Illinois was the 5th state admitted to the union on December 3, 1818. It covers an area of 57,918 square miles. It is a Great Lakes state, and is nicknamed the “Prairie State”. The population, as reported in December 2000, is 12,419,293 and it is the 5th most populated state in the U.S. With the introduction of the Alton Belle, Illinois became only the second state to allow riverboat casinos. All of the casinos offer great gaming from Slots to Blackjack to Roulette, and welcome all guests over the age of 21.

Argosy’s Alton Belle Casino was the first riverboat casino in Illinois, opening its doors in 1991. It is located at 1 Front Street in Alton. There are three restaurants available for guests. The casino occupies 23,000 square feet and operates from 9am to 5pm every day. It features a 1,200-passenger yacht and a barge. Argosy’s Empress Casino is located at 2300 Empress Drive in Joliet. There are 85 rooms and 17 suites available at the casino hotel. The casino operates from 10am to 4am on Friday and from 10am to 4am on Saturday. There are three restaurants on site. The casino occupies 50,000 square feet, and has special features like an 80-space RV park and 2,500-passenger barge. Casino Queen is located in East Saint Louis at 200 South Front Street. There are 150 rooms and 7 suites available at the casino as well. The casino operates from 9am to 7am daily. It occupies 27,500 square feet and offers many features. Besides gaming, Casino Queen offers a 2,500-passenger paddle wheeler, a 140-space RV park and easy access to MetroLink light-rail station.

With locations in New York City, Chicago and Washington DC, Affinia’s goal is to create extremely comfortable experiences tailored specifically to the unique needs of the guests. In effort to do so, Affinia has created a collection of lifestyle hotels, each with a special focus, such as wellness, tranquility and club. Affinia leaves it up to you to decide which environment makes you most comfortable. No matter which hotel you select, you will enjoy the custom-designed Affinia Bed and 6-choice pillow menu, High-speed access & WIFI, experience kits, friendly faces and comfortable living spaces.

Affinia believes that hotels should be more than places to stay. That comfort requires more than fantastic amenities and services, and must begin with environment.