Maryland Live! and Live! Hotel Unite as Wall Comes Down

The addition of an on-site hotel at Maryland Live! casino took a key step forward this week when the casino and the adjacent hotel that’s under construction were officially united by members of the casino’s executive team, using sledgehammers to smash down the wall separating the two.

The Live! Hotel is scheduled to open in early 2018.

It will include 310 rooms, a day spa and salon, event center and meeting facilities.

The 17-story hotel is part of a $200 million expansion by owner The Cordish Cos. The expansion includes a concert venue and more restaurants.

The hotel will add another 4,300 jobs to Maryland Live!’s current payroll of about 3,000.

A second hotel, a renovation of an existing nearby property into a boutique hotel called Live! Lofts, is open during renovations.

Maryland Live! marked its fifth anniversary last month. It now welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year and has generated nearly $3 billion in total gaming revenue since opening.

Since opening, Cordish says Live! has paid out more than $22 billion in winnings.