Fantasy Springs Eternal

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful THE DRIVE: Follow the windmills for about 25 minutes past Palm Springs and you'll arrive in Indio, CA. Set against a classic desert landscape, the casinos of Indio have a few things over their Palm Springs neighbors: They're RIGHT off the 10 freeway... and they're WAY less crowded. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino also has the honor of having its own bowling alley. THE PARKING: I'm glad to report that Fantasy Springs has put in a new covered parking structure! No more melted sunglasses in the desert heat... THE CASINO: Fantasy Springs has always been an appealing casino, but, until recently, not because of it's atmosphere. However, with the new casino floor expansion and addition of a beautifully designed hotel and pool, Fantasy Springs has grown from a fun local casino to a true vacation destination. Fantasy Springs has always had a great variety of slots and stocks some fun multi-denom gems you don't see everywhere including "Soul Train," "Chocolate Factory," "I Love Lucy," and a huge bank of penny "Star Wars." They also appear to be looking towards the future of gaming with some cool virtual table games. Although I didn't try it, the jam packed video Baccarat machine intrigued me. Next time! Although they only have 40 tables, Fantasy Springs does have a nice variety of table games including Mini-Baccarat, California craps (with cards instead of dice), 3 and 4 card poker, Jackpot Pai Gow and Spanish 21. BLACKJACK PLAYER ALERT: Fantasy Springs has some pretty cool blackjack rules you won't find at other Indian casinos. You can choose between hand-shuffled, machine-shuffled games or "double-deck pitch" ... and they actually have $5 tables! The Fantasy Springs blackjack rules also allows players to split paired cards up to four hands... and double down on splits (except Aces). So if blackjack is your game, consider making the drive to Indio. THE FOOD: We've only eaten in the 24 hour café, which has quick friendly service... and the Patty Melt is delicious! Another plus worth mentioning: Fantasy Springs has a Starbucks in the hotel. THE SPA: We intend to try the spa on our next visit. THE HOTEL: We love staying at Fantasy Springs! The weekday price is very reasonable -- if you join the players club and book ahead it's around $80/night, sometimes lower. The upscale rooms sport flat screen TVs, high speed internet and are beautifully appointed. CLUB FANTASY: We highly recommend joining the player's club... we've gotten free weekday hotel nights and around $30-$50 of free slot play every time we come back. THE ODDS: With a bankroll averaging $300, we usually do well at Fantasy Springs. Haven't had any huge jackpots there... instead, we usually experience consistent moderate payouts that allow longer profitable play over time. THE PAYLINE: For serious slot players looking for long play time in a casino with all the amenities, it's a Fantasy Springs come true!

Overall rating:    9.5 Location:   10.0 Atmosphere:   9.0 Hotel/Area Lodgings:   10.0 Crowds:   10.0 Food:   9.0 Hospitality:   10.0 Cashier Service:   8.0 Waitress Service:   9.0 Maintenance:   10.0 Cleanliness:   10.0 Air Quality:   9.0 Parking Lot:   9.0 Players Club:   10.0 Promotions:   10.0 Table Games:   9.0 Slot Variety:   10.0 Slot Availability:   10.0 Slot Service:   9.0 Slot Payback:   9.0 Was this review helpful to you? Reviewed by Editor February 24, 2007 #1 Reviewer View all my reviews   Last updated: November 27, 2007

Who in their right mind doesn’t love the Palm Springs area? The desert is peaceful, and then you walk into Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio (just a few more short exits off the I-10) for your adrenaline fix. Table games and slots aside (it’s no secret that the Keno machines are my personal favorite) , the Special Events Center, where acts like Martin Lawrence, John Legend, Frankie Vallie and The Four Seasons play, is huge! The actual center is 100,000 square feet, which includes meeting rooms, convention facilities and ballrooms. And the performance venue, which was built in 2007 and holds just under 4000 people, is a little special to me; the first ever American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson played there recently and brought the house down.

But wait, there’s more! “The Improv,” made famous in L.A. for showcasing the greatest comics in the world, opened recently. Featuring three comics a week, Friday and Saturday shows are at 8:00 and 10:00.

And that’s not all! “Above It All,” the 12th floor cocktail lounge, boasts the best views of the East Coachella Valley you can find with a walls of windows overlooking the desert. Different jazz bands are featured in there every Friday and Saturday. Seating capacity is around 300.

The Rock Yard is a great place for live music outside under the stars. Up to 1,800 people can be outside watching live bands every Friday & Saturday including cover bands and Rockioake Contests with a $1000 grand prize – hmmmm, maybe I CAN sing in public? Nah. Not me. In the winter The Rock Yard Winter Edition moves indoors to The Fantasy Lounge, which features cover bands on the weekends. The room is fantastic. Really intimate with a balcony upstairs where you can watch all the happenings from up there – even a bar upstairs as well.

We were put up in beautiful non-smoking king rooms, but I don’t feel bad about the free rooms. I put more in the machine than the cost of the room! And still……….I love this place. When can we go back? Meet me there.

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