On the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and an hour west of Ashville, N.C., Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort is nearing the end of its four-year expansion project. The project will add a guest-room tower and the resort’s first dedicated convention center for large-scale meetings and events.

This fall, the resort’s total room count will jump to 1,933 when the new 725-room tower, called The Cherokee, opens its doors. Features include a 30-foot-long registration desk made of onyx, a lobby bar with a marble wall (photo below), and a second-floor pool with views of the mountains.

For meeting planners, the new three-level, 83,000-square-foot Cherokee Convention Center will be the addition of note. The new convention space includes a 32,000-square-foot ballroom, 26 meeting spaces, and an 33,000-square-foot exhibition hall, supplementing the existing 3,000-seat event center and other meeting spaces. The project also adds a parking garage with more than 2,000 spaces.

The 56-acre resort also includes an 18,000-square-foot spa, access to Sequoyah National Golf Club, a casino with more than 3,000 slots and table games, a Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and 10 casual restaurants and takeout food outlets. The resort is also home to the UltraStar Multi-tainment center with 24 bowling lanes, an arcade, and three bars.