Now $74 (Was $̶1̶0̶2̶) on Tripadvisor: Harrah's Resort Southern California, Funner. See 13,670 traveler reviews, 745 candid photos, and great deals for Harrah's Resort Southern California, ranked #1 of 1 hotel in Funner and rated 4.5 of 5 at Tripadvisor.
- Harrah’s Resort SoCal FAQs Q: Is the Hotel open? We are open and ready to book your stay. At this time all guests must be 21+ and all are required to wear a face mask. Q: Are there any new rules? A: Guests must be 21+ to enter the building. Face masks are required unless you are actively eating, drinking, smoking or swimming. All guests and teammates are required to pass a.
- Harrah's Resort Southern California is located at 777 Harrah's Rincon Way, 5.7 miles from the center of Valley Center. Valley View Casino is the closest landmark to Harrah's Resort Southern California.
LATEST UPDATES: Tracking COVID-19 | Racial Justice
Friday, September 4, 2020
By Camille von Kaenel / inewsource, Jennifer Bowman / inewsource
Photo by Zoë Meyers / inewsource
Above: Harrah's Resort Southern California in Valley Center is shown on Sept. 3, 2020. A former executive is suing Harrah's over the casino's reopening.
A top executive at Harrah’s Resort Southern California who quit the day before the casino reopened is suing his former employer, claiming he was forced to resign after management ignored his concerns that the decision was dangerous and could expose visitors to COVID-19.
Darrell Pilant, the Valley Center casino’s former general manager and senior vice president, filed the lawsuit against Caesars Entertainment Inc. in San Diego Superior Court on Monday. He alleges the company’s decision to reopen in May resulted in “serious adverse health and safety consequences involving employees and customers contracting COVID-19.”
Aired 9/4/20 on KPBS News
Listen to this story by Camille von Kaenel of iNewsource.
San Diego County confirmed to inewsource this week that 217 local residents who have contracted COVID-19 reported being at a casino within two weeks of becoming ill. Twelve of the people were hospitalized and one, a casino patron, died.
The cases are tied to seven of the county’s nine tribal casinos and involve 76 employees and 141 guests, county spokesperson Sarah Sweeney said. She noted that even though those who tested positive visited a casino during their potential exposure period, it doesn’t mean they contracted the coronavirus there.
The county has refused to name specific businesses where outbreaks have occurred, including casinos.
The Rincon Band of the Luiseño Indians owns the Valley Center casino. It uses the resort’s revenue to fund tribal government services for its more than 500 members and 5,000-acre reservation. The tribe contracts with Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment, the largest gaming company in the U.S.
Tribal casinos are on sovereign land, meaning they don’t fall under the jurisdiction of state or local health officials. When they reopened after a roughly two-month closure, many other businesses in the county remained closed.
Like the other casinos, Harrah’s reopening plan includes requirements for face coverings, social distancing and increased sanitation.
Bo Mazzetti, chairman of the Rincon Band, said in a recent newsletter that the tribe “literally took the lead” to coordinate with other tribes and government officials for reopening.
“Rincon’s position was that someone had to take charge and do something for Indian tribes and reservations throughout the state,” he wrote in the newsletter.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and local health officials opposed the decision to reopen. In a letter to tribal leaders, Newsom said he understands casinos are crucial to funding their government services. But, he wrote, “I cannot stress enough that the risk of COVID-19 transmission remains a serious threat for all Californians.”
In his lawsuit, Pilant claims he was repeatedly assured that Newsom and the county were “on board” with reopening. Despite Pilant’s repeated concerns to management about health and safety risks, he said the company gave him an “illegal and dangerous” directive to lead the reopening.
He called it “a matter of ‘right and wrong’ and what Caesars was doing was wrong.” His last day at work was May 21, a day before Harrah’s reopened the casino’s doors.
Pilant’s suit argues he was “constructively terminated” and under his contract is eligible for severance equal to a year’s worth of his salary, a figure that was not included in court documents. He’s also seeking unspecified damages.
He declined to comment when reached by inewsource. Pilant’s attorney, Anthony Pantoni, did not respond to phone calls or emails.
A nearly 23-year employee of Caesars Entertainment, Pilant had held positions with the company in other states before coming to Harrah’s Resort Southern California in 2011. He was promoted to general manager in 2016, overseeing all casino operations.
Pilant serves on several community boards, including the Palomar Health Foundation and the San Diego Food Bank.
