Margaritaville reopens after almost four months of renovations

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - It’s been a long wait, but the doors have reopened at Margaritaville.

The Biloxi resort has been closed since Oct. 28 when Hurricane Zeta caused significant damage.

The goal for Margaritaville officials was not just to come back, but to come back better. It comes at a good time when COVID-19 rates are down and the mandates that have strangled amenities like Margaritaville have been lifted.

It’s also a good time for Renee and Mark Vucko of Tennessee.

They were looking for an escape for their daughters, and they found it here.

“We chose it for them,” Renee said with a laugh. “They love game rooms and they’re very excited.”

“We don’t remember it being this big when we came down here, but this is what we were looking for, and it’s actually more than we were looking for. It’s awesome,” Mark added.

In fact, they were the first customers for Margaritaville’s reopening.

“We’re early birds,” Mark added.

As part of the renovations, the resort has added 80 games to the arcade and has a new dining option, Farruggio’s Pizzeria.

The Vuckos see this as a big part of a total vacation escape, especially as COVID-19 numbers continue to go down.

“Good thing about this area is that it has a lot for everybody to do for the adults, for the kids,” Renee said.

Margaritaville is happy to oblige.

“To be able to provide a place for families can continue to come and make those memories after the crazy year that we’ve had, it’s very important,” said Tessy Lambert, public relations director for Lodging & Leisure Investments, the property owner. “It means a lot to use and our team.”

Margaritaville officials have been concentrating on repairs to the main building before going to the phase 2 expansion. They have no timeline on when that will begin.

Copyright 2021 WLOX. All rights reserved.