A $170 million expansion plan unveiled for the Pala Casino Resort & Spa includes an additional hotel tower, more gaming and bar space, and a larger parking garage.
The work at the North County attraction, set to begin in October, will also include updates to the current hotel tower, a refreshed look for the casino interior and conversion of the pool area into a multi-pool entertainment complex.
“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,” said Robert Smith, chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, in announcing the project on Thursday.
“This is a significant milestone for our tribe and we look forward to continuing to exceed the expectations of our loyal patrons,” he added.
The 349-room new hotel tower will include suites that overlook the complex’s entertainment areas. The casino will offer 854 hotel rooms and suites by the time construction is finished in May 2019, Pala officials said.
The project will increase Pala’s casino from its current 90,000 square feet to over 102,000 square feet of gaming space. The expansion will allow Pala Casino to increase its offering of slot and video machines to 2,500 and its offering of table games to 88.
“We are very excited to engage in our third major expansion since our introduction to the Southern California gaming and hospitality market more than 16 years ago,” said Bill Bembenek, casino CEO. “As in the past, we expect elements of this expansion and upgrade to be unique to our property and to set new resort standards.”
Officials estimated that the project will create 400 construction jobs and add more than 200 new positions to Pala’s current team of 2,000 employees.
— City News Service
