mount Airy, tells us that it is the only 18-hole golf course at a casino resort in Pennsylvania, and it is listed as one of top 100 non-private courses in America. Not only that, but each hole is designed after a hole in a famous American course.
We also learn that Mount Airy Casino Resort is the first casino resort with a coveted AAA Four Diamond rating, which it has received for the sixth year in a row.
While looking out at the golf course, Bob sees a large carriage pulled by beautiful horses; another service available at Mount Airy.
The large event rooms are locked, but we get to see one of the smaller rooms. Conferences and a variety of trade shows can use these rooms, but I am interested in weddings. Yes, I am told. Weddings are not only held at Mount Airy but also there are suites suitable for guests and honeymooners.
After the tour we go to dinner at Bistecca by Il Mulino. This is fine dining and we get the same treatment as celebrities. In fact right across the room sitting with some friends is Larry Holmes, heavyweight champion from Easton. We are pleased with the service and food.
After dinner we see a performance at Gypsies Lounge by Damon Wayans and get to meet him in the VIP room after the show. Entertainment is a big part of the Mount Airy experience and this summer and fall there will be shows at Get Wet, poolside, and at Gypsies. Entertainers performing at Mount Airy include Michael Bolton, Shaggy, Hunks The Show, Aaron Carter, Lil Jon, Bret Michaels, Gary Owen, The Stylistics and The Four Tops.
Tired after a day full of activity and a little gaming, we retire. Sunday morning we leave the Poconos. We talk about our trip all the way home watching the mountainous vistas recede and turn into rolling hills and eventually into the flatland of Lower Bucks County.
Tanya Franklin is an avid traveler and freelance writer from Philadelphia.