About 80 construction workers have been constructing the $20 million, 125-room, five-story hotel since Oct. 25, 2013.

As work continues on the interior the crew has been cut to about 20. The goal of the Stillaguamish Tribe is still to have the hotel done in December.

“We feel confident it will be late December,” hotel manager Laura McDaniel said.

The expansion also adds more than 100,000 square feet to the casino in the form of a gift and smoke shop, new main entrance and valet station, which are already done. The last major expansion of the casino was about seven years ago.

It has been estimated that the hotel would bring in 45-50 jobs for the local community. McDaniel said she will be looking to hire supervisors in September and other workers starting in October.

Some features of the new hotel will be double-room suites with big outdoor areas on the first floor. The lobby, which will feature a fireplace, furniture and artwork, will also have three stations where people can check in. There will be an exercise room and room service from the adjacent Waterfront Restaurant in the casino.

McDaniel said she’s excited about the location of the hotel, in-between Everett and Skagit Valley. She said a big market for the hotel will be bringing Canadians down on buses.

“It’s close but far enough they can feel like they’re going somewhere,” she said.

It has been reported that the cost of a basic room is expected to be $100 to $125. The rooms will include six suites, 54 king-sized bed rooms and 71 double queen-sized bed rooms.

Bellingham-based Excel Pacific has retained a number of subcontractors, whose employees include workers from Marysville and Arlington.

Until the destination resort is finished, the casino has been working with the Marriott hotel in Arlington, shuttling customers back and forth.

The casino and its future connecting hotel is located three minutes east of I-5 Exit 210 in Arlington.