Hidden Oklahoma Gem

Recently I had the chance to visit  The Artesian Hotel,Casino & Spa which is nestled in the heart of Sulphur, Oklahoma. I am a born and raised Okie but had yet made my way down south to visit Sulphur. The town is in southern Oklahoma north of Tishomingo home of Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert for all you that aren’t fellow Oklahomans. Also located right by the Lake of the Arbuckles and the Chickasaw National Park. I had heard wonderful things about the Artesian Hotel so when I found out I would be getting the chance to visit the elegant hotel for a board retreat I was pretty excited. 

 Picture source

The Artesian is a one-of-a- kind historic hotel that offered the perfect weekend getaway destination spot.  The hotel was originally built in Sulphur in 1906 and was known as popular spot for celebrities, politicians and tourists, such as John Wayne, how fun! The hotel housed the town’s only elevator as it stood four stories high until it was destroyed in a fire in 1962. In 1965 it was rebuilt and named The Artesian Motor Hotel until 1972 when they were on the verge of bankruptcy and the Chickasaw Nation bought them out. The hotel was used for the tribe’s headquarters and renamed the Chickasaw Motor Inn until the tribe moved their offices in 1977.  In 2010 the hotel was remolded and named The Artesian Hotel, Casino & Spa. The new Artesian now has restored one of the area’s most loved hotels to its original beauty. The beautiful hotel offers guests an amazing spa, entertaining casino and amenities for your whole family. 

I checked in on Friday at five o’clock and immediately regretted not arriving earlier in the day to take full advantage of all the hotel offers. The outdoor pool was bustling with children and people of all ages and every barstool was taken at the Fountain Club with people welcoming the weekend with a cocktail. I had a dinner plans at the hotel’s restaurant that evening with the rest of the board so I skipped the cocktails to check into my room and clean up some before dinner. 

My room was stunning. It exceed every standard I had envisioned. The detailing was on point with a very classy but cozy atmosphere. This was the first hotel I have ever been to that I didn’t feel like that crammed every room together to make space for more rooms. The room was spacious and the bathroom was open with a huge bathtub! 

Springs at the Artesian is held right inside the hotel offering great balcony seating with a  view of the town of Sulphur. It is small little quaint town but holds some true beauty.  Since we had a larger group we opted to dine inside but it was still very enjoyable. With a wide variety of selections I chose the filet, roasted mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus with a glass of wine.  The restaurant would be a wonderful venue to hold an event as a wedding rehearsal dinner, family gathering or any celebration. Obviously it was also great for a meeting dinner as well.

After dinner I went on a short walk and took a stroll through the casino. I am not personally a big casino fan because well I'm cheap and I work hard for my money! But I wanted to check it out and it was definitely packed full of people having fun! I wasn't sure about pulling out my camera...because I once got kicked out of a Blake Shelton concert that was held in a casino for taking pictures...womp womp.

As an event planner I planned the board retreat at The Artesian and I have to say the conference rooms, catering and event staff were great to work with. If you are looking for a great place to hold a meeting in Oklahoma look at The Artesian it is definitely worth considering. The board members were all welcome to bring their families to the retreat as well and they all enjoyed their stay. 

This was not a sponsored post by The Artesian I just love finding hidden gems in my home state and couldn’t wait to share with y’all! If you aren’t an Oklahoman and ever find yourself in Sulphur, Oklahoma let me know!