Public Record, The: Fantasy Springs raises bar for destination casinos

Vegas-style, Vegas-worthy, Vegas-like.

The time has come to stop using Las Vegas as the benchmark for local casinos. A Vegas developer at the grand opening celebration of Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on Jan. 13 could aspire to match that spectacle.

Marking a $200 million expansion of its entertainment venue, the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians fittingly created a "fantasyland" in the plaza between their new hotel and special events center. Balagan cirque performers displayed acrobatic prowess and provided amusement as they circulated through the crowd. Synchronized swimmers made the most of the 100foot-long, beach entry," curved pool. Beach-attired twentysomethings played volleyball on the adjacent sand court. Kool and the Gang energized the crowd from a stage in one corner of the plaza, while a 17-by-22-foot LED screen across the way displayed a streaming pastiche of the scene (thanks to two cameras on the roof of the 12-story hotel and three on the ground). All around the terraced plaza were bars (some specifically for martinis), tables of hors d'oeuvres and standingheight tables glowing in alternate pastel hues from lights under white tablecloths. Also subtly glowing with the Fantasy Springs name were 36-inch light globes. Heat lamps, torches and a large fire pit kept the evening chill at bay. Wait staff circulated through the crowd with trays of hot hors d'oeuvres. And guests - which included active and retired politicians - mingled, danced to the music and toured the grounds landscaped with multiple water features; stone walkways, walls and bridge over a fogenhanced fountain; and an amphitheater with tiled, curved benches.

After Kool and Gang closed with their hit "Celebration." a disembodied voice called guests' attention to the hotel roof, where ... poof ... a cirque acrobat stepped into the void and slid 1,000 feet down a cable to the lower end of the plaza - the cue that dinner was about to be served in the 100,000-squarefoot Special Events Center.

The three-course dinner for 1,200 was accompanied by a tribal blessing and remarks from Cabazon officials, as well as former Gov. Gray Davis and Mickey Rooney. After dinner, the Balagan troupe - scheduled to perform through Jan. 23 - presented the same degree of acrobatic feats and musical artistry as that of the better-known Cirque du Soleil. As guests - who received gift boxes with turquoise pins made by the Zuni Pueblo and bundles of sage - filed out of the Special Events Center following the show, they were handed glasses of champagne with long-stemmed strawberries.

Back in the plaza, the Balagan performer assumed the stance of a rocket and soared back up the cable to the hotel rooftop. With their eyes thus directed, guests were further entertained by a musically choreographed fireworks show from the roof that included a sparkler waterfall down the face of the hotel.

Produced by Dick Taylor Productions of Palm Springs, each detail of the opening celebration was custom-designed to show off the property and leave a memorable impression. Soon, more large crowds will gather in the plaza to attend concerts in the Special Events Center: the Steve Miller Band on Feb. 7 and 8, Bonnie Raitt on Feb. 27 and Huey Lewis & The News on March 10. The center, which seats more than 4,000 for concerts and sporting events, also can be configured to accommodate multiple events with meeting space, exhibit halls and ballrooms.

The 250-room hotel features 10 suites with plasma-screen televisions and 240 guest rooms with 27-inch flat televisions; all rooms are wired for high-speed Internet. On the top floor is the Sunset View Lounge, with full-length windows/doors and a balcony overlooking the plaza. At its entry is an alcove with a billiard table and inside groupings of sofas, chairs, ottomans and cocktail tables for easy conversation. The lounge, which seats 63 inside and 34 on the outdoor terrace, operates 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. weekdays and 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. on weekends. with nightly entertainment.

Views are also part of the atmosphere in the more intimate Terrace Lounge off the lobby, where glass walls on three sides open to balconies. Facing loveseats with pillows add to the homey atmosphere. The lounge seats 43 inside and 21 outside and is open 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. weekends.

