Viejas Casino & Resort — Attraction in Alpine

Viejas Casino has always been my go-to casino since living in San Diego for the last 20 plus years. I've been to some other local casinos as well and although it is my favorite, I think it's comparable in many ways to some of the other casinos around SD.

I have spent much money at this casino and have never truly hit anything big. Last night as an example I went with $680 and gambled from approximately 5:30 p.m. until I was broke at midnight. There was some ups and downs and right off the bat I was like $300 down on penny slots which is what I typically play. Luckily I started getting some couple hundred dollar hits here and there to keep me going and eventually had a couple $400 hits throughout the night, But as anyone that gamble knows I was barely maintaining at what I brought or slightly under.

Unfortunately I have replicated this amount of spending multiple times at viejas and it does seem that the house always wins against me. It eventually always drags all the money out of me pockets. To be fair last night, towards the end of the night I was placing Max bets on the penny machines which typically is $5 or so because I was tired. Go big or go home.....Home it was!

Not to say that people do not hit jackpots, I did see people getting hand-pays the last time I was there and I even was really close to sitting at a machine where a lady hit a 13,000$ dragon link jackpot, but for me.... lady luck laughed in my face.

The drive from San Diego isn't too far especially if you live in East county. It's just straight up the 8 a little past Alpine. The parking always seems to be ample as they have a parking garage behind the casino and they also have parking lots and valet.

The casino itself is decently nice with a nice selection of modern machines but a lot of the machines are very sticky, worn down and the casino to me is one of the most smoky casinos I've ever been in. There is a non-smoking area but every time I come back from there I smell like I've been to tobacco hell and back. I think the main reason is because I like to play dragon Link and lightning Cash and there's an area that's in this very small low ceiling area where there's no ventilation and everybody is just chain smoking like a bunch of fiends. I think that's the main reason why I think it's is so smoky and I smell so bad when I come home So if you do not go to that area it may not be as bad.

The rewards program seems to be very tight as well. I've spent close to $2,000 in the last month and a half (some leftovers from a jackpot I hit in Vegas) and lost it all and got $25 free play and $11 off of a meal.....

There are a couple restaurants there and I think there might even be a third one (or more) but from what I know there's a American sports bar type place that looks nice but we have never ate at and then there is the ginger Noodle bar which is a big driving factor of why we go to Viejas. The ginger Noodle bar is really good and we love the Pho. Excellent service, outdoor seating if you want, clean and good food.

I know it may sound like I'm complaining about this casino but if you're looking to gamble locally I do feel that it is one of the better ones you can go to. Just don't expect to come home with any money and plan on smelling like an ashtray. Still lots of fun, lots of bright lights, lots of depression (us losers) but also lots of happiness (All those winners).

Service is and always has been very nice and the restrooms are decently clean and maintained. This casino can get quite busy but the workers do keep up with it for the most part. The bars are also nice! Good brew.

They also have outlet malls and the bowling alley with a little arcade next to the casino.

Update 9/24: Since a recent 4day trip to Vegas, I can say Viejas slots are looser than any MGM property on the strip. I can also now say their higher end rooms are most excellent. Clean, spacious, and luxurious. We normally stay at Bellagio and I think the Viejas are just as nice in their own way, just without the view of the strip. Also are at other restaurants...

We came in yesterday for willow spa treatments only, pedicures & massages. As first time customers here- we generally only go to Syquan Spa Ritual....We did not stay in hotel at Viejas. The Spa here is very clean, nicley decorated and on a Monday holiday (memorial day) not crowded at all. They do not allow spa day passes without purchasing treatments so this helps keep crowding to a minimum, this is a spa that is on the smaller side & for us we absolutely would not come on a crowded day to this small spa. Both saunas ,(wet&dry) are pretty small, but are amazing, they work awesome and very clean. Love the touch with Himalayan salts in dry sauna. Outside, there is a luke warm jacuzzi & large salt water pool. The outdoor jacuzzi has the seating and flooring texture of rough, spikey braille that's so severe, one quick movement the wronge way and it will shred your skin with cuts. My elderly mother had to avoid it for this reason & we only used inside jacuzzi. The indoor jacuzzi was very nice and clean and although it was chlorinated, the chemicals were balanced correctly and it wasn't overwhelming with chlorine. If you need any hygine products, bring it yourself- they dont even have basic offerings like sunscreen.....

