Resort News

Choctaw resort debuts new hotel and casino one hour's drive from Dallas

It's a popular destination for the proverbial staycation.

Photo courtesy of Choctaw Resort and Casino

An entertainment destination for many North Texans has opened a much anticipated major expansion: Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, has debuted the new Sky Tower Hotel and a casino, expanding its status as a quick getaway destination.

The new hotel is 21 stories tall and has 1,000 rooms, and comes with a collection of new restaurants, lounges, and entertainment options, plus a collection of Choctaw art. Two new pools are rumored to be coming soon.

This expansion has been in the works since 2019, and is the fourth major upgrade at the resort and casino since the property debuted in 2006. It makes it one of the largest gambling resorts in the U.S.

Choctaw Casino & Resort–Durant is a three-level convention/entertainment venue whose amenities include swimming, shopping, dining, and spa, plus The District, an entertainment complex with dining, drinks, bowling lanes, 70-game arcade, and movie theater.

This expansion adds 3,300 additional slot machines, table games, a new poker room, new restaurants, bars, movie theaters and three-acres of swimming pools.

Choctaw is in southeastern Oklahoma, a mere 100 miles from Dallas, and with its combination of casino and other amenities is a popular weekend staycation option. Choctaw also has a number of trails and state parks nearby.

Heidi Grant, Choctaw's Executive Officer of Gaming & Hospitality, says in a statement that the expansion adds modern touches to the resort, with some whimsical touches including art on the ceilings. "Every detail is intentional," Grant says.

They're also hosting a pair of special exhibits in partnership with Coca-Cola:

Find Yourself at Choctaw – a Digital Mosaic Experience. Located in the South Entrance to the Sky Tower, this interactive experience takes photos of participating guests and adds them to a larger-than-life digital mosaic. Guests who submit to photos can find themselves added on August 13-14, August 20-21, and August 27-28. Those who participate get a printout of their photo, access to the digital mosaic made up of all the collected images, and other giveaways.

Live Art Installation
Watch the history of Choctaw Casino & Resort - Durant come to life through the eyes and work of Choctaw artists Steven Paul Judd, Antonia Belindo, Dylan Cavin, D.G. Smalling, and more. Each weekend in August, one artist will host a live art installation where you can watch the artists at work. August 13-14, August 20-21, and August 27-28 in the Sky Tower South Entrance.

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Dallas-Fort Worth Airport ranks as world's 6th busiest in new report

DFW Airport

DFW Airport is celebrating the big 50.

Whichever way you look at it, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport ranks as one of the world’s busiest airports.

A new report from OAG, a provider of data and analytics for the travel industry, christens DFW the world’s sixth busiest airport based on what’s known as total seat capacity. In this case, that refers to the number of airline seats offered by an airport. DFW also held the No. 6 spot in last year’s OAG report.

OAG relied on data from the 2025 calendar year to come up with its latest ranking, which puts Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in the top spot.

A different ranking of the world’s busiest airports, based on the number of passengers in 2024, places DFW at No. 3. Airports Council International released the ranking last year. DFW handled 87.8 million passengers in 2024.

Atlanta’s airport also topped the council’s most recent list.

“DFW continues to experience unprecedented growth as we near serving 90 million passengers annually,” Sean Donohue, who then was CEO of DFW, said in an April 2025 news release. “Our continued place among the world’s busiest airports reflects the strength of this region, our airline partners, and the intentional investments we have made to operate an efficient and innovative facility for our partners and customers alike.”

Donohue retired last year, and DFW executive Chris McLaughlin was promoted to succeed him.

DFW is investing about $12 billion on airport upgrades, including the new Terminal F. The more than $4 billion project will create a 31-gate terminal to be occupied solely by Fort Worth-based American Airlines. The project’s first phase is scheduled to be finished in 2027.

“DFW is growing fast, and we are committed to sharing this economic opportunity with businesses in our community as we move forward,” DeMetris Sampson, a member of the airport's board, said in a May 2025 news release about Terminal F. “DFW has become the economic engine of our region, and we know that this investment will ensure the long-term sustainability of the airport.”

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