from Casino Life Magazine
Issue 113 - January 2018
Nestled in the secluded foothills north of San Diego, California is one of the state’s top casino resort destinations, Pala Casino Spa & Resort. Though designated with a AAA Four-Diamond rating, the gaming and entertainment resort has undertaken an extensive $170 million expansion and renovation project beginning in the autumn of 2017.
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| Casino Life Magazine Issue 113 -January 2018 |
[CL] Could you give us a bit of a background on your industry experience, and what led you to Pala Resort.
[BB] I began my gaming career in 1992 in the Chicagoland market, holding director level positions at the Empress Casino in Illinois and the Blue Chip Casino in Northwest Indiana.
I joined the Pala management team in April 2001 as director of slot operations, and was promoted to vice president of slot operations and database marketing . In 2003 I named assistant general manager and progressed to the level of CEO.
Prior to my gaming career, I served two years in the United States Army as a communications specialist.
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| Bill Bembenek Pala Resort CEO |
[BB] Our ability to exponentially expand and refresh Pala Casino Spa & Resort is a true testament to, not only the growth of Pala, but also to the thriving economy and the continued strength of the gaming industry in California, This is a significant milestone for the Pala Tribe and we look forward to continuing to exceed the expectations of our loyal patrons.
[CL] What are the facilities like at the present time in late 2017?
[BB] As we start the project, the existing facilities at Pala Casino Spa & Resort include: a Las Vegas-style casino with 2,000 slot machines, 80 table games and 15 poker tables; a 507-room hotel; a 10,000-square-foot, full-service spa and salon that features 14 treatment rooms; a state-of-the-art fitness center; swimming pool with 12 private poolside cabanas, and dual-temperature outdoor whirlpool hot tub.
We also offer 10 restaurants and 40,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. A new Pala RV Resort opened May 23, 2016, and offers 100 parking sites for RVs and trailers from 55 to 70 feet with full-service amenities for RVers.
[CL] The renovation & expansion is set to be completed by late 2019. What will the facilities be like upon completion?[BB] The $170 million renovation and expansion will include the addition of a new 348-room hotel tower as well as a complete remodelling the resort’s existing hotel tower. When complete, Pala will boast 853 rooms including 104 unique suites and 749 deluxe rooms with dramatic views of the resort’s multi-pool and entertainment complex, event lawn and the scenic Palomar Mountain Range. To accommodate more hotel guests, the hotel parking structure will be expanded by adding 420 additional spaces.
The conversion of the existing resort pool into a multi-pool and entertainment resort complex will offer guests the opportunity to enjoy four pools, two whirlpools, a new poolside bar, a new poolside restaurant and various outdoor lounge spaces complete with fireplaces for evening cocktails.
[BB] Pala’s gaming area will be completely remodelled and expanded by 12,000 square feet to a total of 102,000 square feet. Within that expanded casino space, 500 new slot machines and several new table games are planned, increasing its offering of slot and video machines to 2,500 and its offering of table games to 88. A new casino bar and lounge will be introduced.
Pala’s food promenade will be converted into a restaurant complex offering a wide variety of food options in varied settings. The restaurants will include casual café dining, Asian dining, a premium sushi restaurant and a sports bar restaurant offering live entertainment and dancing every Friday and Saturday night. The new restaurants will complement Pala’s signature Choices the Buffet, the elegant Oak Room Steakhouse, the eclectic underground wine cave with its new California-casual restaurant, and Bar-Meets-Grill which will open in January 2018.
[CL] How is this expansion being accepted by the local community?[BB] The Pala Casino Spa & Resort is highly regarded by the local community it supports. Several local and state dignitaries have issued public statements on their support for the project:
One of the dignitaries at the October groundbreaking was California State Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher who mentioned, “I am proud to have played even a bit part in this important event for the Pala Band of Mission Indians, the State of California, and the local economy by authoring Assembly Bill 629 to ratify the tribal gaming compact that made today’s groundbreaking a reality. This legislation was overwhelmingly supported by representatives from around California because of Pala’s commitment to the economic self-sufficiency of its people and to the surrounding community.”
[CL] How has the development affected local employment?
[BB] Pala’s renovation and expansion project will create 400 construction jobs and, once complete, add over 200 new employment opportunities to Pala’s current team of 2,000 team members.
Assemblymember Gonzalez-Fletcher had offered their support for the impact we’ve had on employment by stating, “One notable contribution by Pala has been its commitment to fair wages and employment, evident in its efforts to set a statewide standard for gaming operations that has provided many Californians with the middle-class wages that so many are struggling to obtain,” “I want to congratulate Chairman Smith and the Pala Band of Mission Indians on their achievement today, thank them for their friendship and commitment to the people of California, and wish them the best of luck in this next chapter of their gaming enterprise.”
[CL] Does the Casino have table game or slot tournaments?
[CL] What are the demographics of the casino patrons? Are they mostly local residents, or are there also tourists coming from greater distances?
[BB] Our guest base comes from a large region of Southern California and from all ethnic, social and income-level backgrounds. Our regular guests visit from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego Counties. Our market is from Santa Barbara on the north to Chula Vista at the border on the south. On occasion, tourists who are vacationing in Southern California visit our hotel and stay and play. However, our guest base would have to be described as a large, local region.
[BB] Yes. Our Privileges Club consists of five play levels: Privileges, Pearl, Gold, Platinum and Elite. Players can earn an array of awards, discounts, prizes and invitations to special events and cash drawings based on their play level. We also offer the public our online game, MyPalaCasino, at mypalacasino.com. There is no cash exchanged on MyPalaCasino. However, players may also win an array of prizes such as dinners, entertainment tickets, hotel nights, etc.
[CL] Is Pala involved active with Responsible Gaming?
[BB] Promoting responsible gambling has been a priority with Pala Casino Spa & Resort since opening in 2001. Or efforts have been to create awareness of the potential risks associated with gambling and providing resources to those who need help. Through the resort’s compact with the State of California in 2016, we have reaffirmed our commitment to assist Problem Gamblers. Our pledged is to promote responsible gaming; prevent underage gambling and unattended minors in the casino; serve alcoholic beverages responsibly; advertise responsibly; and to educate our Team Members in responsible gambling awareness.
[CL] With the casino’s successes, what Awards & Distinctions have come to Pala?[BB] Pala Casino Spa & Resort is a high achieving property on many levels. On a local level, it was voted Best Casino in San Diego by the public in the 10News.com annual A-List poll sponsored by KGTV-TV 10 News in San Diego.
Our state-of-the-art Pala Spa was named the number three spa in North America and the number one spa in the State of California, and the number one spa in the entire casino industry for 2016. The ranking marked the eleventh consecutive year that Pala Spa has been ranked in the Top 100 and Top 10.
Pala RV Resort is rated a perfect 10/10*/10 by Good Sam, the national RV Resort rating publication. Trailer Life and Motorhome magazines awarded Pala RV Resort its Gold Awards for 2016 as Best RV Resort Casino and Best Campground Resort.
Construction of the AAA Four Diamond award winning property is officially underway and will be completed in phases. The first phase will be completed in spring of 2018 and the final phase in late 2019.
Casino Life Magazine would like to thank Bill Bembenek and the team at Pala Resort for their time and cooperation with this article.
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