TOP 10 · 2026

River towns, Delta towers and Gulf shore resorts

Top 10 Casino Hotels

Funding note · offrageo This site contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you follow a link and make a booking/purchase or download, at no extra cost to you. — offrageo desk, Choctaw

A ledger of ten resort hotels across Mississippi and the edge of Louisiana, read for the stay itself: the rooms, the pools and spas, the drive in, and the small print on fees and age rules.

About the first entry: Pearl River Resort is tribal property of offrageo’s own publisher, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; that ownership, and nothing else, explains its number-one position. Entries two to ten are ordered by our editors' judgement, and none of those hotels paid for a place.

Narrow the ledger

Area

Trip type

Showing all 10 hotels

The ledger

Publisher's own resort

1Central Mississippi hills

Pearl River Resort

Choctaw, Neshoba County, Mississippi

Offrageo’s publisher, the tribal government styled Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, owns and runs this resort. Ownership alone puts it at the head of the ledger; no comparison with the other nine was involved.

Rooms More than one hotel on a single tribal campus: the Silver Star Hotel & Casino and the Golden Moon Hotel & Casino share the campus. Ask which building is taking reservations for your dates.

Key facilities

Two hotel buildings on one campus
Spa at Silver Star
Geyser Falls water theme park (summer season)
Several restaurants and cafés
Casino on site

Highlight

Geyser Falls, the resort's own water theme park, keeps a summer weekend busy for all ages

Best for Families from Jackson, Meridian or Tuscaloosa wanting a pool-and-slides weekend in the piney hills

Resort fee: Ask whether any resort charge applies
Transfer: Jackson (JAN) or Meridian (MEI); car needed
Check-in age: Ask the front desk

More details

This is the home ground of our publisher, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, who own and run the resort. It sits on tribal land a few miles west of Philadelphia, Mississippi, deep in the red-clay and pine country of Neshoba County.

When you book, compare the two hotel buildings on the official site, as their room types and restaurants differ. Geyser Falls opens for the warm months only, so check its calendar before promising anyone the slides.

Check availability at Pearl River Resort (official website, new browser tab)

River tower

2Tunica & the north Delta

Gold Strike Casino Resort

Tunica Resorts, Mississippi

Rooms A tall tower of guest rooms and suites rising above the flat Delta fields, with long views across the farmland towards the river levee.

Key facilities

High-rise hotel tower with suites
Restaurants and bars
Meeting and event rooms
Casino on site

Highlight

Upper-floor rooms look out over miles of open Delta, especially striking at sunrise

Best for Travellers who want a big-tower stay within reach of Memphis but outside its traffic

Resort fee: Resort and parking charges: check first
Transfer: Memphis International (MEM), south by car
Check-in age: Confirm with the hotel

More details

Gold Strike is now run by Cherokee Nation Entertainment, which took over operations from MGM Resorts. Its tower can be seen for miles across the flat fields of north-west Mississippi.

Use it as a base for Memphis: Beale Street, the civil rights museum and the barbecue joints are an easy drive north, and you return to quiet fields at night.

Check availability at Gold Strike Casino Resort (official website, new browser tab)

Delta crossroads

3Tunica & the north Delta

Horseshoe Tunica

Robinsonville, Tunica County, Mississippi

Rooms Standard rooms and suites across a sizeable hotel; the current line-up is on the Caesars website.

Key facilities

Outdoor pool (seasonal)
Several restaurants
Live entertainment venue
Casino on site

Highlight

A warm-weather outdoor pool that turns a Delta road trip into a lazy afternoon

Best for Blues Highway drivers on US 61 who need a large, easy-to-find overnight stop

Resort fee: Confirm whether a resort fee is added
Transfer: Memphis (MEM) by car
Check-in age: Ask the hotel

More details

Horseshoe stands on the Casino Center strip in Robinsonville, the cluster of resorts that grew up in northern Tunica County in the 1990s.

Highway 61 runs south from here through Clarksdale and the heart of blues country, so a night at Horseshoe can open or close a longer music pilgrimage.

Check availability at Horseshoe Tunica (official website, new browser tab)

Film-themed lobby

4Tunica & the north Delta

Hollywood Casino Tunica

Robinsonville, Tunica County, Mississippi

Rooms Guest rooms over several floors in the main hotel; ask about connecting rooms for families.

Key facilities

Indoor pool
Fitness room
Steakhouse plus a casual café
Casino on site

Highlight

An indoor pool, which means a swim stays on the plan even in a Delta downpour

Best for Couples or small groups after a lower-key Tunica stay with a pool that works all year

Resort fee: Amenity charge, if any: confirm
Transfer: Memphis (MEM) by car
Check-in age: Minimum age varies — confirm

More details

Operated by PENN Entertainment, the resort takes its look from old movie studios, with film props and posters along the public corridors.

Because the pool is indoors, this is the Tunica pick for winter or for stormy spring weekends.

Check availability at Hollywood Casino Tunica (official website, new browser tab)

Bluff-top stay

5Vicksburg bluffs

Ameristar Casino Hotel Vicksburg

Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi

Rooms Rooms in a hotel building beside the riverfront, close to the Interstate 20 bridge.

