Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino breaks ground on hotel project

Soon, visitors at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino won’t have to drive home after a full day of live racing, gambling and concert-going. The track broke ground on a 4-story cowboy-themed boutique hotel Friday.

Sunland Park Mayor Javier Perea hailed it as a new era of hope for the community.

“It’s going to be a catalytic project, in my eyes, to development in this particular area because not only are you going to have the opportunity to visit the casino but you’re going to have an opportunity to stay in Sunland Park and once you’re here you can enjoy some of the other things we have like Western Playland, the winery on the other side, Mount Cristo Rey, the trails and do some bird watching there,” he said.

The 78-room hotel, named “The Hotel at Sunland Park Racetrack,” will feature custom-made furnishings, a spacious lobby and double-sided fireplaces to complement the view of the mountains.

ABC-7 first reported on the project in June of 2015. Then, the $7 million project promised to be the first hotel within the Sunland Park city limits.

The idea was spurred by customers from Las Cruces, Santa Fe and even East El Paso who said they’d trade their drive back for comfortable accomodations, said Sunland Park Racetrack General Manager Rick Baugh.

He echoed Mayor Perea’s thoughts on the impact the hotel will have on the community as a whole.

“When you’re bringing all of the agencies to Sunland Park, we can garner more attention not just to Sunland Park but to this area,” Baugh said. “It’s time for growth in this area and it’s coming.”