UNCASVILLE, Conn. - Ten years ago, a swashbuckling South Africannamed Sol Kerzner climbed a hill here and looked down the bank of thewide, meandering Thames River.
You wonder how much of the future was apparent then to the manFrank Sinatra once described as "the best saloonkeeper in the world."
Could he see the two vast, domed casinos, crowded with folkshappily, dizzily, crazily losing their money? Could he hear the mind-numbing din of 6,000 whirling slot machines?
Could Kerzner envision the elegant 34-story hotel, architecturallyreminiscent of Boston's John Hancock Tower, its reflection not ofcityscape but back-country wilderness?
Did he foresee a restaurant under a waterfall, a martini bar undera star speckled planetarium, a baby-sitting service for the wee onesunder $8 an hour?
Totally sumptuous and totally superfluous shops? A 10,000-seatarena for acts like Cher? A macho mix of professional football,boxing, and wrestling? A 350-seat cabaret opened by Tony Bennett(Sinatra having gone to his reward)?
Even a ballroom big and deep enough to float the Queen ElizabethII?
Today, from the same hilltop vantage point where Kerzner onceprospected for gold, you see three lanes of traffic come sweepingaround a bend, only to be swallowed whole by the carnivorous andcavernous Mohegan Sun. There's no place else to turn, and there's noplace like it. The whole complex is so disproportionate to itsbucolic surroundings that, once inside, you feel a bit disoriented,as if you have landed in Oz. You may have an urge to present yourselfto the nearest uniformed attendant and say: "Take me to your leader."
But you've got to hand it to him, that Kerzner. He opened thefirst Mohegan Sun casino in 1996, its iniquitous twin in 2001, and inApril this towering 1,200-room luxury hotel. All of it on time andunder budget. Too late, is it, to give him a go at the bloated andinterminable Big Dig?
There's no question why Kerzner picked these particular booniesfor a $2 billion infusion. Just down the road was a place calledFoxwoods. People showed up there at all hours of the day and night tolose their money. A thing like that does not go unnoticed by thelikes of Kerzner. Overseas, he is a staple of the tabloid press,where as simply "Sol," his every move is tracked.
Foxwoods was just one of those quirky American things. Nativepeople in these parts (and others) have been abused by the immigrantEuropean culture since Columbus. But only in the late 1980s didCongress tie together a couple of loose strands of history to makewhat approximates amends. Indian tribes could open casinos, even inplaces where gambling is officially verboten. At long last, NativeAmericans got a guaranteed piece of the action.
Sol Kerzner, capitalist extraordinaire, meet Ralph Sturges, chieffor-life of the Mohegan Tribe of Indians.
Sturges accompanied Kerzner to the hilltop that day in 1992, asdid Len Wolman, a local hotelier (and South African immigrant), LeeTyrol, an imaginative advertising man, and others. It's unlikelyanyone mentioned Kerzner's exploits in South Africa, where in 1979 hecreated a glamorous and controversial resort and casino called SunCity - built, some charged, in collaboration with the reigning systemof racial apartheid.
Equally unlikely was any mention made of a nasty charge of bribery-cum-extortion that has dogged Kerzner since his days on the veldt(and soon to be borne out as fact by regulators in New Jersey, wherehe once owned the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City).
No, all was forward-looking that day, with the Mohegans trading ontheir suddenly quite marketable heritage, and Kerzner on his wit,wile, and wealth. The deal cut Kerzner and his coterie in for about$1 billion, payable through the year 2014. After that, the tribe ownsit all.
But exactly how Mohegan is Mohegan Sun? Put it this way: Kernzerdid business under the corporate name Sun. And there's a lot more Sunthan there is Mohegan in this palace of pleasures.
Classy hotel
The best thing about Mohegan Sun is that you go expecting onlyfirst-class treatment in its casinos, restaurants, and hotel. Andexcept for some first-run jitters on the part of hotel staff, the Sundelivers.
At $225, a room on the 25th floor is a cozy little Eden away fromthe flashy hyperactivity of downstairs. The carpeting fairly massagesyour bare feet. The lighting is soft and the decor - steeped in adobecolors - is vaguely Native American. A full panel of windows relievesthe claustrophobia of casinos without windows (or clocks). There'sample space to work at the desk, sit in a nicely upholstered easychair with hassock, or flop on the bed (eight downy pillows, thickcomforter) for TV, movies, cable, computer games, even Internet.
The decorator shunned boxy furniture for interesting pieces cut atodd angles; the bureau, for example, expands forward and outward asit rises. There's no bulky armoire dominating the room. And therefrigerator is stocked for a rock band headed for rehab. (Beware:Sensors guard its contents. You move it, you own it; $4.50 forwater.)