Key facilities

Outdoor pool (closed in the cooler months)
Restaurants
Fitness room
Casino on site

Highlight

Close to Vicksburg National Military Park and the old downtown on the bluffs

Best for History-minded travellers spending a day among the Civil War sites and river museums

Resort fee: Confirm parking and any resort charge
Transfer: Jackson (JAN), under an hour by car
Check-in age: Ask the hotel

More details

The resort, operated by PENN Entertainment, lies just off Interstate 20 where the highway meets the Mississippi, a few minutes from the historic quarter.

Plan a slow morning in the national military park, then walk Washington Street's brick storefronts; the outdoor pool opens for the warm months only, so ask before you pack swimwear.

Check availability at Ameristar Casino Hotel Vicksburg (official website, new browser tab)

Adults-only rooms

6Vicksburg bluffs

WaterView Casino & Hotel

Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi

Rooms A compact hotel, part of Wyndham's Trademark Collection; some rooms face the river and the suites come with whirlpool tubs.

Key facilities

River-view rooms on request
Suites with whirlpool tubs
Restaurant and bar
Casino on site

Highlight

A hotel that keeps to adult guests, so the corridors stay quiet in the evening

Best for Couples who want a small, calm base for a Vicksburg weekend

Resort fee: Deposit and fees: confirm when booking
Transfer: Jackson (JAN) by car
Check-in age: Adults-only — confirm the exact age rule

More details

WaterView stands on Washington Street at the southern end of town, a short drive from the riverfront murals and the bluff-top parks.

Ask for a river-facing room when you book; availability of those rooms is never guaranteed.

Check availability at WaterView Casino & Hotel (official website, new browser tab)

Beachfront

7Gulf Coast & New Orleans

Harrah's Gulf Coast

Biloxi, Mississippi

Rooms Tower accommodation beside the beach road; the Caesars website lists current layouts.

Key facilities

Outdoor pool with a bar
Bellissimo Spa and Salon
Restaurants
Casino on site

Highlight

Bellissimo Spa and Salon for an unhurried treatment after a morning on the sand

Best for Shoreline weekends that mix beach walks, the spa and seafood dinners

Resort fee: A nightly resort fee applies — confirm the amount
Transfer: Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT)
Check-in age: Ask the hotel

More details

Harrah's faces the long, man-made beach that lines US 90 through Biloxi, with the Gulf a short walk across the road.

The resort fee is charged per night; ask what it covers, as pool and fitness access are usually bundled into it.

Check availability at Harrah's Gulf Coast (official website, new browser tab)

Beach Boulevard

8Gulf Coast & New Orleans

Golden Nugget Biloxi

Biloxi, Mississippi

Rooms Beach Boulevard tower accommodation, from standard doubles to suites,, some with views over the water.

Key facilities

Two outdoor pools
Beach access (ask about the shuttle)
Full-service spa
Casino on site

Highlight

Pools and a private beach area that make the Gulf part of every day

Best for Sun-seekers who want water on both sides of the day: the pool at noon, the beach at dusk

Resort fee: Cabana and shuttle extras: request a quote
Transfer: Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT)
Check-in age: Minimum age varies — confirm

More details

The hotel sits at the eastern end of Biloxi's beachfront, facing the Mississippi Sound.

Spa hours can change through the week, so book treatments in advance rather than on arrival.

Check availability at Golden Nugget Biloxi (official website, new browser tab)

Bay of St. Louis

9Gulf Coast & New Orleans

Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast

Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

Rooms Waterfront tower accommodation whose bay-side windows face the water.

Key facilities

Waterfront hotel tower
Outdoor pool deck
Several places to eat
Casino on site

Highlight

Bay views from the tower and an easy drive to Old Town Bay St. Louis

Best for Travellers who prefer a quieter coastal town to the Biloxi strip

Resort fee: Confirm any resort fee
Transfer: Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT) or New Orleans (MSY)
Check-in age: Ask the hotel

More details

Operated by PENN Entertainment, the resort lies on the Bay of St. Louis, a little inland from the open Gulf.

Old Town Bay St. Louis, with its galleries, cafés and harbour walk, is a short drive away and makes a gentle morning outing.

Check availability at Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast (official website, new browser tab)

Foot of Canal Street

10Gulf Coast & New Orleans

Caesars New Orleans

Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana

Rooms Two hotel towers: the newer Caesars Tower and the original building on Poydras Street. A separate Nobu Hotel occupies two floors of the complex.

Key facilities

Nobu Hotel within the complex
Octavia bar and lounge
Many restaurants
Casino on site

Highlight

Walking distance to the French Quarter, the riverfront and the ferry to Algiers Point

Best for City breaks where the hotel is a base for jazz clubs, museums and long dinners

Resort fee: Resort fee and valet costs: request both
Transfer: New Orleans (MSY), about half an hour
Check-in age: Ask the hotel

More details

Formerly known as Harrah's New Orleans, the complex was rebuilt and renamed by Caesars Entertainment and stands where Canal Street meets the river.

Leave the car: the French Quarter, the Warehouse District and the streetcar lines are all on foot from the lobby.

