203-room hotel planned at Hollywood Casino Columbus aims to add 100 jobs and meeting space

Project scope and timeline

A new 203-room hotel is under construction at Hollywood Casino Columbus, a major expansion intended to add on-site lodging to the West Side gaming and entertainment complex. The hotel is planned as an attached addition to the existing casino property and is expected to open in the first half of 2026, with hiring activity indicating a targeted opening in late second quarter 2026.

The development has been described as a roughly $100 million investment and is positioned as a shift from a stand-alone casino to a more complete overnight destination capable of capturing multi-day leisure visits and group demand.

Jobs: permanent roles and construction work

The hotel is expected to bring approximately 100 new permanent jobs once it opens. In addition to those ongoing hospitality roles, the build has been associated with hundreds of temporary construction jobs tied to the construction phase.

For the permanent workforce, operational needs typically span front desk and guest services, housekeeping, maintenance and engineering, food and beverage, security, and management. The casino has indicated that the hotel is expected to generate employment not only within the property but also indirect demand for suppliers and local service providers that support day-to-day hotel operations.

Design, amenities, and market positioning

Project materials describe the hotel as a multi-story building with guest rooms designed to integrate directly with the casino campus. In addition to lodging, the plan has included meeting space and added food-and-beverage capacity, components commonly used by casino operators to diversify revenue beyond gaming and to make midweek business more resilient.

Hollywood Casino Columbus opened in 2012 and has operated without an attached hotel for more than a decade. The addition of on-site rooms is designed to reduce friction for out-of-town visitors and expand the property’s ability to host events that require overnight stays.

What happens next

• Construction continues through 2026, with the developer targeting an opening window in the first half of the year.

• Recruitment is expected to ramp up closer to opening as the operator staffs up for hotel operations and prepares for training and soft-opening phases.

• Additional details on amenities and partnerships are anticipated to be confirmed as the project approaches completion and a specific opening date is finalized.

The opening timeline has been communicated as the first half of 2026, with hiring communications pointing to late Q2 2026.