There is already a casino in Andorra, and is located in the Prat de la Creu in Andorra la Vella. Behind this event there is a story of many many years (dating back to the 19th century), and of course it has always been involved in controversy. However, after many stories and administrative mishaps, the Andorran casino opened its doors on March 4 with a grand opening open doors and a overwhelming success, at least as far as assistance is concerned. And it is that Unnic had more than 2,000 attendees, of which approximately 70% Andorran citizens and 30% tourists. here on video.
The idea is that Unnic helps to diversify tourism in Andorra and therefore so your economy, one of the objectives of the Andorran Government in its Plan Horizon 23 happened after the pandemic. It is a building that will have a capacity of between 1,200 and 1,500 people and a workforce of more than 200 employees. A complex which is expected to receive 189,000 people during this first year of the so-called "quality tourism"
But of course, the government itself says that It is a center, a space, which is much more than a Casino. The Juegos SA executive himself, one of the management companies, likes to define it as "a place to go to have a good time, where to share good times and where to live surprising experiences." So the key question is: what is really unnic?
Unnic, much more than a casino
The truth is that what started as a casino in Andorra has ended up being much more than that. Andorra it is rather a complete leisure center with a very different concept what you are used to. Let's say that UNNIC is a project as the first leisure center in the country and has the "Gran Casino de Andorra" (more on that later) inside. It has a casino, yes, but also a sports bar, a music pub with a very good atmosphere, a show center and 4 restaurants totally different. And even pretends to be business center! Yes, that's right, all in the same center.
All these ingredients constitute and build a building created for all those who want to experience new emotions through gastronomy, entertainment and gaming in an absolutely surprising and attractive mix. The truth is that as soon as we enter Unnic and walk through its many rooms, we have the feeling of being in another world, in another dimension that is much more magical and alive. It feels like a unique experience, we recommend everyone to at least go inside and see the facilities.
In addition to shows, performances and concerts of all kinds, Unnic offers the celebration of special and personalized private events according to various options in spaces set up for this purpose and equipped with the best technology. From farewells to birthdays and, above all, company events, since the place is built to be a networking center where leisure and entertainment merge with different environments. deal. Executive menus are offered and workers from the area and businessmen are expected to come to eat. In fact, both from the government and from the company they sell it as 80% leisure and entertainment and 20% gaming and casino.
The different spaces of the UNNIC leisure center
In the Unic's website We can tour the building by floors. The truth is the underground parking itself already looks like a spaceship or a futuristic and cyberpunk hot wheels track. Like a route to another world or another dimension. We recommend viewing the photos or seeing it in person because they speak for themselves. The paths of light and the yellow-gold color accompany and invite the visitor to tour the entire building. It also has VIP parking spaces in the car park on floor -1.
It should be noted before proceeding that it is necessary to present an identification documentIity to access any of the casino floors. With that said, let's break down this 1,200-capacity building into its various spaces.
The Grand Casino Andorra
On Floor 0 we have the entrance and what it is the casino itself (Grand Casino Andorra). That's where most of the gambling is, with slot machines and slot machines of all kinds (multipliers, jackpot, video...) and an electronic roulette. Of course, the devices have the latest technology and the greatest advances in the sector.
Going up to the other floors there is also Blackjack, closed poker tables, roulettes attended by staff and a string of other machines and games. But on the other floors are some of the other spaces of the leisure center.
The Sports Bar
For sports fans and especially football, this first floor will be your favorite. With a bar-type restaurant and almost a dozen high-resolution giant screens, you can enjoy the best matches and competitions in sports broadcasts while delighting in the best gastronomy. They serve American food of the highest quality, thus fitting the conditions of the space. In addition, it has machines to place sports bets and a very "casual" tapas bar type atmosphere, although at the same time luxurious.
It is an environment specifically designed for holding sports-related events.. Here you can see the letter Y here you can make a reservation. As you can see, the prices are high but really competitive if we take into account the quality of the space.
The Red Bar
On the second floor we find the most romantic part of the leisure center: a restaurant of pure elegance to have a romantic dinner with that person. Again, the site is specifically designed and intended for this. It has very dim, subtle and careful lighting, red curtains, meticulous decoration and an elegant setting for events and concerts (for example, grand piano concerts). Of course, the gastronomy here is exquisite and refined. It is also a good place to have a quiet cocktail in a relaxing environment. Here you have more information.
Private casino VIP area
On the third floor we will find the VIP zone of the casino game. Overlooking the Red Bar, we will see the classic games of a casino: American roulette, Mini Punto y Banca, Blackjack, different styles of Poker (Texas Hold'em and Bonus Hold'em, Caribbean, Omaha Hold'em) even in closed tables private to public. Here emotion and elegance come together in the same space.
