McKenzie and I had a few days to kill between our bridge tournament in Reno and a visit to Lake Tahoe (where I will attempt to learn to snowboard — you won’t want to miss Tuesday’s blog), so we found the cheapest hotel the internet had to offer in Sparks, Nevada, about 5 minutes outside of Reno.  We’re at Western Village Inn & Casino, a cheap but not grungy hotel that’s actually been quite satisfying.

When we booked the room, we were told we had a beach view — we assumed this was a typo, but whaddya know, our third floor window looks right out over a cute little lake, complete with paddle boats, a boardwalk, and even a small beach.

Across the parking lot is the casino part of the establishment.  It’s not a large casino, but it’s got a lot going on.  Everyone says the steakhouse inside is worth the trip, but this vegetarian stuck to the Marina Cafe.  Western Village is owned by Peppermill, which is immediately clear from the neon Lisa Frank color scheme.  The cafe menu will be very familiar to anyone who’s ever dined at the Peppermill restaurant:  a large selection of burgers, sandwiches, and ethnic dishes, and breakfast all day.  Come with an empty stomach because the portions are enormous, and the prices are incredibly low.  I recommend the omelets.

The casino itself is loads of fun.  It’s small, but there’s a lot to offer — slot machines and video games in all denominations, a sports book, and low-limit table games: $0.25 roulette, $1 craps, and $2, $3, and $5 blackjack (for high rollers).  Craps rules are okay — single roll bets pay 30-to-1, but you can only play double odds on any point.  Hey, it’s a dollar.  The blackjack rules are fantastic, though — all single deck, double down on any two, and blackjack pays 3 to 2.

The dealers here are some of the area’s friendliest.  Stop by the Western Village casino and say hi to my new friends at the craps table — Jacob, Roger, and Brian on the day shift, and Robert, Warren, and Ron on the evening shift.  These guys are a blast.  Don’t forget to tip the dealers, win or lose.  It’s good casino karma.

If you’ve got business in Reno, Western Village is just a 5-minute drive from the city, and it’s a great place to stay if you’re looking for a cheap room and good food and gaming.  When you check in, you’ll be given a pile of coupons for free drinks, free bets, meal discounts, and more.  It’s not a luxury resort by any stretch, but it’s a great value — and it’s got a beach view!



In 2009, I averaged more than three hotel stays per month.  Some were luxury five star accommodations, and others were fleabag motels.  Some stays were business, some were pleasure, some were a mix of both.  Of the more than three dozen hotels I’ve visited this year, three stand out as the best of the best.  They each serve their own niche, so I’m calling all three of these hotels the best of 2009.

The Westgate Hotel, San Diego, California

I was in San Diego for this fall’s North American Bridge Championships, which meant I spent a minimal amount of time in my hotel.  Even so, I was blown away by the service at the Westgate.  The front desk staff learned my name right away and always greeted me personally when I came and went.  I’m always impressed when a hotel offers evening turn down services, but I thought even the turn down services at the Westgate were above and beyond — leave out an unopened beer and they’ll put it on ice for when you get in at night.

The Westgate Grand Lobby, pictured here, is one of the most beautiful hotel lobbies I’ve ever seen.  The rest of the accommodations are equally exquisite.  Beautifully furnished guest rooms, elegant marble bathrooms, divine bedding — this hotel left nothing to be desired.  They even had free wi-fi in the rooms.  That was completely unexpected.

The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii

I think it would be difficult to have a bad experience in Maui, but the Ritz-Carlton took what would’ve been a wonderful vacation and made it exceptional.  The Ritz-Carlton is a luxury hotel brand that is doing everything right, from what I’ve seen.  The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua is a testament to how dedicated this company is to local culture and to the environment — two things that I believe should be top priorities for every traveler.

You could easily enjoy a fulfilling, well-rounded vacation without ever leaving the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua property.  This hotel is all about Hawaiian culture, and you’ll love the cultural education you get here.  Enjoy fine Hawaiian dining, signature Hawaiian spa treatments, and my favorite part of the vacation, the Hawaiian environment.  The Ritz-Carlton hosts a program called Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambasssadors of the Environment, which offers several different hands-on activities for visitors of all ages to get up close with nature.  The underwater photography snorkeling adventure was without a doubt my favorite part of my visit to Maui.

The Doubletree Hotel, Charlottesville, Virginia

My experience with the Doubletree in Charlottesville is a little different, in that I was hosting an event there and not vacationing.  My husband and I co-chaired a large, week-long bridge tournament, and for seven days, the Charlottesville Doubletree was filled with our guests.  We used their ballrooms, their meeting rooms, their catering services, their restaurants, and every other service the hotel provides.  We were absolutely blown away with the service we received.

This hotel staff redefined above and beyond.  From the general manager down to the housekeeping and bell staff, everyone here was incredibly friendly and accommodating.  The playing site and the guest rooms were luxurious, clean, and comfortable.  Every request we made was met immediately, with a smile.  The staff went out of their way to make sure that all of our players were happy, and that’s not easy to do.  Bridge players are a very hard to please crowd — and yet, everyone was pleased — beyond pleased.  I cannot say enough good things about this Doubletree Hotel.  What we fully expected to be an administrative nightmare was actually a very smooth ride, thanks to their amazing staff.  Our bridge tournament was a huge success, and we can’t wait to work with them again for our 2012 tournament.