Sycuan Casino Resort

The computerized California-style craps table was fun, but its $10 minimum and setup made for a very different casino experience. There's just one dealer pushing the dice around, with almost no interaction between the players and dealer. I also saw a $15 minimum California craps table with three dealers, so it wasn't all a loss. We came for table games and found maybe two or three tables with a $10 minimum. There was no three-card poker. I had fun overall and will come back.

We often book a suite, and the views over the pool make it a great stay. The pool itself is top-notch, especially for a get-together with adults. There's a lazy river, a swim-up bar, and weekend entertainment. Try the Peachy Keen. For food, we like Rank and File for a loud sports-bar feel, while View Point works for breakfast or a quieter dinner. Ask for the patio. We've been coming for years for a nearby getaway, and it keeps getting better. There isn't anything else like it around here. Thanks, Sycuan, for another great trip!

We paid for our time at the pool, and I want to get what we paid for. Our day started going well, but then we hit some service problems. I had two sealed, unused waters with us and asked if I could pour them into my water cup rather than waste them. The young woman said no, and two other customers and I couldn't understand why waste was acceptable. When we got to our daybed in direct sun, we asked to move the umbrella from one side to the other. Staff said moving it wasn't allowed or they'd get in trouble. After about ten minutes I went back and explained that my husband has cancer and can't be in direct sun long. I shouldn't have needed to disclose our health or disabilities, but then she was happy to move it. Our day ended up pretty great once we got that sorted. Service was slow, and at 5:00 they asked us to leave the daybed and be cleaned up by 6:00. I think 5:30 would have been more reasonable. While we were in the restroom, they took our drinks out of the bucket and left them in direct sunlight, which really bothers me. There were plenty of other things they could have cleaned before the rush of moving us to chairs and taking the bucket. I work in customer service, and you need to cater to people, find a way to help, and not just say no. Hopefully next time goes more smoothly.

I didn't win, and I'll submit pictures next time I go. The range of machines is staggering, from penny and dollar slots to poker, and I like that the different types are spread around instead of grouped into sections. I was impressed by how little smoke you could notice. Every area seemed easy to breathe in, almost like it was non-smoking. If you play or lose enough, you can now ask for food or free-play comps at the Sycuan Club section at the bottom of the escalators. They've been fairly generous with those so far. I'm definitely going back.