Natural hot springs, hotels, restaurants, golf courses and sunny weather all year round are just some of the attractions that draw visitors to Palm Springs, California. Nestled in the beautiful Coachella Valley and surrounded by the picturesque San Jacinto mountains, Palm Springs has been a popular resort city since the 1930s, when Hollywood stars came here to shoot movies and live a life of luxury under the clear blue sky. It’s also the ideal destination for a casino vacation, with a variety of great gaming venues that will enable you to put your online casino experience to good use. Let’s take a look at how to get the most out of your Palm Springs casino holiday.
When to go
The best time to visit Palm Springs is between the winter holidays and mid-Spring. At a time when much of the nation is snowbound, Palm Springs residents – and visitors – get to golf, play tennis, hike, shop outside and sip cocktails by the pool. Check the calendar for significant events such as PGA tournaments, film festivals and Modernism Week, an annual 11-day festival dedicated to the city’s funky mid-century modernist architecture. What you don’t want to do, if you’re looking for a relaxing time, is visit during April. Massive events such as Coachella, Stagecoach and the big LGBTQ+ White Party event bring in huge crowds and drive the price of accommodation sky-high. If you do want to visit in April, be sure to book a room and make restaurant reservations well in advance.
What to pack
Palm Springs is bathed in strong California sunshine throughout the day, so you’ll want to pack mostly light clothing, but don’t be caught out! Temperatures can dip at night in the desert, so be sure to include a lightweight jacket or sweater. If you’re planning to visit the casinos at night, it’s important to pack a formal outfit (dress or tuxedo) as well. Further essential items include sunscreen, hat, water bottle (stay hydrated at all times!) and a power bank for your phone. Hydrating lotion is also a good idea if you’re going to be in the desert for an extended period.
How to get around
Technically, Palm Springs is only a two-hour drive from Los Angeles International Airport, but traffic conditions can easily stretch that to three or four hours. To avoid the drive, rather fly on JetBlue, United or American Airlines directly to Palm Springs International Airport. The runways are about a 10-minute drive from downtown Palm Springs.
Downtown is compact, walkable and easy to navigate through taxis, rideshare apps and public transit operated by the Sunline Transit Agency. These include a free trolley called the Buzz that winds in and out of uptown and downtown Palm Springs from 12:00 to 10:00 pm Thursdays through Sundays. If you’d like to explore beyond the city itself, renting a car is a must.
Palm Springs casinos
Opportunities for casino gaming abound in Palms Springs and environs, with reputable casino hotels offering a broad range of games combined with excellent restaurants, bars and entertainment.
The only Palm Springs casino hotel located within the city itself is the Spa Resort and Casino. The casino has a 40,000 square foot casino floor with more than 1,000 slots and table games such as baccarat, blackjack and Pai Gow poker, plus a dedicated poker room.
The Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage boasts a casino floor of over 70,000 square feet with more than 1,400 slots and table games. A state-of-the-art poker room has 20 tables. The 4-star hotel has six different restaurants and an enormous spa that’s open every day of the week. A unique on-site attraction is the Indian Canyons Golf Resort, a first-class public golf course frequented by famous faces such as Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Jackie Gleeson.
Open since 2020, the Agua Caliente Casino in Cathedral City is California’s newest casino. This 24/7 establishment has a floor space of 30,000 square feet with more than 530 slots, table games and poker, plus two on-site eateries (Café One Eleven and Java Caliente), a sports bar and a tequila bar.
On a more impressive scale, the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa is located on 44 acres owned by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. The 27-story hotel comes with a ballroom, spa, salon and the Tukwet Canyon Golf Club. The 70,000-square-foot casino floor has a massive offering of 4,000 slots and table games. All in all, the Morongo Casino is an epic experience on every level!
Prepare to play
If you’re serious about getting the most out of your casino vacation, you should brush up on your gaming skills in advance. Of course, it depends on what games you prefer. It’s fun to spin the reels of a slot machine, but it doesn’t take a great deal of skill. The converse is true for table games such as blackjack, baccarat, roulette and poker. At the very least you need to know the rules of the game, but ideally, you’ll want to have some basic strategy up your sleeve as well. An excellent way to prepare for your casino holiday is to play table games online with a live dealer. The experience is almost identical to playing at a land-based casino except you can play from the comfort of your home at any time. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll hit Palm Springs with a spring in your heel!
Get ready for online casino games at BetMGM
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