The Riverview: Hotel honors the past, creates the future of downtown Cape

Thursday, March 7, 2024 ~ Updated 2:28 AM

Photo rendering displays the Jackpot Suite on the seventh floor of The Riverview. Lyle Randolph says this room would be perfect for business meetings or gatherings with its half bathroom, dry bar and separate meeting space.

Lyle Randolph, vice president and general manager of Century Casino Cape Girardeau, says when he moved to the city in 2013, there hadn’t been a hotel downtown for almost 50 years.

Since then, the Courtyard Marriott has opened on Broadway and now, The Riverview is set to be the second major hotel development downtown on 777 Main Street with its grand opening on April 4.

The Riverview by Century Casinos will feature exclusive views of the Mississippi River, Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge and downtown. Looking out those river-facing windows, guests can watch trains and barges go by regularly, and feel as if they’re connected to the daily bustle of the historic river city.

The hotel will provide easy access to Century Casino and its two dining options, while still maintaining a sense of separation and privacy. Randolph says they’ve designed the hotel to be deeply rooted in Cape Girardeau’s history and community, and they have plans to stock locally made products in their hotel store. A lot of the details of the hotel’s design, features and offerings are tied back to this vision of forging a connection between guests and Cape Girardeau.

Randolph says even the name of the hotel, The Riverview, is a reference to Cape Girardeau’s premier hotel in the 1800s that existed on the corner of Broadway and Water Street, where a public parking lot exists now. The old Riverview hotel burned down in 1916, but it used to be a popular spot for visitors coming in off the river.

Beacon 53, the casino’s fine dining restaurant and breakfast spot for hotel guests, features stunning views of the river and is named after its location on the Mississippi River near Mile Marker 53. The Red Star Grill, located below Beacon 53, offers casual fare and is named after the shoe factory that existed where the casino is now. The hotel will have a premier entrance leading up to Beacon 53; the casino will also feature a new entrance to The Red Star Grill so individuals under 21 years old can dine at the establishment.

The Riverview is an ideal hotel for hosting business conferences, meetings or conventions, as there is access to Century Casino’s event center and a smaller meeting room, The Delta Room, on the first floor of the hotel.

As for the actual hotel rooms, The Riverview offers 69 rooms, with four unique, circular suites on floors four, five, six and seven. All center rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, and every room on the seventh floor facing the river is a suite.

The Jackpot Suite on the seventh floor is uniquely designed as a flexible space for guests who may want to entertain or host business meetings. The suite’s bedroom is separate from a circular meeting room which includes two “S-shaped” sectionals, a wet bar, a 98-inch television with a built-in presentation center and a half bathroom.

Photo rendering displays the finished exterior of The Riverview by Century Casinos. The hotel will be complete by April 4 for its grand opening.

Hotel manager Loren Ramirez said the Jackpot Suite is the perfect spot to host cocktail parties and meetings to impress clients or business partners. Arrangements can be made for in-room dining, as well.

Within the circular suite rooms, Ramirez says they will have a retractable two-sided television at the foot of each bed. This way, guests can watch television from their bed or on the couches.

Randolph said it is these small, thoughtful details that make The Riverview stand out from a typical box hotel on the interstate. Still, the best part is the impressive view, reaching from Main Street to the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge and beyond.

Randolph says there are “a lot of stories out that window,” and that’s why he hopes to incorporate a guide in each room to help guests identify landmarks and the history behind them. From the window, guests can see the top of the KFVS tower, Fort A, the historic houses on North Lorimier street — most of them built at the start of the 20th century or in the late 19th century, and the pump station that keeps rainwater flowing into the Mississippi.

Randolph has been in the casino business for 29 years and has been in Cape working at Century Casino since 2013. Over the past decade, he has seen the connection between the casino and Broadway strengthen as more businesses and residential developments pop up along Main Street.

“[When I first arrived,] it certainly felt like a gap between here and Broadway and downtown. We’re slowly seeing the development that I’ve always wanted to see,” Randolph said. “That connection to downtown is getting stronger [with] even more development. Hopefully, this hotel spurs that and really creates that connection to the rest of Main Street.”

The hotel’s grand opening will be held on April 4, but Randolph and Ramirez say they’ll have live music at Red Star Grill and events to celebrate the eclipse and hotel throughout the weekend. The April eclipse will be the last chance to see a total eclipse in the continental United States until 2044, and the next time Cape Girardeau is set to be in the path of totality is 300 years from now — which Randolph says helps to show how rare this event is. Randolph says they plan to seal a time capsule to be opened centuries from now when the next path of totality crosses Cape.

Ramirez has over 14 years of experience in the hospitality industry and is excited to be a part of The Riverview project as hotel manager. He says there are lots of great options for hotels in Cape, but with The Riverview, they are looking to offer a new experience that no one else is currently offering. Most of all, Ramirez and Randolph hope the hotel is a showcase for the area, bringing more people to the city.

“If you’re looking for something a little bit different that connects and gives you an idea of what the community is really about, I think this is a great space for it,” Randolph said.

To book reservations for your trip or upcoming business meeting, visit riverviewcape.com.