Friday, May 29, 2020
Casino Del Sol reopening facilities June 3
After more than two months closed, Casino Del Sol, Casino of the Sun and Estrella at Casino Del Sol will reopen to the public June 3 at 8 a.m., the Pascua Yaqui Tribe announced this week.
The facilities closed March 18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and will reopen under strict safety protocols.
“Our top priority will always be the health and safety of our guests and team members, and we are taking all the necessary steps to ensure visiting our properties will be a safe and comfortable experience for all,” said Casino Del Sol CEO Kimberly Van Amburg, in the tribe’s announcement. “During our temporary closure we sincerely appreciated our guests’ support and understanding, and we have been looking forward to welcoming everyone back in the safest way possible.”
The properties’ new health and safety guidelines will include the following precautions:
● Cleaning: We have expanded and enhanced sanitization and cleaning practices to meet or exceed recommendations made by health experts. Each property will be continually sanitized each day with a hospital-grade disinfectant listed by the EPA as effective against COVID-19. In addition, overnight deep cleaning and sanitizing will continue.
● Personal Protective Equipment: All guests and employees will be required to wear masks while on the properties. Employees in positions involving cleaning and food preparation will be required to wear gloves as well. Employees will be provided with masks and gloves. Masks will be available for guests to purchase.
● Smoking: Smoking will only be allowed in designated smoking areas.
● Temperature Screening: Thermal scan software and cameras have been installed at guest and team member entrances to monitor the temperature of each person entering the building.
● Social Distancing: Guests and team members are required to observe social distancing and stay at least six feet away from others when standing in lines, using elevators and otherwise moving about the properties. There will be signage and floor guides that encourage social distancing. Chairs have been removed at restaurants, slots machines, table games, bingo and other areas on property.
● Plexiglass Barriers: Plexiglass barriers have been installed in areas where guests are face-to-face with employees such as hotel front desks, food and beverage cashier and host stands, cages, Club Sol, table games, poker and Sewailo Golf Club.
● Fresh Air: Casino Del Sol’s existing HVAC system has a maximized fresh-air intake such that the entire property’s air is replaced with outside air approximately every 45 minutes.
● Hand Sanitizer: Additional hand sanitizer stations have been added for guests and staff to access throughout the properties.
● Slot Machines: Many machines have been moved or turned off and chairs have been removed to ensure social distancing. Several machines have also been relocated to the Conference Center and are spaced apart. There will be a team of employees dedicated to cleaning and sanitizing slot machines and chairs throughout the day and each time a guest leaves a machine.
● Table Games: Dealers and players will be required to wear a mask for all games and gloves for games that permit the player to handle the cards. There will be a maximum of two to three players per table. The card shoe, toke boxes, paddles and discard rack will be sanitized each time a dealer enters a game. Cards on the carnival games will be changed every two hours and discarded at the end of each day. Blackjack cards will be discarded at the end of each day.
● Poker: There will be a maximum of four players at each table. Poker cards on live games will be changed and cleaned every two hours.
● Bingo: Seating has been removed to allow no more than three guests per table. Tables and surfaces will be sanitized at the end of each session and each time a guest leaves the area.
● Restaurants: Restaurants will have distanced seating and limited occupancy. For restaurants with table service, plate covers will be utilized when delivering meals from the kitchen to the guests’ table.
● Hotels: We will continue to utilize hospital-grade disinfectant in public areas, elevators and guest rooms. Non-essential, decorative fabric items such as throws and throw pillows have been removed from the guest rooms. Hotel elevators will be limited to two guests per cab unless the guests are members of the same household.
● Fitness Centers: At Estrella, the workout room will be limited to one guest at a time. At Casino Del Sol, the workout room will be limited to two guests at a time, with social distancing. Hotel staff will disinfect the machines in the workout rooms every two hours.
● Property amenities that will not reopen temporarily: Festa International Buffet, Wildcat Grille at Sewailo Golf Club, Paradiso Lounge, Tropico Lounge, Zebo’z, Hiapsi Spa, the arcade at Estrella, valet parking and the hotel pools.
“We've put a great deal of thought and a lot of work into our reopening plan, and feel confident in the measures we've implemented across our properties to keep our guests and employees safe,” said Pascua Yaqui Tribe Charmain Robert Valencia.
