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Having tried almost all the major southern California casinos, I found myself coming back again and again to Agua Caliente Casino Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage about 20 minutes east of Palm Springs.

There are several reasons why I like Agua Caliente over other properties despite it being further from me than most local casinos: the drive is easy and scenic, the service is good, the casino rocks, and the hotel itself can rival most of the better options in Vegas. If you want the nitty gritty, read on.

Getting There

For greater Los Angeles and Orange Counties, Agua Caliente is easier to access than most southern California casinos. Unlike Barona or Harrah's Rincon that take you through strange back roads where the only assurance that you're going the right way is the mysterious sighting of so many European luxury cars, the drive to Rancho Mirage is mostly wide open, relatively traffic-free outside of rush hour, and even a bit surreal - the wind farms leading into the Coachella valley are a sight to behold.

Service

Another reason to like Agua Caliente is the service - it's not bend-over-backwards amazing, but quick, efficient, and consistent. The Waters Cafe will have water brought out to you without asking mere seconds after you sit down - a great relief in an area that felt dryer than anything I've experienced in Vegas.

Equally impressive were front desk operations. Never did I experience or even see a line. While checking in, an approaching couple that would have had to wait behind me were intercepted by a manager before they got to the front desk and were escorted to the VIP Lounge to check in there. When showing my room key to the security guard waiting at the elevators, he actually walked over, pressed the button, and stood with his arm across the open door for me to enter - a superfluous gesture, but one I've only seen offered at Encore Tower Suites in Vegas.

Casino

In short, one of California's best bets. The surroundings themselves are a little boring - plain ceilings and carpet with table games in the center and a joke of a high limit room. The rear area near the The Show theater was dead all times of the day.

But what it lacks in surroundings, it makes up for in conditions and minimums: "California" craps (cards instead of dice) with $5 minimums and 100x odds, 2-deck blackjack with 3:2 payouts, $15 mini baccarat tables, and a few full pay video poker machines scattered throughout.

Hotel

After about three trips of moderate play, I very recently received a two-night comp offer and decided to take them up on it for one night to calm the Vegas jones. Check-in begins at 4pm but I tried my luck at 2pm. Rooms were ready, but I asked if I could have a balcony room (very few rooms offer balconies) and she said that that was an upgraded room which she could give me complimentary if I was willing to wait. After about 45 minutes, one such room opened up and I was handed my keys.

The elevator foyer is impressive with glass tile work, wide hallways, modern furnishings, and plenty of natural light.

Outstanding features in the rooms themselves include a large 550 square feet of space, a bathroom with LCD television and separate shower and tub, a few snacks on the counter with a very clear price list (no mini-bar sensors!), and a small refrigerator.

The balcony was phenomenal with a wonderful view of the pool, majestic mountains, and sunset.

The first thing I did was head down to the pool area which isn't extravagant by any means, but beautifully landscaped with plenty of seating. Access to the pool is limited to hotel guests only via room key operated gate. It wasn't very crowded, but there were plenty of loungers should it get busier and a surprising amount of eye candy. Drinks were very reasonably priced with $4 imported beers and $6 long islands.

Whenever I have access to the top floor of a hotel, I make a point to check it out just to see how the hallways differ than the rest of the floors. Agua Caliente's penthouse level features high ceilings, two-story floor-to-ceiling windows, plenty of lounge chairs, a grand piano, and what looked like nothing more than just two presidential suites. You can tell that both suites are rented out often for cocktail parties/private receptions for big players that encompass the entire floor.

Restaurants

Restaurants I tried were the Waters Cafe as mentioned earlier, Grand Palms Buffet, and Poker Deli. Waters offers typical coffee shop fare with outdoor seating near the pool, large portions, and reasonable prices. The buffet and deli are overpriced and nothing special; for the money, the Waters Cafe is the best casual fare in the building.

Miscellaneous

The Coachella valley is extremely windy. I couldn't tell if it was only for my one night stay, but guessing by the acres of wind farms, I'm going to assume the kinds of winds I experienced were a common occurrence. The small table in my room balcony fell and broke overnight and the winds really put a damper on my pool time.

Agua Caliente might be the least "shadiest" of the southern California casinos. If you've ever been to Morongo on a Friday night, you know what I mean. Most of the clientele are retirees living in the Palms Springs area that the staff have become familiar with.

As a result of the demographics and geography, the casino doesn't offer much outside its complex after 9pm. The resort itself is in the middle of the desert with the populated areas of Rancho Mirage a few miles south, but since I think I saw about five people under the age of 65 in my daytime trek across the Palms Springs area, don't count on any drunken Vegas nights where you stumble to bed as the sun comes up.

Video Walkthrough

Conclusion

Overall, I'd definitely spend another night even if I had to pay for the room. But next time, I'll check the weather forecast for days where the winds are calmer and save all my gambling for the evening so that there's actually something fun to do after midnight.

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