Pala Casino Resort
San Diego, California
ARCHITECT: JCJ Architecture
INTERIOR DESIGNERS: Tandem and Ralph Gentile Architects
CASINO: Added poker room and high-limit area
DINING: Three restaurants added, including a 20,000-sq-foot buffet
COST: $100 million
The Pala Band of Mission Indians opened its $100 million expansion of the Pala Casino Spa and Resort over Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. The expansion brings a number of new amenities to the casino floor and surrounding area.
On the floor, a 15-table poker room and a new high limit area were added. The poker room features table-side dining and runs a number of tournaments. It has its own cage, and the location off the casino floor makes the environment calmer, quieter and more inviting. The high limit area is a “casino within the casino” featuring three redesigned, feng shui-inspired rooms that raise the bar for the property’s high rollers. The three areas—a slot room, table game room and lounge—are all accessible through a separate entrance.
Off the casino floor is where things really took off. The buffet was expanded to 20,000 square feet, making it the largest casino buffet in Southern California. It was also renamed, going from the Terrace Buffet to simply Choices. With eight live-action cooking stations, an exhibition kitchen staffed by 12 chefs, more than 200 food items and spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, the buffet is expected to become a huge draw. The buffet also features three LCD TVs above the foot line as well as six more TVs in the entrance area. The room was also given a new look with water features that bring it to life.
Joining Choices are Pala’s, a Mexican restaurant with views of the Palomar Mountains; and Sushi Sake, a full-service sushi bar.
The expansion rounds out what is already a successful property with 507 rooms—82 of them suites—more than 2,000 video machines, 87 table games, four entertainment venues and now, 10 restaurants. The property is a AAA Four Diamond award winner, and its 10,000-square-foot spa was voted the 2009 Best Casino Spa by Spas of America.
