"For a long time, Turning Stone, sitting in a field ten miles south and west of Rome, New York, and operated by the Oneida Nation, has been happy to exist as a casino resort serving a Central New York clientele.

Like many tribal casinos, it started small, adding bells and whistles along the way, each addition more palatable than the last, including a wide range of hotel rooms.

Then in 2004, the tribe made a stab at renown by opening the 98-unit, all-suite Lodge at Turning Stone, situated towards the back of the property.

The design is Mission-ish and serene, utilizing a lot of wood and stone.

The atmosphere, as befits a hotel of this size, is surprisingly intimate, and sentries are posted at the front door and the casino access bridge to ensure that only those who truly belong are allowed in.

For Turning Stone’s troubles, the lodge and its bistro-tiny continental restaurant, Wildflowers, were awarded four diamonds by AAA. Not bad for an operation that had begun as a bingo hall on reservation lands years ago.

Last winter all this was followed up with the ambitious Skana Spa, located at the Lodge.

Skana, we were told, translates as “peace” in ancient local parlance. The emphasis would be on indigenous materials, the environment would be harmonious. It seemed to me that if this latest addition to the Turning Stone project was being offered up as a legitimate spa destination, it deserved a look at least."

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Lydia Gordon: GAMBLING ON FAME (The New York Post 5/22)