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Review content:
OK, first things first. If what you are looking for is first-rate modern amenities, this is not the place for you. There's no internet, the whole place shares one iron, and when we wanted to call the front desk we realized that there was no phone in the room either (though, inexplicably, there was a phone book).
Why 4 stars, then? Easy. Despite all of that, the experience was great!
The Lazy H Ranch is tucked into an area surrounded by tree farms, citrus orchards and Reservation casinos. The motel portion was built in the 1920's, and the new owners have been slowly renovating. They bit off a lot in purchasing the property, but they've got all buildings re-roofed. The beds were inviting and comfortable, the bathrooms clean and the water hot. Now, all of that said, it was definitely NOT new. Our room (the double) had two patios, with chairs, tables, a chaise lounge, etc. The pool, from our vantage, looked spacious and like it would be enticing on a warmer day.
The property was gorgeous. Large lush grounds, nestled in a small canyon, spotted throughout with fruit trees. As we checked in, we looked out the window to the sight of MANY dozen humming birds sharing feeders just outside the bar. Captivated, we sat at the bar, asked if they had a specialty drink of some sort (we'd read about the martinis), and were told that they made a house margarita out of meyer lemon juice from the trees lining the entrance drive. We ordered two, then two more, then went back to share one more! (The next day, back in LA, there was serious discussion about planting our own lemon trees). We followed up the margaritas with a plate of delicious littleneck clams in a white wine butter sauce. Another group sitting a few feet from us were served fantastic looking plates of prime rib and duchess potatoes (which they raved about).
Now, given their 'off the beaten path' location, and the fact that the casinos all around have mighty buffets, the restaurant isn't open for breakfast. We ambled into the Pauma Casino, didn't think a whole lot of the buffet-- s'allright, but not our cuppa-- and ended up having the best shrimp burrito ever (as well as a damn fine carne asada breakfast burrito) at a dive mexican place just up the road from the hotel (Jilbertos is, I think, the name of the place).
It is about 3 minutes from the Harrah's Rincon Casino, and was a third the price when we went to book our last minute room. So, if you're going to a show at the Open Sky Theater, or just looking for an interesting getaway in a beautiful area at a great price, put the Lazy H Ranch on your list!
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