Harrah's Resort Southern California

Harrah's Resort Southern California
Company type	Native American casino and resort
Industry	Hospitality, Gaming
Founded	2004
Headquarters	Valley Center, United States
Area served	Southern California
Owner	Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians
Parent	Caesars Entertainment

Harrah's Resort Southern California (previously known as Harrah's Rincon) is a Native American casino and full-service resort located near Valley Center, California. The property is owned by the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians and managed by Caesars Entertainment.

History

The Rincon Band of Luiseño Mission Indians officially designated the land hosting Harrah's Resort Southern California as Funner on August 1, 2016, with the public announcement occurring on May 5, 2017. Collaborating closely with the Tribal Council, Harrah's leadership has prioritized incorporating "Fun" as a fundamental aspect of its business philosophy.

Expansion

Construction commenced on November 1, 2012, for a $160 million development that introduced a new hotel tower containing 403 rooms and a versatile convention center spanning 23,000 square feet designed for conferences, concerts, and various events. Enhancements also included upgrades to the pool area featuring a lazy river and swim-up bar, alongside the addition of a food court hosting Earl of Sandwich and the reopening of Pink's (now operating as Smashburger), Starbucks, Corked (serving regional premium craft beers), Spiked, and Rita's (an indoor/outdoor Mexican dining venue). The lazy river, swim-up bar, and poolside restaurant debuted in summer 2013; by December, the convention center and Corked had been completed. Starbucks opened early in 2014. The new hotel tower began partial operations in March and was fully operational by April 2014, expanding the resort’s total accommodations to 1,087 rooms—making it the largest Indian casino resort in California by room count at that time. Spiked and the food court became available in April. The entire expansion concluded on April 18, 2014. After completion, the property was rebranded as Harrah's Resort Southern California. In 2015, the south tower underwent renovations to match the updated style of the north tower.

Hotel

The hotel consists of three distinct towers: Dive Inn (previously called Garden Tower, opened in 2002 and renovated in 2024), Resort Tower South (formerly Spa Tower, opened in 2004 and updated in 2015), and Resort Tower North (opened in 2014). Together, Dive Inn and Resort Tower South provide 662 rooms, while Resort Tower North offers an additional 403 rooms.

Both North and South Towers include Luxury rooms available in smoking and non-smoking options; La Jolla suites are positioned with two per floor in the South Tower plus most rooms on the 20th floor across both towers; each floor features four Coronado Suites equipped with balconies facing east (South Tower) or north/south (North Tower). The renovated South Tower houses Catalina suites with expanded living space and west-facing balconies. Atop the South Tower sits the Mayoral Suite. In 2017, "Resort Wellness Rooms and Suites" were introduced on the second floor of the North Tower, equipped with Vitamin C showers, bathrobes, slippers, exercise equipment, and convenient access to the fitness center located in the South Tower. Dive Inn offers Deluxe rooms with smoking and non-smoking options featuring small balconies; its Palomar Suite is the smallest suite available while Laguna and Malibu suites boast private heated pools. Rooms located on the first floor facing the pool feature private balconies furnished with lounge chairs.

Casino

The casino boasts approximately 1,600 slot machines alongside 51 gaming tables. The interior design and lighting were crafted by Steelman Partners based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Additional Facilities

The resort features a spa and is located close to the Woods Valley Golf Club.

Famous Ambassadors

To market the resort, the Rincon tribe along with Harrah's leadership appoint a celebrity to serve as the "mayor of Funner," who promotes the destination via guest hotline announcements and advertising campaigns for a term lasting two years.

On May 18, 2017, David Hasselhoff was inaugurated as the inaugural official mayor of Funner, California.

The second individual to hold this title was Rob Riggle, appointed on May 15, 2019.

Jane Lynch took on the role of the third mayor starting May 16, 2022.

The fourth mayor, Martin Short, began his tenure on May 13, 2024.

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