Just to remind you where you are, there's a safe in the closet.The interior doors give off a nice I'm successful thud, as does thewhole place. And there's no need to hang a "do not disturb" signoutside your door. You can do it electronically.
In the bathroom you stand on polished black marble tile. The tubis deep, and a table under the vanity slides over for your drinks,books, reading glasses, etc., while you soak off hours at theroulette, blackjack, and craps tables.
Complaints: The sink water was not hot enough, and the littleround (shaving/makeup) mirror on an accordion arm was too far fromthe sink. Worse yet: The coffee machine, loaded before bed, wasunresponsive at 6:30 a.m. A nice but feckless woman first arrivedwith extra coffee packets, then with another coffee machine. Ifinally had to suggest a pot of coffee be sent up from room service.It came, but with a bill for $10 ($1 delivery charge and 15 percentgratuity included).
Don't be afraid to ask to check in earlier than 3 p.m. Don't bereluctant to ask to check out later than noon. Don't expect anythingto be without a charge. And don't expect the front desk to answer thephone at all during peak checkout time.
The dining experience
At Todd English's Tuscany, I sat next to a gushing waterfall,people-watching and pondering a little conundrum of commerce. Theharnessing of rivers four centuries ago salted New England withindustrious grain and sawmills. Wealth would eventually follow.
Now Kerzner pays tons of money to lug a river of water up threestories, just to let it spill down over faux rocks. Wealth follows.Meanwhile, I waited for mussels alla diavola ($11) and mesclun salad($8). And waited, and waited.
That night, I ate at Michael Jordan's Steakhouse. The attractionhere is masculinity. Displayed on the restaurant's exteriors are foot-high profundities of this nature: "If you do the work you get thereward."
Inside, nothing fluffy or flowery. No tacky sports memorabilia. Nosoft rock, no chatty waitresses (guy servers only), no nonsense overwhat constitutes "reward" on the menu: "Our steaks are the finestUSDA prime available, hand selected for great marbling and aged aminimum of four weeks for flavor and tenderness." Kill it, cook it,and bring it on, bro.
The filet mignon came seared au poivre with sambuca cream, theCaesar salad with tasty anchovies and a healthy flat piece ofParmesan cheese, the candied sweet potatoes with ginger andmarshmallow. With two beers, the damage: $55, excluding tip. The foodand the ambience were memorable, the service flawless. They do thework, you get the reward.
At $18, the Sunburst Buffet is all you can eat of steakpeperonata, steamed mussels, Mongolian stir fry, Creole tuna, friedflounder, shrimp with soy ginger, artichoke salad, dilled cucumbers,and so on. Waffles and crepes, made to order, await for dessert (andmay lure certain chowhounds away from fourths on the entrees). Manyconsider the buffet their best-spent money of the day.
Also of note: the Elemis spa. Hedonistic? Yes. If you can get overthe guilt, my advice is to pay the $15 user fee for a roam among thesauna, whirlpool, steam room (if it is working), gym, and superbindoor-outdoor pool (miraculously, no eye sting without goggles). Youpad about in slippers and a regally thick bathrobe.
Some may indulge in an "exotic jasmine flower bath for two,"complete with massage lessons, champagne, and chocolate-coveredstrawberries. The massages are on a heated table, with your choice ofmale or female professional. And quite expensive: $95, plus anadministrative fee, plus a tip.
Then there's something called the "Alpha Capsule." For one dollarper minute, you lie in a sort of modified bobsled, superheated andfilled with a fine aroma. It vibrates you. You listen to music. Youget the picture.
What about Mohegans?
Pleasures aside, can you expect to learn anything about theMohegans or other Native Americans at Mohegan Sun? Not really.
The Mohegan tribe is a splinter group of a splinter group of asplinter group. They descend from Uncas, a sachem who broke away fromthe Pequot in the early 1600s and made peace with the arrivingEnglish.
Many adopted Christianity, including Samson Occum (1723-92), whonot only became an ordained minister, but also founded DartmouthCollege. Their language never took on a written form, and withFidelia Fielding's death almost a century ago, they lost the last ofthe Mohegans to speak fluent Mohegan-Pequot (Algonkian) dialect.
Many Mohegans adapted non Indian ways over the centuries, whilestaying rooted to the great hill over the Thames. A succession ofmedicine women passed along the tribes' traditions and legends,including Gladys Tantaquidgeon, the 103-year-old matriarch.