While the Sewailo Golf Club reopened April 20, AVA Amphitheater canceled events through July. For more information, visit casinodelsol.com.
The facilities closed March 18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and will reopen under strict safety protocols.
“Our top priority will always be the health and safety of our guests and team members, and we are taking all the necessary steps to ensure visiting our properties will be a safe and comfortable experience for all,” said Casino Del Sol CEO Kimberly Van Amburg, in the tribe’s announcement. “During our temporary closure we sincerely appreciated our guests’ support and understanding, and we have been looking forward to welcoming everyone back in the safest way possible.”
The properties’ new health and safety guidelines will include the following precautions:
● Cleaning: We have expanded and enhanced sanitization and cleaning practices to meet or exceed recommendations made by health experts. Each property will be continually sanitized each day with a hospital-grade disinfectant listed by the EPA as effective against COVID-19. In addition, overnight deep cleaning and sanitizing will continue.
● Personal Protective Equipment: All guests and employees will be required to wear masks while on the properties. Employees in positions involving cleaning and food preparation will be required to wear gloves as well. Employees will be provided with masks and gloves. Masks will be available for guests to purchase.
● Smoking: Smoking will only be allowed in designated smoking areas.
● Temperature Screening: Thermal scan software and cameras have been installed at guest and team member entrances to monitor the temperature of each person entering the building.
● Social Distancing: Guests and team members are required to observe social distancing and stay at least six feet away from others when standing in lines, using elevators and otherwise moving about the properties. There will be signage and floor guides that encourage social distancing. Chairs have been removed at restaurants, slots machines, table games, bingo and other areas on property.
● Plexiglass Barriers: Plexiglass barriers have been installed in areas where guests are face-to-face with employees such as hotel front desks, food and beverage cashier and host stands, cages, Club Sol, table games, poker and Sewailo Golf Club.
● Fresh Air: Casino Del Sol’s existing HVAC system has a maximized fresh-air intake such that the entire property’s air is replaced with outside air approximately every 45 minutes.
● Hand Sanitizer: Additional hand sanitizer stations have been added for guests and staff to access throughout the properties.
● Slot Machines: Many machines have been moved or turned off and chairs have been removed to ensure social distancing. Several machines have also been relocated to the Conference Center and are spaced apart. There will be a team of employees dedicated to cleaning and sanitizing slot machines and chairs throughout the day and each time a guest leaves a machine.
● Table Games: Dealers and players will be required to wear a mask for all games and gloves for games that permit the player to handle the cards. There will be a maximum of two to three players per table. The card shoe, toke boxes, paddles and discard rack will be sanitized each time a dealer enters a game. Cards on the carnival games will be changed every two hours and discarded at the end of each day. Blackjack cards will be discarded at the end of each day.
● Poker: There will be a maximum of four players at each table. Poker cards on live games will be changed and cleaned every two hours.
● Bingo: Seating has been removed to allow no more than three guests per table. Tables and surfaces will be sanitized at the end of each session and each time a guest leaves the area.
● Restaurants: Restaurants will have distanced seating and limited occupancy. For restaurants with table service, plate covers will be utilized when delivering meals from the kitchen to the guests’ table.
● Hotels: We will continue to utilize hospital-grade disinfectant in public areas, elevators and guest rooms. Non-essential, decorative fabric items such as throws and throw pillows have been removed from the guest rooms. Hotel elevators will be limited to two guests per cab unless the guests are members of the same household.
● Fitness Centers: At Estrella, the workout room will be limited to one guest at a time. At Casino Del Sol, the workout room will be limited to two guests at a time, with social distancing. Hotel staff will disinfect the machines in the workout rooms every two hours.
● Property amenities that will not reopen temporarily: Festa International Buffet, Wildcat Grille at Sewailo Golf Club, Paradiso Lounge, Tropico Lounge, Zebo’z, Hiapsi Spa, the arcade at Estrella, valet parking and the hotel pools.
“We've put a great deal of thought and a lot of work into our reopening plan, and feel confident in the measures we've implemented across our properties to keep our guests and employees safe,” said Pascua Yaqui Tribe Charmain Robert Valencia.
While the Sewailo Golf Club reopened April 20, AVA Amphitheater canceled events through July. For more information, visit casinodelsol.com.
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