Harrah's Resort Southern California (formerly Harrah's Rincon) is a
Native American gaming casino and
hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
in
Valley Center, California
Valley Center is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern San Diego County, California. The population was 9,277 at the 2010 census.
History
Valley Center was the site of the capture of the largest California Grizzly Bear in history. In 1866, ...
. It is owned by the
Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians
The Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians are a federally recognized tribe of Luiseño who live on the Rincon Indian Reservation in the Valley Center CDP, San Diego County, California. It is one of six such tribes in Southern California that are compo ...
and operated by
Caesars Entertainment
Caesars Entertainment, Inc., formerly Eldorado Resorts, Inc., is an American hotel and casino entertainment company founded and based in Reno, Nevada that operates more than 50 properties. Eldorado Resorts acquired Caesars Entertainment Corpora ...
.
Hotel rooms
The hotel has three towers: Dive Inn (formerly Garden Tower, opened in 2002 and renovated in 2004), Resort Tower South (formerly Spa Tower, opened in 2004 and renovated in 2015) and Resort Tower North (opened in 2014). There are 662 rooms in the Resort Tower South and Dive Inn and there are 403 rooms in the Resort Tower North. The casino consists of 1600
slot machine
A slot machine (American English), fruit machine (British English) or poker machine (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. Slot machines are also known pejoratively a ...
s and 51 tables, including eight
poker
Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...
tables. The architects for this casino were the Steelman Partners of Las Vegas, NV, providing interior and lighting design.
The resort also includes a spa and nearby Woods Valley Golf Club. The North and South Towers includes non-smoking and smoking Luxury rooms, as well as the La Jolla suite (2 rooms on each floor of the South Tower and the majority of the rooms on the 20th floor of the North and South Towers), 4 Coronado Suites total on each floor which includes a balcony with a table and 2 lounge chairs facing east (South Tower) and north or south (North Tower), Catalina suite which is exclusive to the renovated South Tower and features 1 king and 2 queen beds, extra space and 2 lounge chairs and a table on the private balcony facing west and the "Mayoral Suite" located on the top floor of the South Tower. In 2017, the resort introduced "Resort Wellness Rooms and Resort Wellness Suites" located on the 2nd floor of the North Tower which has Vitamin C infused showers, bathrobes and slippers as well as exercise equipment in each room. The rooms are also in close proximity to the fitness center on the 2nd floor of the South Tower. Dive Inn includes non-smoking and smoking Deluxe rooms with a small balcony. The Palomar Suite is the smallest suite in this tower while the larger Laguna and Malibu suites include a private small heated pool outside the room. Rooms on the first floor facing the pool also have a private balcony with lounge chairs.
Expansion
On November 1, 2012, construction began on a $160-million expansion that included a new 403-room hotel tower and a 23,000 square foot convention center, which can be converted for meetings, concerts, and other uses. The project also consisted of many other expansions, including a renovation of the pool area featuring a lazy river and swim-up bar, a food court comprising Earl of Sandwich and the reopening of Pink's (now Smashburger), a Starbucks location, Corked (featuring regional premium craft beers), Spiked, and Rita's (an indoor/outdoor Mexican restaurant). The
lazy river
A lazy river is a water ride found in water parks, hotels, resorts, and recreation centers, which usually consists of a shallow () pool that flows similarly to a river.
There is generally a slow current, usually just enough to allow guests to g ...
, swim-up bar and pool restaurant were completed during the summer of 2013, while the convention center and the bar Corked were completed by December. Starbucks opened in early 2014. The new hotel tower was partially opened in March and fully open by April 2014, bringing the resort's total room count to 1,065, making it the largest Indian casino resort by room count in the state of California at the time. Spiked and the food court also opened in April. The entire project was officially completed on April 18, 2014. Upon its grand reopening, the resort was renamed Harrah's Resort Southern California. In 2015, after the expansion, the south tower was modernized to mimic the newer north tower.
History
The land on which Harrah's Resort Southern California
sits was officially and unanimously renamed by the Rincon Band of Luiseño Mission Indians to Funner on August 1, 2016, with the public unveiling of this change occurring on May 5, 2017. Together with the Tribal Council, Harrah's Resort Southern California management stands firmly committed to promoting "
Fun
Fun is defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "Light-hearted pleasure, enjoyment, or amusement; boisterous joviality or merrymaking; entertainment".
Etymology and usage
The word ''fun'' is associated with sports, entertaining medi ...
" as the underlying operation guide for business practices.
Climate
According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Funner has a warm-summer
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps. Temperatures range from 100+ degrees Fahrenheit to 32 degrees and below.
Celebrity spokespersons
The Rincon tribe and Harrah's management have appointed a "mayor of Funner", who is a notable celebrity, to promote the resort. In their role, they provide pre-recorded messages on a hotline for hotel guests and appear in television and print advertising. The "term" is two years.
On May 18, 2017,
Funner,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
introduced its first official mayor:
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on ''The You ...
.
On May 15, 2019, Funner, California introduced its second official mayor:
Rob Riggle.
On May 16, 2022,
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian and author. She is known for starring as Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy series ''Glee'' (2009–2015), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. Lynch also gained recogni ...
was announced as its third mayor.
References
External links
*
{{Caesars Entertainment
2004 establishments in California
Buildings and structures completed in 2004
Buildings and structures in San Diego County, California
Caesars Entertainment
Casino hotels
Casinos completed in 2004
Casinos in San Diego County, California
Hotel buildings completed in 2004
Hotel buildings completed in 2014
Hotels established in 2004
Hotels in California
Native American casinos
Valley Center, California
Harrah's Entertainment
Native American history of California