Destination in the Desert
SYCUAN CASINO AND RESORT EL CAJON , CALIFORNIA
THE SYCUAN CASINO AND RESORT MAY HAVE originated as “ a humble bingo palace ,” but the property in El Cajon , San Diego County , California has grown into a premier tourist destination and literal oasis in the desert .
Operated by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation , the property recently embarked on a major $ 226 million expansion that will add a 12-story luxury hotel with 300 rooms including 50 opulent suites . The contemporary tower in the semi-arid climate of the San Diego Valley will be surrounded by lush greenery , gardens and palms ; a pool and garden area with cabanas ; a bar and grill ; a rolling lazy river feature ; and dedicated adult and family pools . The hotel will also feature an 8,000-square-foot spa and fitness area with full-service treatment rooms offering steam and sauna .
A multi-purpose 11,400-square-foot ballroom will do at least triple duty , serving as a conference space , a 1,200-capacity concert hall , and banquet facilities with seating for 700 . A junior ballroom overlooking the pool , gardens and surrounding hills will be the picture-perfect spot for weddings , parties and other social functions . A mix of restaurants will include everything from fast-casual to fine dining and a craft brewery .
The expanded casino floor space will accommodate a total of 2,500 Class III machines , 300 Class II machines and 80 table games . An additional 21,000 square feet of gaming space will be added in a planned Phase II expansion , which will also add an additional hotel tower .
“ It is with great excitement and pride that we are making this investment ,” says Cody Martinez , chairman of the Sycuan Tribal Council . “ This is not only on behalf of the tribe , but on behalf of our team members and our
guests . We are taking Sycuan to the next level .” The expansion will be complete in
December 2018 .
— Marjorie Preston
OWNER-OPERATOR : Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation
ARCHITECT : HBG
GENERAL CONTRACTOR : Swinerton Builders
PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT : PMA INVESTMENT : $ 226 million
Gold Medal Winner
SOCHI CASINO & RESORT , GORKY GOROD , SOCHI , RUSSIA
THE NEW SOCHI CASINO & RESORT , which debuted in January in the mountain resort of Gorky Gorod , Russia , was originally built as a media center for the 2014 Winter Olympics .
Today it ’ s a dazzling resort in the Las Vegas tradition : a progressive feast of grand spaces , sweeping vistas , and a casino with 70 gaming tables , 560 slot machines and a poker club . It ’ s all the sparkle and glitz of the Strip — on the shores of Black Sea . And it ’ s already hosting headline events — the 2017 PokerStars Championship was held there in May .
In 2009 , Russia limited gaming resorts in the country to a handful of designated zones : Azov City in the Krasnodar region ; Primorye near the Far East port of Vladivostok ; Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea ; and Altai in
Siberia . Sochi was added to the list to make use of infrastructure created for the Olympic Village .
Gaming is just part of the entertainment at the resort , designed by Vegas-based architectural firm Steelman Partners . Its Velvet
Theatre features Russian pop stars like Vladimir Presneyakov and Vera Brezhneva in a cabaret setting . The resort has nine bars , a cluster of boutiques , and several restaurants under the direction of Executive Chef Ilya Zakharov ( six days a week the casual-dining bistro , Baffet , serves up breakfasts in the Russian , European and American styles ).
Evgeniy Kudelya of Russia ’ s Federal Tourism Agency has called Sochi “ the most popular and one of the best resort areas in Russia ,” set between the sea and the towering Caucasus Mountains . The new casino is expected to not only boost tourism but lengthen the tourist season , and attract visitors from Turkey , Iran , Iraq and Israel as well as mainland China .
“ Sochi Casino and Resort is the first entertainment complex of a global scale ” in the area , said Mikhail Danilov ’ s Domain LLC in a statement . “ It ’ s a project with a unique concept for Russia , in the spirit of the best casinos of Las Vegas .”
— Marjorie Preston
OWNER / OPERATOR : Domain LLC ARCHITECT : Steelman Partners INVESTMENT : $ 63 million
2017 CASINO STYLE l 15