The Southern California market is extremely competitive, and has heated up recently with additions, renovations and expansions. When the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians considered who to work with for a $40 million expansion, the choice was pretty evident. JCJ Architecture has been working with the tribe since 2000, and the results have been outstanding, so the decision was a no-brainer.
   
The tribe’s hotel committee wanted to maintain the property’s “Best in Class” standard, and identified several areas that needed to be addressed. For the hotel, they wanted more rooms and suites. They also wanted a pool, hot tub and expansive outdoor spaces that translated into possible dual uses during the day and at night. In addition, a business center, fitness center and room service were added. And finally, 7,000 square feet were added to the property’s award-winning Harvest Buffet.
    
To meet these demands, JCJ developed architectural, furniture and artwork enhancements to evoke a comfortable residential atmosphere while elevating the guest experience beyond the traditional hotel room.
   
The hotel committee identified the hotel bathroom as a point of differentiation. Throughout, oversized glass showers visually increase the size of the bathrooms and carefully selected accent materials to create a sense of refinement without a significant cost premium. In some suites, unique built-in millwork and glass feature walls were created to hold large-screen TVs, creating a distinctly Viejas element.
   
For their efforts, the Viejas hotel was recently awarded the AAA Four Diamond designation.

Owner: Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians 
Manager: Viejas Enterprises 
Architect: JCJ Architecture
Investment: $40 million

By Casino Design Staff