TEMECULA, Calif. — (September 21, 2016) – Pechanga Resort & Casino welcomes Thomas A. Mueller as its new Vice President of Hotel Operations. Mueller comes to Pechanga from a premier Riverside County resort/casino near the Palm Springs area. He brings more than 25 years of experience in the luxury hotel operations industry to his new role. He now oversees the existing 517-room luxury AAA Four Diamond hotel, Spa Pechanga and Journey at Pechanga Golf Course.
Originally from Chicago, Mueller started his career in the luxury hospitality sector immediately following high school as a night auditor at the city’s Ritz-Carlton. He trained in the highest quality of customer service at the Four Seasons hotels in Chicago. Both the Ritz-Carlton and the Four Seasons are Five Star and Five Diamond properties. Mueller’s dedication allowed him to be among a select group to open the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago in 1986 and the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, the West Indies’ first luxury hotel, in 1990. He also played a crucial role on the hotel management team for the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Los Colinas in Irving, Texas. Mueller later joined Harrah’s Entertainment and was quickly promoted to director of hotel operations at Harrah’s East Chicago Casino & Hotel. There he recruited all management and front line employees and opened the 300-room luxury property. Harrah’s Entertainment named the hotel opening the most successful in the company’s history. Mueller also served as Harrah’s Lake Tahoe Hotel and Casino’s hotel manager. Before heading west, Mueller served as director of hotel for a 1,600-room property in Atlantic City.
Soon to come under Mueller’s purview is the new 568-luxury room and suite hotel wing, the new two-story luxury spa and pool complex being added as part of Pechanga Resort & Casino’s current $285 million expansion. The project is slated for completion at the end of 2017.
Mueller currently resides in Beaumont, Calif. When not overseeing luxury resort/hotel operations, he can be found golfing, skiing, traveling and investing in real estate.