Ameristar ultimately planned for a 1,500-room hotel. After its planned 1996 opening, Ameristar intended to expand the casino to 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m 2) and increase the hotel with 500 additional rooms. The resort was designed as the first phase of a potential expansion, as Ameristar owned a vacant area of 28 acres surrounding the resort, with the option to purchase an additional 20 acres. The Reserve was built in Henderson, Nevada, near Black Mountain, on Lake Mead Drive near U.S. The Reserve was initially planned to open in October 1996, with 225 hotel rooms, 1,000 slot machines, and 35 gaming tables. Ameristar acquired The Reserve as part of the deal.
At that time, Ameristar Casinos agreed to merge with Gem Gaming. Construction on The Reserve was underway as of April 1996, with Steve Rebeil and Dominic Magliarditi of Gem Gaming Company as the developers.