The Rincon Band, which through a spokesperson declined to comment for this story, citing the litigation, is not named as a defendant. Mazzetti is quoted in an Aug. 26 news story in the Valley Roadrunner saying no COVID-19 cases have been identified at the resort or on the reservation.
A Caesars Entertainment spokesperson for the Rincon property did not respond to phone calls and emails from inewsource.
Casinos in the county did not respond to inquiries from inewsource seeking their case numbers. An official from the Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Nation, which owns the Sycuan CasinoResort in East County, has previously confirmed the casino worked with the county to investigate cases involving those who tested positive for COVID-19.
The pandemic is a “fluid situation” for casinos, Eddie Ilko, Sycuan’s safety manager, told inewsource.
The casino has already made some changes to its safety measures since reopening, said Ilko, who also is chairman of the National Indian Casino Safety Association. Sycuan has banned smoking in certain parts of the resort, required face masks more robust than bandanas and gaiters and added employees to enforce policies.
“We had to learn on the fly,” Ilko said. “This was something new for everybody.”
The casino has also added surveillance resources, he said, to track people’s movements who are later found to have tested positive. This makes it easier to alert guests or workers who were within six feet of those infected with the virus.
Sweeney said the county works closely with tribal health authorities on individual cases and contact investigations but “has not made any definitive connection between any casino employee and a patron.”
Still, county officials say visiting a casino puts a person at higher risk for contracting COVID-19 and have “repeatedly commented that going to a casino is not essential,” Sweeney said in an email.
“Those who do go are encouraged to review the precautions that the casino is taking to prevent illness,” she said.
inewsource is an independent investigative journalism organization embedded in the KPBS newsroom. It is a nonprofit 501(c)3 supported by foundations, philanthropists and its own separate membership base.
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Outdoor self-parking or in an adjacent garage is complimentary for all guests, but complimentary valet parking is available for everyone. If you're staying in the hotel, definitely use the valet parking. To retrieve your car, simply scan your parking ticket at the kiosk in the lobby.
Hotel guestrooms
There are three towers – Resort North and South, and Dive Inn (formerly Garden). The four-story Dive Inn Tower rooms are slightly larger, and were renovated a couple years ago; the Resort Tower guestrooms are bright, spacious and well appointed, though not particularly distinctive. Refrigerators are standard in most rooms, but not all, though they are available at no additional charge; coffee-makers are in all rooms.
Harrah's has an average medium-sized casino offering all the standard table games and the usual slots. Complimentary drink service is relatively frequent, but is limited to soft drinks, coffee and bottled water. There is a charge for all alcoholic beverages, and you cannot use Reward Credits to pay for your drinks. Dealers, slot attendants and servers all are extremely friendly and helpful.
Food and beverage
The casino has several dining options:
- KJ Chinese Restaurant
- Starbucks for coffee, desserts, salads and sandwiches
- The Cafe
- Robeks® Fresh Juices & Smoothies
- Smashburger
- Fiore (and its Oyster Bar which is temporarily closed) for steaks and seafood. (Be aware that, if you decide to share a salad or entree at Fiore, there is a $3 'split plate charge' that is not indicated on the menu, nor does your server tell you.)
Topgolf
Joining Harrah’s Philadelphia and Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, Harrah’s Resort Southern California has opened a Topgolf Swing Suite, the first in Southern California.
There are two suites, each with seating for eight. Guests can play virtual golf, zombie dodgeball and hockey shots. Zombie dodgeball lets players chuck balls at the virtual undead in an attempt to knock them down while hockey shots lets participants shoot at targets using an NHL street hockey ball and stick.
The suites also offer food and beverage service (and bottle service for groups of players). The food menu includes burgers and appetizers; drinks include energy drinks, as well as several varieties of champagne, vodka, tequila, rum and bourbon.
Viejas Casino San Diego
Depending on the day, prices range between $30 to $50 per hour for groups of up to eight guests. To make reservations, call 760-751-3100.
Harrah's Rincon Casino San Diego Ca
Valley View Casino
There is a 10 percent discount on food in the restaurants; Diamond cardholders also receive the 10 percent discount; Platinum cardholders receive five percent. In addition, Seven Stars cardholders receive two free buffets daily. Seven Stars and Diamond cardholders also receive a $10 discount off the price of the buffet. Note, too, that alcoholic beverage charges may not be paid with Rewards Credits whether using Quick Rewards or charging to your room.
Harrah's Rincon Hotel And Casino In San Diego
Seven Stars cardholders also are eligible for discounts on daybed/cabana rentals, but they must be booked by the concierge team, because a credit card is required. Call (760) 651-3506.