The latest addition to the rapidly evolving Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa doesn’t involve new gaming technology or its text valet program, but rather the addition of a venerated pastime: cigar smoking.
The new Pivat Cigar Lounge opened to the public Nov. 6. Kato Moy, general manager for the resort, said the lounge was established provide casino guests with something they can’t easily find elsewhere: A high-end cigar lounge where they can also enjoy top shelf spirits and a little bit of food.
“We spent a lot of time deciding and picking out quality furniture, picking out quality cigars and spirits that we can offer,” Moy said. “It’s really about the experience that we want to offer.”
Pivat translates to smoking tobacco in the native language spoken by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Moy said.
On a recent weekday, Moy proudly showed off a humidor inside the lounge, where hundreds of cigars were neatly lined inside boxes on thick cedar wooded shelves.
The storeroom was slightly cool with roughly 72 percent humidity, perfect for keeping the cigars in optimal condition, Moy said. In the lounge itself, big leather chairs were placed around the center of the room. A bar area was open, ready to serve top shelf whiskey and special cocktails.
Guests who visit the spot can take their pick of roughly 100 cigars of varying sizes and strengths. Some of the brands include Padron, Rocky Patel, Sinistro, My Father and Romeo y Julieta. The cigars range in price from $5 to $51.
Not an experienced cigar smoker? No problem. Moy said staff at Pivat will provide information about the wares as well as cut and light them. For the more experienced smoker, staff can describe the cigars’ complex flavors.
And Agua Caliente hopes the high-end experience keeps people coming back.
Inside the humidor are approximately 40 lockers where guests can store the cigars they’ve purchased. The lockers can be rented out annually on a first come, first served basis, Moy said. The rental runs $1,500 per year. The lockers are about 12 inches wide by 12 inches long.
Pivat also has a menu of signature cocktails and the cigars with which they pair best. The menu recommends a full-bodied cigar for a Manhattan and a mild one for the vodka-based “Cello Collins.”
Some of the cocktails, such as the Pivat Old Fashioned, are smoke infused. The drink comes in a dome-like container and once the container is lifted, a cloud of fragrant applewood smoke rises into the air, then disappears. The menu says it is best paired with a full-bodied cigar.
Lounge visitors can also enjoy appetizer-size items cooked up by Agua Caliente restaurant The Steakhouse, including kalbi tenderloin skewers, artisanal cheese and double chocolate cake.
The lounge connects to an outdoor patio area, where guests can watch a sports game on one of four large TVs — one of them with an 80-inch screen — or simply enjoy their cigars in the sunshine.
Pivat is the latest project to open at the casino.
Agua Caliente is also adding three new dining options near its buffet and planning at least two new bar areas in addition to updating its gaming area.
In July, the resort opened Club Mezz inside Agua Caliente’s entertainment venue, The Show. Guests can sip on drinks as a DJ spins tunes in the club-like atmosphere.
In January, the casino announced bigger expansion plans. A study was initiated to look into the possible environmental impacts of 310 new hotel rooms in 364,000 square feet, 58,000 square feet of gaming space and 25,000 square feet of food, beverage and retail space among other additions.
The Pivat Cigar Lounge is located at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, 32-250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage.
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