New Pechanga Resort & Casino Opens

The relaxing resort community of Temecula, California, became a center of Southern California gaming attention when the long-anticipated new Pechanga Resort & Casino opened its doors on June 24. Located just off Interstate15, midway between San Diego and Los Angeles, Pechanga is being referred to as the "Vegas Alternative" and has already proven to be extremely successful.

A Temecula fixture for nearly seven years, the doors were closed on the original Pechanga Entertainment Center just days before the action moved into the luxurious 14-story, 989,000-square-foot Pechanga Resort & Casino, the state's largest and newest resort and gaming facility.

Most striking about the new facility are the changes made to an already successful gaming operation. The Pechanga casino floor has not only undergone a complete overhaul, it has literally been moved from its former location. The gaming action that was housed in flat-roofed, modular buildings was moved in just under seven days to the lobby floor of the facility's brand-new resort. Even more attractive is the fact that the size of the gaming facilities has been increased considerably. A 75,000-square-foot casino floor now includes a wealth of gaming options. The casino's 60 table games include blackjack, pai gow, Let it Ride, three-card poker, Pechanga Stud, and minibaccarat.

The facility also plays host to a separate 15-table poker room, offering play and weekly tournaments in hold'em, seven-card stud, and Omaha high-low. Poker Manager Tony Covington said, "The new Pechanga poker room may be the most comfortable and modern poker facility in the country, but our regular players will appreciate the same friendly service that they have come to expect. New players who experience the combination of the best games, the most friendly service, and the best poker facility in California will soon make Pechanga their home for poker action."

The gaming options at Pechanga extend well beyond that of cards, as the floor holds 2,000 state-of-the-art slots, including such favorites as Monopoly, Wheel of Fortune, and Yahtzee. The casino is not shy about promoting the looseness of the slots, either, as it boasts of awarding 10,000 jackpots each week. Bingo is also a popular pastime at Pechanga, to which the casino's 700-seat bingo room attests. An added bonus of gaming at Pechanga is the fact that it can be done in fresh air, as its state-of-the-art air-filtration system allows for an unusually clean gaming environment.

Other than its extensive gaming options, Pechanga offers much in the way of resort amenities. The resort has 522 beautiful rooms and suites, most of which offer views of the lush Temecula Valley. The theme of relaxing, casual elegance is continued outside of its guest rooms, as well. A large swimming pool and patio area invites guests to bask in the ever-present California sun, and the resort health club offers massage and various other spa services.

One of the more striking nongaming aspects of the Pechanga Resort & Casino is its abundance of dining options, as the facility caters to nearly every taste. During its development, the resort hired a veritable fleet of food and beverage experts to manage the resort's seven dining venues, including a master chef who oversees three gourmet restaurants – Paisano's (Italian), The Grotto (seafood), and The Great Oak (steaks and fine dining). In addition to these options, Asian cuisine is served at Blazing Noodles, and the casino's buffet offers more than 80 different food selections. For those wanting a quick bite and nothing more, a snack bar offers a variety of quick selections, and the Pechanga Café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, providing around-the-clock dining choices. Additionally, 24-hour room service is available to hotel guests.

During the years of operation prior to the opening of the resort, Pechanga was known throughout the area as providing fun nongaming entertainment, especially in the case of the casino's often nationally televised Friday Night Fights. While the new facility has preserved the fights, Pechanga's entertainment options have expanded considerably. The popular Cabaret Lounge presents top-quality performers who provide complimentary musical entertainment on a nightly basis. For those wanting to unwind a bit farther away from the casino floor, the resort's top floor is home to The Eagle's Nest. The breathtaking views from this top-floor lounge are some of the region's high points – literally. Perhaps the most widely discussed and anticipated of Pechanga's entertainment options, though, is its hosting of the Theatrical Arts International 2002-2003 season. The resort's 1,200-seat theater showroom serves as the venue for these performances, which include popular shows like Copacabana, Amadeus, Grease, and Moulin Rouge, as well as a continuing Star Concert Series of top touring artists.

While the new Pechanga Resort & Casino has many attributes, probably its most apparent is that it allows its patrons to experience so much: The gaming options run the gamut from table games, to slots, to bingo, to poker. The atmosphere serves both customers thirsting for high-spirited entertainment and those hoping for quiet relaxation. Along the same lines, the area embodies the spirit of a Western resort community, as evidenced by the many golf courses and wineries dotting the landscape, but is complemented by the quick and easy access to and from the nearby fast-paced cities of Southern California. So many things are available at Pechanga that the new full-service gaming facility is promoting itself as "California's Best Resort & Casino." Visit and decide for yourself if there is truth in advertising.