1. Pechanga Resort Casino
45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula; 877-711-2946; pechanga.com
This Temecula resort has two hotel towers with 1,100 rooms, an RV campground and a gaming floor measuring close to 200,000 square feet, making it one of the largest in California. The gaming floor has more than 5,000 slot machines and over 150 table games.
The casino’s hotel rooms come in various sizes, measuring from 400 to over 800 square feet. Each room offers flat-screen LCD televisions, floor-to-ceiling windows, an alarm clock radio with MP3 connectivity, and a safe and 24-hour room service. Pechanga also has two entertainment venues. The outdoor Pechanga Summit can accommodate up to 3,000 guests, and the indoor Pechanga Theater can seat 1,200.
Pechanga offers a resort experience with amenities such as a spa and a 4.5-acre pool complex called The Cove, which recently added a new lounge. This area has four pools, two whirlpools, two twisty water slides, a family pool, 27 cabanas, a walk-up restaurant, and a swim-up bar. Some of Pechanga’s eateries include the Italian restaurant Paisano’s, Asian seafood spot Umi Sushi & Oyster Bar and the fine-dining restaurant the Great Oak Steakhouse, which reopened this summer after a remodel.
Ken Perez, president of the Pechanga Development Corporation, said that he and the teams at Pechanga were humbled to learn that guests took the time to tell the OC Register they loved Pechanga the best.
“Our team members, who we consider the best in the industry, deliver our guests the kind of casual, luxurious environment that only Pechanga can offer at such a beautiful destination,” he said.
— Charlie Vargas
2. Yaamava’ Resort & Casino
777 San Manuel Blvd, Highland. 909-864-5050. yaamava.com.
The Highland casino has been through quite a renovation in the last couple of years. The property, which was formerly known as San Manuel Casino, embarked on a resort style expansion similar to its neighboring tribal casinos. In September 2021, San Manuel Casino became Yaamava’ Resort & Casino and began revamping its elevated dining concepts Serrano Vista Café and The Pines Steakhouse.
It also upgraded its gaming floor which includes more than 6,700 slot machines and more than 150 table games. By the end of 2021, casino had transitioned into a resort by ushering in its 17-floor hotel tower with 432 rooms which come in different sizes measuring from 360 feet to over 1,300 square feet. Each room offers a a 65-inch flat screen TV, floor to ceiling windows, a coffee maker and 24-hour room service. Other resort amenities include a spa, fitness center and a pool complex featuring two pools, two 4-foot-deep Jacuzzis, a walk up restaurant, a bar and a giant LED television.
The pool deck frequently hosts live music acts and weekend brunch. The pool area has seven cabanas stocked with bottled water, unlimited sunscreen products, after sun lotion, private TVs, and a dedicated VIP attendant. The final phase of the expansion was the opening of the Yaamava Theater which can seat up to 3,000 guests when the seats are fully retracted on the first level and 2,500 with reserved seating. The theater has booked high caliber performers such as Pink, Maluma and The Killers.
3. Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa
49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 951-849-3080, morongocasinoresort.com
The Cabazon property has a a 27-floor hotel with 272 rooms with its casino consisting of nearly 4,000 slots, more than 80 table games and an entertainment venue.
The property has also moved in the direction of offering a resort experience to its guests. It includes a spa, a lazy river and a pool with a makeshift sandy shoreline surrounded by cabanas.
Dining at Morongo includes various fast food options, fine dining restaurants such as Cielo and full-service restaurants such as Mozen Asian Kitchen, Good Times Café and “Top Chef” contestant Fabio Viviani’s The Marketplace which replaced the property’s buffet. The most recent dining addition at the property was the hot chicken restaurant Ruffled Feathers.
