Sneak Peek Inside New Graton Resort & Casino Luxury Hotel [PHOTOSHOW]

SONOMA COUNTY, CA – Photos and post by Al Francis of NapaSonomaPhotos:

The doors of Graton Resort & Casino's expansion, the $175 million gleaming six-story, 200-room gem of Sonoma and Napa counties, swing open today in the North Bay.

About 1,200 people enjoyed a pre-opening celebration Saturday with entertainer Patti LaBelle in the new 20,000-square-foot grand ballroom, but today's ribbon-cutting ceremony will makes it official.

At the Rohnert Park luxury hotel, spa and convention center property, employees have spent the past two weeks staying in the rooms and testing resort amenities to prepare for the opening.

Nightly rates range from $300-plus on weekdays to $400-plus on weekends, with rooms featuring double beds, plush down-feather duvets, 320-thread-count Egyptian linens and contemporary decor.

For high rollers, the Graton hotel offers 2,600-square-feet suites with two bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, iPads to operate curtains and lights and televisions built into bathroom mirrors.

Amenities include a variety of such treats as popcorn, almonds and peanuts in little Graton-branded boxes, plus one labeled "Romance Kit" and another "Smart Phone Charger Kit."

Around the palm tree-lined pool, there are orange chaises, some in the pool edge's shallow waters, padded white lounging pods and eight cabanas with flat-screen televisions and phones to order food and drinks. Day use of the pool also will be available via the spa.

The spa and salon, meanwhile, boasts massage rooms, including some for couples, a sunken Jacuzzi and saunas in each of the women's and men's spa areas.

The hotel has been taking bookings for several months. This month also marks the the third anniversary of the Graton Casino, owned by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, and often ranked among the top casinos in California.