CasinoCityTimes.com

Home
Gaming Strategy
Featured Stories
News
Newsletter
Legal News Financial News Casino Opening and Remodeling News Gaming Industry Executives Search News Subscribe
Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter!
SEARCH NEWS:
Search Our Archive of Gaming Articles 
 

$260 Million Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino Now Open

8 January 2003

SAN DIEGO, California --(Press Release) --Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino, San Diego's only luxury casino and destination resort property, officially opened its doors on New Year's Day and will welcome San Diegans and visitors alike with a month-long grand opening celebration.

The opening marks the completion of a two-year expansion featuring a new casino, resort hotel, lakefront wedding chapel, events center and championship golf course.

"Throughout the planning and building phases of the Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino, we have strived to raise the bar on the quality of gaming in California," said Clifford LaChappa, chairman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. "As we welcome guests from around the world, our entire team takes pride in our achievement in creating the premier gaming and hospitality brand on the West Coast."

Nestled in the picturesque rolling hills of the Barona Indian Reservation in San Diego, Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino will offer guests world-class luxury, seclusion, and gaming excitement ideal for a mid-week or weekend getaway. The resort's California ranch influenced design pays tribute to the rich cultural heritage of the Barona Band of Mission Indians combining timeless natural beauty and the history of the tribal land. Exciting gaming, 397 elegantly appointed guest rooms and suites, golf on the award-winning Barona Creek Golf Club, a lakefront wedding chapel, world-class restaurants, and exceptional amenities and services promise an incomparable vacation experience.

Weekday rates for the 364 deluxe guest rooms are priced from $79 per night per room; weekend rates are priced from $129 per night per room. Weekday rates for the 33 luxury suites are priced from $250 to $1,000 per night per room.

The opening of Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino will increase entertainment and elegant accommodations options for visitors to San Diego, already one of the most popular travel and meetings destinations in the United States.

"At the new Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino, visitors will find the same quality, luxury and amenities of San Diego's coastal resorts combined with the gaming excitement of Las Vegas," said Reint Reinders, president and CEO of the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau. "San Diego truly offers discerning travelers a selection of getaways for all tastes and budgets."

Gaming Action

Intent on raising the bar on gaming in California, the centerpiece of the resort is the new 300,000 square foot casino featuring 2,000 Las Vegas slots, video poker and keno machines and 52 exciting table games - Blackjack, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, Caribbean Stud, Casino War and Three-Card Poker - an 11-table poker room, and an off-track betting area. Founder's Hall, a 20,000 square-foot multi-purpose room, will house bingo games and be available for a wide array of functions including special events, concerts and meeting space. The amazing selection of gaming options is made more exciting with Barona's astounding average daily payout of $10 million. From penny slots to an exclusive high limit area, enthusiasts are sure to find their game of choice.

Accommodations

Guests can settle into their comfort zone in one of 364 deluxe guest rooms or 33 luxury suites. Each room is dressed in the warm tones and relaxed ambience that are the foundation of the elegantly rustic resort. Golden yellow and rich brown hues accompany fresh floral accents and ruggedly attractive iron light fixtures. Each of the 33 expansive suites, ranging in size from 836 square feet to 2,200 square feet, feature standard amenities plus numerous indulgences.

Architecture

Bergman, Walls and Associates, acclaimed architects of the Paris Hotel and Casino, Mirage and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, envisioned the theme of the Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino, which is centered on the California Ranch style of the 1930s.

From the rich, earthy tones to the attractive stone walls and oversized fireplace in the hotel lobby, evocative natural imagery and elements reflect the Tribe's harmonious coexistence with and reverence of nature. The dark wood and stone facades of the aged, ranch-style buildings are designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape and the existing structures on the Barona Indian Reservation. A functioning old mill waterwheel, several magnificent lakes, and features such as a period footbridge and a restored barn, decorate the resort. The entirety of the site, from the golf course to new and existing buildings, is lushly landscaped and waterscaped as an added enrichment to the Barona Valley. Architectural accents from a variety of periods enhance the notion of a sprawling rancheria evolving and expanding through the decade.

Championship Golf

Recipient of numerous awards including Audubon Signature Certification and rated the #3 resort course in California by Golfweek Magazine and one of Golf Magazine's Top 10 New Courses in the Nation, the Barona Creek Golf Club offers one of the most challenging golf experiences in Southern California. Designed by the acclaimed Gary Roger Baird, the 18-hole course is a par 72, and has 7,088 yards with nearly 100 multi-fingered bunkers and a series of lakes and ponds that are connected to the area's naturally fed streams.

Dining

The flavor of the Old West meets contemporary California cuisine in the resort's eight stylish dining establishments. Several exciting restaurants including the upscale Barona Oaks Steakhouse, the Branding Iron Cafe, a 200-seat cafe overlooking the magnificent landscaped lakes of the Barona Creek Golf Club, and the Ranch House Buffet, an 850-seat all-you-can- eat buffet. Other options include Feisty Kate's, a 1950s inspired Malt Shop, the Barona Coffee Company, Reflections Poolside Delights, the Food Court, Jackpot Dining and 24-hour In Room Dining.

Wedding Chapel

Situated on the edge of a small, tranquil lake and set against the stunning backdrop of rugged chaparral covered foothills, the charming Wedding Chapel is the ideal location for memorable nuptials. The Victorian-inspired, whitewashed structure seats 68 and a custom-crafted picture window casts a beautiful glow on the bride and groom by day and adds a traditional touch by night. A selection of decor and floral options add the finishing touches for the celebration. Nearby, the full-service Golf Events Center offers a convenient and elegant setting for receptions complete with flexible capacity, professional and courteous catering staff, and delicious cuisine.

The Barona Band of Mission Indians has lived in Southern California for over 5,000 years and the Barona Indian Reservation since 1932. The Tribe was once a nomadic band that traveled across Southern California in tune with the seasons and what nature provided. It is now a sovereign government operating one of the most successful casinos in California.

< Gaming News