There are 3 reasons I'm only giving three stars instead of 5-

1. massages, while very very expensive are not worth the price. I've had better massages at family owned mom & pop Chinese TCM shops. When your masseur needs to be reminded to work the other side of your body in the same manner, it's not a $180.00 price-range-worthy massage. I find that when tips are written in price at 15% mandatory payment, you get mediocre service. I always tip way more than 15% but these massage therapist know the buck stops at 15% so they are definitely not on their 'A' game.

2. some, but not all employees act very unprofessional in spa setting. It was a slow day, one employee was hiding in shower stall playing on her phone- in a spa, where women are naked?! Wth???!!! Also, another employee with very, very long black weave/ braids was fooling around in the mirror inside spa guests bathroom for at least 15 minutes flipping her head upside down, twisting her hair, complaining about the new hair do being like 'a birds nest', ect, ect....so much for a 'zen' tranquility type environment lol...

3. pedicures were absolutely AWESOME, paid attention to detail, really did great on calluses removal, ect, but took FOREVER! THREE HOURS! Not the nail techs fault in anyway, she was very skilled, professional and talented but SHAME ON SPA MANAGEMENT for only having one nail tech 'on deck' when we are paying top dollar and the management is forcing her to do both of us at same time. Total BS for your employee and customers.

In conclusion, will not use services here again and mom & I will stick to using Spa...

This review im giving its not bad due to the construction happening all around the hotel, or the fact that checking its at 4 but pool closes at 7, no, this review is for the way they treated us, went there for my 40th birthday and i have never before been so humiliated 🥹 im honestly crying while writing this, just so upset still, we were staying at the hotel and we have been drinking like I mentioned it was my 40th bday, so went to the bar for a few drinks, everything good, gambled a little, went to the room for a while, went back to a different bar and this is when the nightmare started, i was laughing because of a stupid name of a drink and it was funny because the way my husband sounded asking the bartender the drink, u know, sounded dirty so it was funny, and had like a laughing attack, i dont know if the bartender thought i was laughing at him or what his problem was but AFTER he gave us our drinks we went to sit at a table and not even a minute later some woman comes and takes my drink from the table and said i cant have anymore and cant drink the drink i was just served, i was shocked and i said this is almost full so I assumed we are getting a refund for it scene i cant drink it, my husband was trying to say its her bday we have a room here if there is a problem we ll just go to the room, but NO, they scored us to the room, told us they were coming to check the room for anything ilegal like drugs or anything, i was just unbelievable, but we said ok, so they did, a few minutes later they bring a hole crew with security and paramedics, at that point i was just upset I started crying, the paramedics checked me, asked questions, the security staff went through the room, and they said we were ok, they left and even before leaving they were apologetic and said happy bday to me, which at that point of course it wasnt, so when we thought that was it, (about 5 minutes later) other security personnel come, told us we cant stay, to get our belongings, we couldn’t even closed the door to get our stuff, they were right outside acting like if we were just the works of the criminals 😭 of course they also let us know they weren’t releasing OUR truck, someone with a valid license had to come and get it, so we were literally trown out, we couldn’t wait for our driver inside the hotel, no, so we have to wait for our teen kids to come get us, about 40 minute drive from were we leave, the security we’re acting like big shots treating us like dirt, just worst of the experience, i had never done anything ilegal, never got a ticket, never got arrested and we go there and get treated like this, being my 40th was just the cherry on top so this is my experience, i know its long but i felt that it needed to be told, if you eventually go i just hope no one ever go through what we...