As you stand before the grand Beau Rivage, take a deep breath and prepare to be awed-it’s the tallest building in all of Mississippi! Imagine sparkling glass rising 346 feet above you, with sunlight glinting off every window. The name Beau Rivage is French for “beautiful shore,” and let’s be honest, it’s a lot easier to say than “Tallest-Towering-Casino-By-The-Gulf.” Picture luxurious hotels in Switzerland with the same name. Here, though, it’s pure Southern glamour.
The story behind this glittering giant starts with a twist. Originally, Biloxi’s own was supposed to inspire the Bellagio in Las Vegas, but Steve Wynn switched gears and saved “Beau Rivage” for Biloxi’s waterfront. The casino opened its doors in March 1999, boasting 1,740 rooms-enough to host every cousin you ever avoided at family reunions.
Back then, Mississippi law was a stickler: casinos had to sit on floating barges. Can you imagine a building of this size gently bobbing in the tides? Fortunately, everything else-the hotel, restaurants, parking-stood solid on land.
Now, drama struck in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina sent a 30-foot storm surge crashing over the shore. The casino barge was battered, but the mighty hotel tower stood its ground. In an act that would impress even the most stubborn squirrels, Beau Rivage rebuilt and triumphantly reopened one year later, a beacon among devastation.
Since then, the state let casinos move ashore (as long as they're not setting up slot machines in the middle of the woods), and Beau Rivage has added fancy perks, like its Fallen Oak championship golf course. These days, the resort is owned by Vici Properties, but MGM Resorts keeps things running with style and a dash of that old Biloxi magic. So, whether you’re here to play, golf, or just gawk, Beau Rivage’s story is as dazzling as its night-time lights.
