Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel Opens 17-Story Hotel
Posted on: December 15, 2021, 09:12h.
Last updated on: December 15, 2021, 11:33h.
The Yaamava’ Resort & Casino opened its 432-room hotel at the Highland, Ca., property this week. The commencement of the hotel operations, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians say, fulfills a century-long goal of the federally recognized tribe.
The casino, located in San Bernardino County some 50 air miles east of downtown Los Angeles, was known for decades as the San Manuel Casino. After roughly 35 years of conducting gaming on the sovereign land, the tribe renamed the destination the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel in September.
The tribe says the new name is inspired by the tribe’s ancestral lands of the Serrano people. The refreshed brand and logo coincide with the casino opening its first on-site hotel.
San Manuel Chair Ken Ramirez said the tribe “seven generations ago” declared the goal of developing a casino resort with a hotel to create a sustainable economic future for the California tribe.
What started as a bingo hall is today a massive casino floor equipped with more than 6,500 slot machines and 120 table games. With nearly a quarter of a million square feet of gaming space, Yaamava’ is one of the 10 largest casinos in the United States.
Five-Star Rates
High-end occupancies on the Las Vegas Strip can be booked on the cheap during off-peak periods, and often through the week. But Yaamava’ guests will not find such economy pricing.
The cheapest nightly rate for a Yaamava’ guestroom through March 2022 is a staggering $600. With taxes, the rate comes to $660. Unlike Las Vegas, however, Yaamava’ does not impose a nightly resort fee on guests.
Still, the San Manuel resort rooms are certainly costly. Many weekend rates through the spring are listed for $1,000 per night or more.
The products are of five-star quality,” defended Afsi Bird, vice president of Yaamava’ hotel operations. “The service is of five-star quality. We deserve that accolade.”
Hotel amenities include a spa, salon, and 17th-floor lounge. There are also several new restaurants and an outdoor pool with private cabanas.
Tribal Expansions
The Yaamava’ Resort & Casino hotel opening is the second of three planned expansions of the California gaming complex. The tribe’s third and final development phase involves a 2,800-seat concert venue, which is targeting a 2022 debut.
In all, the tribe is spending some $760 million on the three expansions. San Manuel’s spending certainly doesn’t stop there.
The tribe in May said it planned to acquire the Palms Casino Resort just off the Las Vegas Strip from Red Rock Resorts for $650 million. San Manuel reps say the tribe is currently amid a licensing review with state gaming officials in Nevada.
Earlier this month, the Nevada Gaming Control Board recommended licensing for the San Manuel tribe. Final approval comes from the Nevada Gaming Commission, which plans to review the tribe’s application to run Palms during its meeting tomorrow, December 16.
Last Comments ( 6 )
Did a day trip from OC at Christmas and enjoyed this beautiful casino. Wanted to return last week and book a room in the resort hotel. So disappointed to see the ridiculously priced rooms. It defies logic. Wouldn’t it be better to charge a reasonable price for a room so customers can stay longer, spend money gambling and eating in your restaurants? That would be a more customer centered venue that results in more return business? I’d be curious to know how many rooms sit empty with this bad business model.
Why charge people ridiculous prices for a hotel stay in drug infested San Bernardino what do you do with your empty rooms that sit there and go to waste be a little more generous and bring down the crazy prices for the rooms and your beers and alcohol and maybe you will get better comments to your casino....
We attended a concert at the theater inside the casino and ate a beautiful dinner at a high end restaurant prior to the concert. The casino is nice and newly renovated. We wanted to stay the night at the hotel after the concert. Unfortunately, I'm not willing to spend $900 to stay in San Bernardino. The really bad thing is that because of the outrageous prices at the casino the other hotels in the area can charge outrageous prices. We almost paid $250 to stay at the Super 8, but canceled when we saw the drug deal going down in the parking lot. We drove an extra few miles out of the way to get a more reasonable room in a safe area. There were other concert goers saying the same thing. The casino is missing a great opportunity to book more rooms and create repeat clientele. We would have loved to make this a regular getaway, but that won't be in the cards.
Who in their right mind would spend 1000 a night to sleep in San Bernardino, I could get a flight and a penthouse in Vegas for that, no thanks
The worst “food court “ I have ever been to, 1:30 minutes just to order then had to wait 30 minutes more for good! No where to sit and wait absolutely the worst set up I have ever seen . Small crowed and very short staffed. Someone without restaurant experience had to have designed it!! Horrible they lost me I will never return!
The rates are ridiculous for the area. A high end resort is not just the resort, it's the resort and the surrounding area. That is why Vegas can charge what they charge. This is not Vegas or Bel Aire, or Temecula. You're in Highland. Pechanga has a great resort and surrounding area. They are not charging this amount. You can get a beautiful suite starting at $229. And you can visit wineries and you can do MANY other things within and nearby the resort. And you can get incredible service. I was planning on visiting this resort, but not anymore. How greedy can you be??