The VolleyBar, just off the plaza, is open to the outside by a series of French doors. Primarily targeted as a venue for registered guests to enjoy a beverage while overlooking the pool and surrounding areas, it is open from 9 a.m. to sunset.

New restaurants include The Bistro, a 115-seat restaurant between the casino and hotel lobbvy. In addition to inside seating (including a five-seat sushi bar) and terrace seating, it offers a private dining room for nine people. The Bistro is open for lunch and dinner.

The Fresh Grill Buffet. directly off the casino floor, seats 195 inside and 50 outdoors. Multiple cooking stations provide a variety of food themes. including Italian, Mexican, Asian, American, and Brazilian. It also features salad and dessert bars. The buffet serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a Sunday champagne brunch.

A 1,000-square-foot Avalon Bay clothing store is the first tenant of a retail concourse connecting the casino and hotel. Another 2,000 square feet are available for more retailers. CEO James McKennon says the resort is looking for a signature restaurant with noncompeting cuisine or a spa operator to rent another 5,000 square feet along the concourse.

Although he declines to state specific numbers. McKennon says he is "very impressed" with room bookings since the hotel's soft opening on Dec. 21. From then until the Dec. 28, the number of rooms available was restricted from 25 to 50. "We wanted to make sure systems, policies, procedures and staffing all were practicing," he says, adding that the occupancy rate for the first month of operation will be above the average rate in the Coachella Valley. "February and March bookings are strong as the word has gotten out - similar to what you would see ... for other top properties in the valley," McKennon says. Fantasy Springs now advertises $99 grandopening rates: weekend rates will range from $129 to $199 based on availability.

A number of local residents have been hotel guests for a night, though most business has come from outlying Southern California. "We started marketing the project in November," McKennon says. "As we rolled into December, we started ratcheting up our marketing efforts in the Los Angeles and Orange County marketplaces." The resort approached those areas "with gusto," he says. running radio and print ads and moving its billboard ads further cast on Interstate 10 (McKennon says billboard advertising in Los Angeles is prohibitively expensive).

The new additions "gave us the ability to start branding the resort as a resort rather than just a casino." McKennon says, with Balagan as "the vehicle."

"We also have employed the power of the Internet through good placement and a variety of different travel partners," he says.

According to McKennon, since expanding its offerings, the Cabazon tribe has "seen a dramatic uptake in volumes" at the casino. Customers had one-hour waits at the buffet and Bistro restaurants the weekend after the grand opening. The lounges also proved popular. "The feedback has been extraordinary." McKennon says. "One thing I am really happy about is we are seeing people just lounging around out on the plaza. ... which is exactly what that space is meant for."

In the next couple of weeks, he says, Fantasy Springs will bring entertainment to the amphitheater to draw people into the plaza after dinner. The amphitheater is just beyond the buffet outdoor terrace and VolleyBar and is just below the Bistro terrace.

"We don't just want to be a casino," McKennon says. "We understand where our revenue comes from, [but] we want to diversify our customers' experiences. Those other assets will drive more trips and loyalty because there are so many other things to do." He reveals that plans call for outdoor concerts in the plaza beginning in late spring or early summer, with a nominal $5 charge.

Before the resort additions, Fantasy Springs employed 730 people and annually paid some S36 million in wages and benefits. Current employment of 1,250 employees is expected to increase to 1,800, with annual wages and benefits projected at more than $180 million by 2007. Further expansion of the 500-acre Fantasy Springs site includes an 18-hole golf course and clubhouse (beginning in August), a 36,000-square-foot tribal administration/public safety/cultural museum complex and 800-space parking garage (beginning in September). 350 condos and timeshares (beginning in October), a 350-unit "golf community" and day spa (beginning in January 2006). 500,000 square feet of retail space near the resort entrance off Golf Center Park-way (beginning in May 2006), and a 300- to 400-room branded resort hotel (starting date to be determined). Additionally, a 580-unit housing project called Painted Canyon is scheduled to begin in February on a reservation parcel to the southeast.