Check availability at Caesars New Orleans (official website, new browser tab)

The ten, side by side

Every fact here repeats what the entries above say. Fees and age rules change, so treat this as a checklist of questions for the hotel.

Ten Mississippi-region resort hotels compared by area, stand-out feature, airport and fee notes
Hotel	Area	Stand-out	Nearest airport	Fees
1. Pearl River Resort	Choctaw, Neshoba County, Mississippi	Geyser Falls, the resort's own water theme park, keeps a summer weekend busy for all ages	Jackson (JAN) or Meridian (MEI); car needed	Ask whether any resort charge applies
2. Gold Strike Casino Resort	Tunica Resorts, Mississippi	Upper-floor rooms look out over miles of open Delta, especially striking at sunrise	Memphis International (MEM), south by car	Resort and parking charges: check first
3. Horseshoe Tunica	Robinsonville, Tunica County, Mississippi	A warm-weather outdoor pool that turns a Delta road trip into a lazy afternoon	Memphis (MEM) by car	Confirm whether a resort fee is added
4. Hollywood Casino Tunica	Robinsonville, Tunica County, Mississippi	An indoor pool, which means a swim stays on the plan even in a Delta downpour	Memphis (MEM) by car	Amenity charge, if any: confirm
5. Ameristar Casino Hotel Vicksburg	Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi	Close to Vicksburg National Military Park and the old downtown on the bluffs	Jackson (JAN), under an hour by car	Confirm parking and any resort charge
6. WaterView Casino & Hotel	Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi	A hotel that keeps to adult guests, so the corridors stay quiet in the evening	Jackson (JAN) by car	Deposit and fees: confirm when booking
7. Harrah's Gulf Coast	Biloxi, Mississippi	Bellissimo Spa and Salon for an unhurried treatment after a morning on the sand	Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT)	A nightly resort fee applies — confirm the amount
8. Golden Nugget Biloxi	Biloxi, Mississippi	Pools and a private beach area that make the Gulf part of every day	Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT)	Cabana and shuttle extras: request a quote
9. Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast	Bay St. Louis, Mississippi	Bay views from the tower and an easy drive to Old Town Bay St. Louis	Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT) or New Orleans (MSY)	Confirm any resort fee
10. Caesars New Orleans	Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana	Walking distance to the French Quarter, the riverfront and the ferry to Algiers Point	New Orleans (MSY), about half an hour	Resort fee and valet costs: request both

Asked often by readers planning a stay

Which months suit a river or coast trip?

Late spring and autumn are the comfortable months along the river and in the hills. Summer brings heat, humidity and afternoon storms, though it is also the only time outdoor pools and the Geyser Falls water park are reliably open. On the Gulf Coast storm season stretches from early summer deep into autumn, so read the cancellation terms before you pay.

How do I get to each resort from the airport?

A car makes life easier almost everywhere on this list. Tunica is reached from Memphis, Vicksburg and Choctaw from Jackson, and the coast from Gulfport-Biloxi or New Orleans. Some resorts run their own shuttles; ask the hotel whether one exists and whether it must be booked ahead.

What is the check-in age?

It varies. Around here, front desks commonly expect whoever signs the registration card to be 21, and WaterView keeps to adult guests only. Confirm the rule with the hotel before booking, especially for younger couples or student groups.

Will the bill include more than the nightly rate?

Frequently. A nightly resort charge appears at several of these properties, and parking, cabanas or beach shuttles can be charged separately. The booking page should show the full figure; if it does not, ask the hotel in writing.

Can I bring children?

Pearl River Resort, with its summer water park, is the most family-friendly stop here, and the Tunica and coastal resorts accept younger guests in their hotels. WaterView in Vicksburg is the exception, as its rooms are for adults. Public areas near the casino are restricted by age, so ask about pool rules and kids' dining before you go.

Is the number one resort independent?

No. Pearl River Resort belongs to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, which also publishes this guide. It sits first because it is our own property. A booking there benefits the owner directly, and that is why we say so on every page that matters.

Do you take bookings?

Never. Offrageo is a reading desk, not an agency: no room stock, no reservation system, no card processing. Pressing “Check availability” opens that resort's official pages, and whatever you book there is agreed between you and the hotel.

How the ledger was put together

We started with resort hotels that have their own rooms on site and that a traveller could reach by road from the Mississippi corridor: Choctaw, Tunica County, Vicksburg, the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. Each one had to be open and taking guests when we checked, with an official website we could link to directly.

Places two to ten were set by editors who compared the rooms on offer, the leisure facilities beyond the lobby, the ease of getting there and how plainly each hotel explains its fees. We do not print prices, room counts or opening years unless we are sure of them, and we do not describe what happens inside the casinos.

Position one follows a separate rule. Pearl River Resort is run by offrageo’s publisher, and we place our own property at the top openly rather than pretending an editorial contest put it there.

Money: this site contains affiliate links, and we may earn a referral commission when a booking follows a click, at no extra cost to you. Commission has no say in where an entry sits. The mechanics are spelled out in the affiliate disclosure; house rules for editors live on the publisher page.