Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa - Cabazon, CA Review

Cabazon, CA • United States

Overall 4.00 of 5 (by 1 user)

Jennifer
Pacific Palisades, CA

Loose Slots in a Four Diamond Resort

picky about hotel rooms, willing to pay for quality, Love nice hotels, 5 star traveler, require WiFi, a travel & lifestyles writer, appreciative of good service, love to travel

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Pros

Luxury amenities, Professional, friendly staff, Great pools, Fun casino, Popular nightclubs

Cons

Not much else to do in Cabazon, Casino is not non-smoking

DEC

2007

Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa - Cabazon, CA —

The 10 Freeway in California is a straight shot from the Pacific Ocean to Palm Springs (and beyond). After driving east of downtown Los Angeles, much of the drive becomes, shall we say, less than interesting. Auto dealerships and strip malls dominate the flat landscape for a while, and then - just when the boredom threatens to tip over into annoyance, the Monongo Casino, Resort & Spa comes into view.

The Monongo Casino, Resort & Spa is really quite an interesting sight. It's the tallest building between LA and Las Vegas, and it's right off the freeway, so you can't miss it. This 4-Diamond, 27-story hotel features a "port cochere" structure at its base, made to look like a desert blossom (and the hotel is, in fact, in the desert). However, to me, the port cochere resembles an abstract phoenix - fitting, since the jobs and financial base created by the casino, resort and spa have helped the Monongo tribe of Mission Indians so tremendously. Walk under this port cochere and you are instantly immersed in the 148,000 sq. ft. casino, with four restaurants, a food court, and three nightclubs. The hotel desk is professional and courteous - if you arrive early and your room isn't ready, they'll allow you to relax in the spa or even take a dip in the pool while you wait.

The rooms are really quite lovely here - plasma televisions, wifi, extremely fast food service (my lunch came in 15 minutes!) and luxurious bedding. My favorite surprise in the guest room, however, was the large, gorgeous bathroom. The shower alone was so huge, it could easily fit a family of four. My two complaints about the room are that the curtains are very difficult to close, and the batteries in the TV remote needed to be changed. These are minor quibbles, however. I was impressed by the accommodations, and by the luxury amenities in the rooms at the Morongo.

I was also impressed by the Sage spa. The treatments here incorporate local, organic ingredients into the spa treatments (such as sage, hence the name of the spa). Even better, guests of the hotel can use the sauna and steam room at no additional cost, and can stay as long as desired. Attendants supply spa guests with complimentary fruit and water - a nice touch. Those of us who enjoy a nice hotel spa treatment can appreciate how refreshing it is to not be nickeled and dimed for everything!

The Key Club at the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa is a very popular concert venue. I didn't go in the Key Club, but I did see masses of young adults waiting to get in. It attracts talent of a higher caliber than I'd expected, though, seeing that there's not much else around the casino resort besides an outlet shopping center. Disparate acts like Carrie Underwood and Nine Inch Nails have had sold-out shows at the Key Club recently.

Tip: If you're planning to book a room at the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa, ask for a high floor. The canyon views on one side and the mountain views on the other are impressive, and high floors get no sounds from the nightclubs.

And, of course, there's the casino. You can't miss the casino, of course; it's the center of activity on the ground floor. It's a little smokey and pretty loud - the blackjack, pai gow poker, and craps tables are especially popular at night - and locals frequent the casino as much as do hotel guests. Okay, time to 'fess up: I lost money at the casino. However, one of my travel companions left up 25 dollars, and another actually won 300 dollars at the slots! If you enjoy gambling, the Morongo casino will provide a good time. Not to mention that the 300 bucks more than supplies gas money for the long drive back to Los Angeles.

Last edited on Dec 12, 2007