Local & Community
Morongo Announces Reopening Date
The Morongo Casino Resort & Spa and Casino Morongo announced plans today to reopen at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 22 with limited guest capacities and numerous new precautions in place to ensure the highest levels of safety and cleanliness.
“Morongo is excited to welcome our guests back into the game as we reopen our casinos and unveil our luxurious new expansion, which further augments our offerings at the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa,” said Morongo’s Chief Operating Officer Richard St. Jean.
“Our reopening is being guided by our abiding commitment to protecting the health and well-being of our guests, team members, and the community. We have spent countless hours developing enhanced safety and sanitation protocols and procedures that strengthen our already-exacting standards for cleanliness,” St. Jean said.
Guests will be able to book a stay at the hotel and plays slots and table games, although seating will be limited, and some slots will be deactivated or equipped with Plexiglass shields. Dining and beverages will be available at Mozen Asian Kitchen, Pink Coffee, Good Times Café, the Sideline Grill and the Food Court, however social distancing between diners will be enforced and seating will be limited.
Interest is high for the reopening, and guests are encouraged to get the latest news about the openings and traffic conditions by visiting morongocasinoresort.com, the Morongo social media pages or by downloading Caltrans QuickMap application.
During the extended closure, Morongo conducted a deep and thorough cleaning that sanitized every square inch of the casinos. Morongo leadership developed a reopening strategy that aligns with industry best practices for ensuring the health and safety of guests and team members. Elements of the plan include:
- Temperature Screenings: Temperature checks will be conducted with touchless devices for all guests and team members before entering the casinos.
- Limited Entrances and Capacity: The number of entrances will be reduced to ensure all guests and team members are screened. Guest entries will be limited to ensure adequate social distancing.
- Mandatory Masks and Plexiglass: Morongo guests, team members and vendors will be required to wear face masks at all times. Plexiglass shields have been installed between many slot machines with others being deactivated. Plexiglass shields will be available for table game players.
- Seating Limits: Some slot machines will be deactivated for social distancing and seating will be limited at table games.
- Social Distancing: Guests will be asked to maintain physical distance from each other where feasible, and team members will remind guests of this measure.
- Hand Sanitizer Stations: An increased number of automated hand sanitizing stations have been placed on the casino floors and throughout the properties.
- Enhanced Cleaning Schedules: Aggressive cleaning and sanitation schedules have been implemented.
- Air Systems: Morongo’s state-of-the art HVAC systems draw fresh air from outside of the casinos, and all air filters will be cleaned more frequently.
At this time, amenities that will remain closed including the Oasis Pool, Sage Spa, Fitness Center, Cielo Steakhouse, Potrero Canyon Buffet, valet parking, and the poker and bingo rooms.
With these measures in place, a designated Morongo taskforce of operations, health and safety experts will continually monitor and adjust health, safety, and sanitation procedures as appropriate.
With the reopening, guests will also be able to experience the luxurious new Morongo expansion, which broke ground in January 2019. Recently completed, the elegantly designed 65,000-square-foot expansion increases Morongo’s existing gaming floor by more than 30 percent, allowing for more slots, table games and other guest amenities.
“Our expansion marks another major milestone in Morongo’s legacy as a world-class resort destination and underscores our ongoing commitment to exceeding the expectations of our guests,” St. Jean said.
Updated: 5/19/20 2:30pm – The hotel will be open for stay.
Article from Morongo Casino Resort and Spa
By: NBC Palm Springs
May 19, 2020
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