Pala opens new pool complex, kicking off summer casino resort season

Summer at San Diego-area casino resorts unofficially kicks off today with the opening of Pala Casino Spa & Resort’s new, adults-only pool complex.

The Tourmaline Pools, part of Pala’s $170 expansion, features five pools surrounded by 14 luxury cabanas, two oversized hot tubs, a poolside bar and restaurant and a lounge area with fire pits.

Pala is the latest area casino to unveil what’s become a must-have destination amenity — a splashy, Las Vegas-style upscale pool area.

Whether kid-friendly or 21-and-over, these aquatic playgrounds have everything from water slides and splash pads to lazy rivers and swim-up bars, in-water lounge chair Baja shelves, fountains, waterfalls, spas, day beds and swanky, fully equipped private cabanas.

“The U.S. casino industry has grown immensely over the past two decades and a large part of that growth is attributable to casino operators responding to the demands of their clientele for a broader range of recreational activities for them to enjoy when visiting a casino resort,” said Pala CEO Bill Bembenek.

“Pala realized very early on that our diverse clientele are equally as diverse in how they define a quality recreational experience,” Bembenek added. “Thus, we have consistently added resort amenities to our casino such as our Four-Diamond hotel and spa, 10 restaurants, our wine cave, several bars and lounges, multiple concert venues and most recently Tourmaline, Pala’s new adults-only pool experience.”

To accommodate expected demand, Pala today also unveiled its renovated hotel parking garage, with 420 additional spaces. And it’s weeks away from the June 29 opening of a new 15,000-square-foot, glass-enclosed non-smoking casino area as well as an expanded main casino floor, by 10,000 square feet, and its centerpiece Marquise Bar.