Coushatta Casino Resort’s New Hotel Is Set To Open Friday. Several Floors Just Flooded
Posted on: May 13, 2026, 10:50h.
Last updated on: May 13, 2026, 11:01h.
- The Legacy Tower at Coushatta Casino Resort reportedly flooded on Tuesday
- The $150 million hotel was set to hold a ceremonial opening this Friday
- The status of guest reservations for next week is unclear
The Coushatta Casino Resort in Louisiana has planned a grand opening ceremony of its new Legacy Tower hotel for this Friday, May 15. But Casino.org has seen a video showing several floors of the eight-story structure flooded yesterday evening.
Coushatta, roughly 35 miles northeast of Lake Charles, where the Golden Nugget, L’Auberge, and Horseshoe operate as commercial casinos, claims to have the loosest slots in Louisiana. The drive from Houston to Southwest Louisiana includes passing by numerous billboards claiming as such, the ads trying to lure Texans to continue a bit further past the Lake Charles casinos to the tribal facility.
Coushatta is betting on attracting the luxury segment with its Legacy Tower. The $150 million investment includes 204 guestrooms and 100 premium suites, with custom bedding, premium linens, and spa-worthy bathrooms.
The hotel project has been rife with controversy after former Coushatta Tribal Chair Jonathan Cernek was accused of stealing funds for his personal use during the construction of the hotel. A shooting at the private residence of David Sickey, Cernek’s successor, which involved a bullet traveling through a bedroom window where a child was sleeping, added further scandal to what should be a celebratory time of the tribe commemorating its next chapter.
Hotel Flooding
Casino.org has learned that several floors of the Legacy Tower suffered water damage on Tuesday. While the tribe has planned a grand opening ceremony for Friday, Legacy Tower for guest stays isn’t to begin until Monday, May 18.
Workers readying the hotel for the Friday event first noticed water coming out of the ceiling on the first floor. An investigation found that the water was originating from a fourth-floor guestroom. The water problem didn’t end there.
Yates Construction, the general contractor for the hotel, discovered that a hot water riser, a vertical pipe that transports heated water from a main source, such as a boiler or heater, to multiple levels in a building, had a failed connection in a fourth-floor occupancy. Water pooled below on the third and second floors, causing the sheetrock to bulge in places.
Cleanup and restoration services firm Servpro was called to vacuum the water and begin the drying process. Yates claims there was no structural damage, though some carpet and sheetrock will need to be replaced.
Yates it isn’t sure why the hot water riser connection failed.
Will Coushatta Hotel Open on Time?
Requests for comment from Casino.org sent to Coushatta Casino Resort GM Nate Tanner and a tribal council member weren’t immediately returned. This story will be updated if we hear back.
As of now, Coushatta has not said whether the Legacy Tower will welcome its first overnight guests next Monday. If it doesn’t, existing reservation holders might be rebooked in one of the tribal casino’s other hotel facilities, including the Grand Hotel, Seven Clans Hotel, and Inn at Coushatta.
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