Ameristar tops off hotel in Black Hawk, Colo.

There isn’t much in the way of tall buildings on the 546-mile drive between Salt Lake City and Denver, although some have said Interstate 70 does have nice scenery.

Ameristar Casinos is changing that landscape.

The Las Vegas-based company topped off its 33-story, 536-room hotel tower addition to the Ameristar Black Hawk Thursday. Ameristar is touting the $235 million expansion project as the tallest structure between Salt Lake City and Denver.

The town of Black Hawk is about 40 miles west of Denver. The new hotel tower, which includes a spa and conference center, is expected to give Denver citizens another reason to make the trip. The expansion is expected to open this fall.

Black Hawk residents recently approved gaming expansion, which included larger wagering limits, new table games and 24-hour casinos.

Ameristar CEO Gordon Kanofsky said the expansion would make the company’s Black Hawk casino “the only true destination resort in the Denver market and allow us to attract regional guests who now travel to Las Vegas for their gaming and resort entertainment."

Below is a photo of Ameristar Black Hawk.