Just 90 minutes from home, Choctaw Casino & Resort offers a luxurious, low-stress getaway with something for everyone.
By Allie Spletter
Springtime gets busy – quick. It’s so easy to get swept up in the day-to-day – the school events, work meetings, shuttling kids to baseball practices, dance rehearsals, all the things! But every now and then, you need a break. Not necessarily a plane-ticket-or-two-weeks-off kind of break – just a change of scenery. Luckily, less than 90 minutes north of our North Texas bubble, there’s a resort destination that feels like a getaway without the full-blown travel stress.
Close to Home, Far from Ordinary
If you’ve ever watched the Mavs or Rangers play on TV, you’ve likely seen Pudge throwing baseball signs to a server in a casino as he cheekily orders a cocktail – that casino? Choctaw Casinos & Resorts – Durant. Choctaw has four locations throughout Oklahoma, and its location just across the Texas/Oklahoma border in Durant means it’s a quick road trip with major rewards for us! My husband Zach and I recently got the chance to see what the talk was about and headed North for a couple of days of fun.
As soon as you pull onto the sprawling property, you’re met with upscale design, warm hospitality, and an unmistakable air of excitement. Whether you plan a couple’s weekend, a girls’ getaway, or you take the whole crew for some family fun, Choctaw Casinos & Resorts – Durant offers something for everyone, and then some.
The resort has earned its AAA Four Diamond status as a casino resort, entertainment, and convention destination in southeastern Oklahoma, with its newest location having just opened in Hochatown (in the ever-popular Broken Bow area). With over 1,600 luxurious rooms and suites spread across the Sky Tower, Grand Tower (with newly remodeled rooms as of 2023), and Spa Tower, it’s not just about sleeping in a hotel – it’s all about the experience. The rooms across the properties are sleek and modern, with thoughtful touches that give your stay an extra air of luxury and an elevated feel.
During our stay, we were guests in the resort’s newest guest tower, The Sky Tower, which has 1,000 guest rooms, 3,400 slot machines, a poker room, and plenty of table games. (Quick Tip: The South parking garage is best for those staying in the Sky Tower, playing at The District, or watching sports at The League!) A notable aspect of this gorgeous tower is its non-smoking from the casino floor to the guest rooms. We loved taking our time exploring The Sky Tower as it boasts some of the resort’s most popular restaurants and attractions, including The District, several popular activities, and its gorgeous pool (more on all of that in a sec!).
The Sky Tower has some truly gorgeous areas and spaces throughout its 1,040,497 square feet, including the Choctaw Art Walk, which we really enjoyed! This collection of over 6,000 breathtaking art pieces is installed throughout the Sky Tower expansion. The Art Walk tour is a self-guided digital experience accessible by QR codes at each piece of art. Scanning the QR code will allow you to learn about the piece, the style used, the Choctaw artist, and their Native American art.
Game, Play, & Stay
For adults looking to get in on the gaming action, Choctaw delivers big! The gaming floor is one of the largest in the region. It is home to over 7,400 slot machines (3,200 of which are in the Sky Tower’s non-smoking area), 100+ table games offering Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, Pai Gow, and the ever-popular Blackjack, and an impressive poker room with 30+ tables. Admittedly, we aren’t big gamblers (OK, we aren’t gamblers at all), but we did try our hands at a couple of games of Craps and a few slots games and had a blast. The best part? What makes Choctaw stand out is that the fun and entertainment don’t stop with the casino.
It's easy to view Choctaw as just a place to sleep and spin the slots, but it’s truly a full-blown entertainment hub. One of its most popular and well-known attractions is The Grand Theater, a state-of-the-art venue with seating up to 3,000, bringing in A-list performers and touring acts that span every genre. Chances are you’ve heard of many of the concerts held at Choctaw, and their stage has drawn some of the biggest names in music throughout the years.
Reba, Counting Crows, Diana Ross, Aerosmith, Luke Bryan, Kid Rock, John Fogerty, and REO Speedwagon have all performed on The Grand Theater stage throughout the years, with many more acts to come. This month and the coming summer months, Choctaw’s Grand Theater will host the likes of Little Big Town, Halsey, Clay Walker, The Counting Crows, Bailey Zimmerman, and more.
One of our favorite spots we visited during our stay was Gilley’s in the Grand Casino. While it’s a restaurant, too, Gilley’s delivers the honky-tonk vibes with live music, line dancing, and Texas-sized food and drinks. We loved hanging out listening to the live music, jumping in to dance once in a while, and just taking in the atmosphere.