It would have been a mistake to try to inflate Mohegan historyinto a Disney-scaled theme park. The material is somewhat limited.There's the legend of Moshup, a giant who left footprints on certainrocks throughout New England, and his wife, Granny Squannit, whotended to the "Little People," inhabitants of the woods never seenbut to whom Mohegans offer gifts of bread and berries in hand wovenbaskets. Besides, would gamblers even abide a more pronounced theme?
What Mohegan Sun's decorators did seems appropriate. Guided bytribal historian Melissa Jayne Fawcett, they nicely blended Mohegancolors, designs, and symbols into the decor. The hotel lobby isfabulous, including a stylized wolf, a serene reflecting pool, and asoaring interpretation of the sacred red cedar tree. There's alsobirch bark and beads aplenty.
But for all that, there is no narrative. Unlike at Foxwoods, withits Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, you cannot easilylearn the story of the Mohegans at Mohegan Sun.
For that, you must go to the white-steepled Mohegan Church a mileaway, atop Mohegan Hill. At first glance, it looks like a miniature,at about one-fourth the size of the typical Congregationalist churchpresiding over so many town centers in New England. Built in 1831, ithas been wonderfully refurbished (with casino money, no doubt).Inside, the Mohegan story is told, in artifacts (some of themreturned from the Peabody Essex Museum of Salem) and in a concisehistory of the tribe. But it is the continuous existence of thisserene little church when all else Mohegan seemed to vanish in the20th century that speaks most eloquently of this tribe's particulargenius. Behind the pulpit are a simple wooden cross, an Americanflag, and an eagle's feather said to symbolize purity and highideals.
Sean P. Murphy can be reached at smurphy@globe.com.
SIDEBAR 1: BY THE NUMBERS PLEASE REFER TO MICROFILM FOR CHARTDATA.
SIDEBAR 2: IF YOU GO... HOW TO GET THERE MOHEGAN SUN IS IN EASTERCONNECTICUT, ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF THE SEAPORT CITIES OF GROTON ANDNEW LONDON. IT IS ABOUT TWO HOURS DRIVE TIME FROM BOSTON. FROM NORTHAND WEST OF BOSTON, TAKE INTERSTATE 90 (MASS. TURNPIKE) WEST, TOINTERSTATE 395 SOUTH, THEN TO EXIT 79 A (Route 2A). From south ofBoston, take Interstate 95 through Providence, to Route 32 north,then to Interstate 395. A map and directions are available atwww.MoheganSun.com.
Where to stay
Mohegan Sun Hotel
888-777-7922
www.mohegansun.com Rooms $175 to $350; book in advance for Fridayor Saturday nights.
Best Western Cristata Inn
2255 Route 32, Uncasville
(half-mile from Mohegan Sun)
860-848-0660
888-863-7847
Rooms $109; $165, Fridays and Saturdays.
Ramada Inna Norwich/Mystic
10 Laura Boulevard, Norwich
860-889-5201
Rooms $109; $185 Fridays and Saturdays.
Where to eat
Some of the restaurants in Mohegan Sun Mall (888-226-7711):
Michael Jordan's Steak House Specializing in prime aged steaks.Dinner only. Entrees from $35.
Michael Jordan's 23 Sportcafe Modern cuisine. Lunch and dinner.Entrees from $15.
Todd English's Tuscany Regional Italian cuisine, including salads,appetizers, flatbreads, homemade pastas, and grilled and oven-bakedentrees. Lunch and dinner. Entrees from $25.
Big Bubba's BBQ Southern cuisine, including ribs, chicken, pork,brisket, and other traditional favorites. Dinner.
Entrees from $20.
Jasper White's Summer Shack Oyster bar and seasonal New Englandkitchen, including live lobster and crab, fried seafood, chowders,wood-grilled fish, and other regional specialties. Lunch and dinner.Entrees from $20.
Johnny Rockets A 1950s themed diner/malt shop. Lunch and dinner.Burgers $10.
Rain Fine dining, with a fusion of international flavors andfeatures a five-course degustation, which is available with winepairings. Dinner. Entrees from $40 (Wednesday-Sunday).
The Longhouse Grilled and roasted, aged prime beef and variousseafood. Lunch and dinner. Entrees from $35.
Pompeii and Caesar Gourmet Italian restaurant, including fradiavolo with lobster, sea scallops, shrimp, clams and mussels, andbistecca fiorentina, a specially aged 16-ounce T-bone withSalmoriglio sauce and broccoli rabe. Dinner. Entrees from $35.
Bamboo Forest Thai, Malaysian, and Vietnamese cuisine, served"host style." Lunch and dinner. Entrees from $35.
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