Show Dinner and Music Bar
On the fourth floor is what is my favorite part: the music bar. It is a pub with an absolutely incredible decoration that delights all the senses. Mirrors, lights, nature... to have a drink in the best possible evening and night environment. This place it's really magical and catches you because he feels very comfortable in it and at the same time focuses you on the present. Of course, it also has space for a dance floor and a DJ table or a small group of live music (jazz, indie, rock...).
Also on this floor is the so-called show dinner, a space that, as its name indicates, offers dinners with shows of the most varied. As we can see, Unnic tries to always mix gastronomy with other forms of leisure. In this case, fun and amazing shows that, they say, will progress to the rhythm of the night from calmer to more accelerated. This floor is double height, and the next floor (the fifth) is used to make a VIP area of these two spaces.
the main restaurant
Finally, on the sixth floor we already have the main restaurant. Once again, top-notch gastronomy throughout the Unnic leisure center. The patterns are repeated again: lines of lights, nature and mountains in an impeccable decoration that gives a sensation of comfort and a unique experience. And what kind of food will we find in this place? Well, now yes quality popular gastronomy of two types: traditional Andorran cuisine and Mediterranean cuisine. In addition, it is also seasonal cuisine (the menus vary according to the season of the crops).
The menu is a kind of catalog of traditional recipes reinvented by the restaurant's chefs, thus offering a balance between traditional and modern that aims to be original. They also say they give a touch of mountain cuisine to all their dishes. As for the management, they are the chefs Francisco Teixeira (Andorran) and the executive Nazario Cano, with whom diners will be able to savor Michelin-starred dishes.
Further, the restaurant has a fabulous terrace and a window with views of the mountains from the heights provided by its sixth floor. In it, the vegetation and water continue to be essential elements, thus giving a total impression of a natural and mountainous environment with great detail. Of course, as for smokers, there are numerous spaces and terraces for smoking throughout the entire building.
The dream of the Andorran casino
To conclude, we did not want to leave the article without giving some notes on the history that precedes this event. As we have introduced at the beginning, the opening of a casino in Andorra dates back to the 19th century. Specifically, there are four historical precedents in this regard since 1849 and all failed. Of the four precedents that it took to reach Unnic, the one that had the best chance of coming to fruition was that of 1873:
- in 1854, a certain M. Langlois seems to have had everything linked to the communes of Encamp and Canillo –the Solana was already around their heads– but between the opposition of France to the concession and the opportune appearance of certain reports not favorable to monsieur Langlois the Council did not see anything clear and said no.
- in 1866 The General Council approved a concession in favor of the company Henri Duvivier & Cie, which intended to create in Andorra "a Monaco of the Pyrenees" with a term to exploit for 90 years and exclusively "the waters, the game and the mines" to exchange for opening the roads and a deposit of 30,000 francs. The project seemed to work, until the casino moved from Escaldes, its original location, to La Solana. The start of the war between the Consell and the trustee Guillem de Areny-Plandolit, the main supporter of the project, ended up sending it to limbo.
- in 1873 A project heir to the previous one came out promoted by the Compagnie du Val d'Andorre with its director Romé d'Arc at the helm. The agreement was for the company to manage the casino but also to finish completing the road network and build the Escaldes spa. A divided General Council eventually approved it, but France demanded that the gaming house be removed from the pack. Without a casino, the business was obviously unviable, and in 1876 the partnership was dissolved. Despite the fact that the contest was called and there were three winners of it.
- The fourth and last paper casino was in 1880. In fact, there were two: on the one hand, another M. Jaybert offered to build a railway line in exchange for the concession of mines and hot springs and the construction of hostels, cafes and casinos. Another company, this Franco-Andorran company with Antoni Roger Canturri from Laureda as its visible head, requests the concession to operate casinos and thermal establishments under a monopoly regime. The project ended with a failed revolutionary quasi-coup and closed the issue until 2014.
- In 2014, the Government approved the law to regulate gambling, from which emanates the Rules of the gambling game. From there begins a long road full of controversy, problems and obstacles that can be seen in the press on the Internet. And the result of that long march towards roulette culminates on March 4, 2023 with Unnic.
The opening of Unnic on March 4, therefore, will culminate a historical Andorran dream which has taken 175 years to come true. The story is not completely new, but perhaps it is now more opportune than ever to remember it, and also to remember that the casino is not a recent occurrence. Another thing is if Now that there is finally a casino, the hobby of land-based gambling will not have been late.
