Hi everyone,
Long time reader but infrequent poster.
I decided to take a mini staycation to Barona Casino this last Saturday night. I used to stray from Barona because honestly I felt they were too nice (the security guards enthusiastically wave to you as you enter their property!) and their slot machines had higher minimum denominations. You'll find more $.05 machines there than $.01 machines. Now that I've gotten to know the local casinos, I realize that Barona has a better crowd because of the somewhat higher minimum denominations.
The last two times I've been there, I've been approached by a host without having to seek them out. In my time at Harrah's I have never once been approached by a host and I have done a lot more gambling at Harrah's. The hosts have iPod Touch devices and can see where you are and look up all kinds of information about you. The host said I hadn't been there in a long time (50 days exactly) and asked if she could give me a comp to eat. I got a comp for Rubio's in the food court, but she wasn't limiting me. I just reached their Platinum tier for the first time so I'm not a high roller.
The second time a host approached me was on my last trip. I didn't know but I had reached the Platinum tier. She introduced herself, congratulated me for reaching the tier and came back in a few minutes with my new card and a welcome kit. That was great service! I probably would have never known until my next monthly mailer.
I also watched a Barona crew come out in force to a woman on the machine next to me. There must have been 10 of them. They congratulated her for being a Club Barona member for 10 years to the day and gave her a kit of coupons and other gifts. What a great gesture!
I love that the change people walk around and beg you to give you change or cash in your tickets. How nice is it that you don't have to go to a cashier or ticket redemption machine to cash in your tickets (and get behind the little old lady cashing in ten 7-cent tickets one-at-a-time). They can even take your bounce back cash coupons and give you cash on the spot. I find it amazing they walk around with those huge wads of cash, but they've been doing it a long time so they're doing something right.
I would rate the hotel room to a nicer Marriott room with a comfortable bed, flat screen TV, separate tub/shower, and a great view of the golf course and surrounding mountains.
A note on cash back and comps. For Video Poker, it's .1% cash back OR comps based on your coin-in. You can get cash back/free play or use the comps as points in the food court. What I did learn today was that they also offer other comps not advertised. I asked for a lunch comp (while getting a picture for my Platinum card) and the representative gave me the comp along with a $100 cash voucher that I didn't even ask for and none of it came off my points. So apparently there's a separate account of comps that you can use. I heard them tell somebody else that he couldn't get a cash comp at that moment because he had redeemed too much food recently. Keep that in mind that this is something you have to go to the player's club for.
I really do like the service at Barona. I read an article quoting them as saying that they want their customers' money to last as long as possible and have an enjoyable trip. I truly believe, through my own experiences gambling there recently, that they do offer looser slots (through their "loose troop" campaign), great video poker payouts (even if I find the auto hold on almost all of their machines one of the most annoying features of video poker and almost a reason for not going there), no-fee ATMs, and somewhat generous comps, that it's truly a place to go and get value for your gambling dollar.
I'm not a shill, honestly. But when I compare them to the other casinos like Valley View and Viejas, they are bar-none the best casino in San Diego county and I think you should give them a try.
--sdbravo