Family Fun…They’ve Got It Covered
Here’s what I thought was actually pretty cool…Choctaw is absolutely family-friendly. It’s not often you find a resort (that’s also a casino!) that blends adult luxury with kid-approved fun, but this one pulls it off flawlessly. Enter The District – a vibrant entertainment zone within the resort that includes a bowling alley with 20 bowling lanes, an arcade area with 60 arcade games and all the refillable gaming cards the kiddos could ever want, and a movie theater.
This area of the resort is high-energy, tech-forward, and guaranteed to keep kids (and let’s be honest, adults) entertained for hours. I thought The District and all that it entailed was such a terrific addition to the resort…there aren’t many resorts that have a full-on movie theater with six screens, and two of the theaters are new, luxury theaters. You could easily spend half a day in this area, or break each of these really cool spots up and visit them sporadically during your visit.
Now…I’ll admit…it’s hard to say call somewhere a “resort” if there isn’t a phenomenal pool area, am I right? Well, Choctaw outdid itself in that respect, too, because even the pools are thoughtfully designed with both families and adults in mind. With three acres that are home to two sparkling pools, one family-friendly complete with a splash pad and two waterslides, and one more private and exclusive for adults only, there’s somewhere for everyone to hang out and have fun.
Cabanas are available for rental throughout the entire pool area if you’re looking for your own exclusive spot or a little more privacy, and on Saturdays, you’ll find a DJ spinning beats at the AQUA pool. For those traveling without kiddos, you can opt for Choctaw’s newest swim area, Oasis – a posh and luxurious pool exclusively reserved for 21+ guests complete with 14 exclusive cabanas, daybeds, big-screen TVs, and food and drink options.
Bring Your Appetite
It came as no surprise to us at all when we found out that Choctaw Casinos & Resort has tons of dining options throughout the property. With 20 restaurants and dining venues scattered throughout the resort, you can eat somewhere new every meal and never get bored. The entertainment zone called The District I mentioned earlier has food options right next to it in District Hall and includes options like Velvet Taco, Italia Kitchen, Slush’D (frozen daquiris), The Pit, and South Hot Chicken. We loved The League, a sports bar with 88 big-screen TVs across a 100-foot video wall, and were impressed by Salt & Stone’s menu of surf and turf dishes made with fresh ingredients.
No resort is complete without a gorgeous upscale restaurant, and Choctaw’s 1832 Steakhouse is a must for date night, offering a refined menu of perfectly cooked steaks, seafood, and elevated sides. For more casual options, guests can consider Butterfields Buffet, an all-you-can-eat buffet, Bamboo Noodle Bar, Grand Café, or something quick from the food court like Smashburger or Cinnabon. We found them all to be perfect options for fueling up between rounds of bowling, gaming, or before hitting the pool.
In addition to its numerous restaurant options, the resort has several bars and lounges throughout the property, each with its own character and vibe. We loved The Reserve for its upscale feel and the Mason Jar Bar for its ambiance and drink selection.
Because You Can’t Skip the R&R
Not to be missed, y’all…The Spa. It was so good. While Zach relaxed at the Oasis pool, I headed to the spa for a facial and massage, and they were both as good as it gets. The technicians were kind, seasoned experts who took the time to understand my treatment goals, which made the massage and facial that much better. The resort offers a full-service spa experience complete with a menu of massages, facials, body treatments – you name it, they’ve got it. Spa guests have access to all The Spa amenities, including separate men’s and women’s lounges, whirlpools and steam rooms, a co-ed relaxation lounge with reflection waters/waterfall mineral bath, and a fitness center.
The Verdict? Absolutely Yes.
Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant is more than just a casino, y’all. In fact, we didn’t do much in the way of gambling, given there was so much to do and explore. It’s a fantastic, quick-trip destination – and it’s one that manages to check all the boxes if you’re ready to get out of town sans the airport hassle or long drive. It’s luxurious, fun, family-friendly, and so easy to get to from Frisco. Whether you want to live it up on the casino floor, dance the night away, bowl with the kids, or relax with a cocktail in hand by the pool, this resort delivers.
Overdue for a getaway but not quite up for airports and long itineraries? Grab that weekender bag, gas up the car, and head north. You’ll be amazed at just how much fun – and how much rest – you can pack into a weekend at Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant.
