GOOCHONLINE - Since 1999

Normally, I chill--not in the old school, but perhaps the middle school--Sand's Regency hotel in Reno. It's a clean hotel. The decor hasn't been updated since the early eighties, but it's clean... and cheap.

As much as I hate the terrorists, I do have them to thank for the terrific deal I got on my last trip to Reno. Did I stay at the Sands? No. My group opted for the best that Reno has to offer... the Silver Legacy.

It's often said that some casinos consume as much power as small cities. It's very possible, with all of the lights, slot machines, video cameras, etc. Of course, they can afford that much power because of the immense amounts of cash they bring in from the schmoes (like yours truly) who dump money by the paycheck on the blackjack, roulette, and craps tables.

So, imagine my surprise when I went into my room, welcomed by the fresh towels, toilet seal, soft core porn, and a letter from the hotel's General Manager:

(an excerpt): As you may be aware, energy costs have increased substantially over the past several months...Please note a minimal energy surcharge of $3.00 per room, per night, has been added to your guestroom bill. While we regret having to institute this surcharge, our hope is that this will be a temporary necessity and costs will return to an acceptable level in the near future.

This wouldn't be so outrageous (even a bell hop said to me "they should just have raised the rates $3 instead of adding a surprise surcharge") but during my game play at the SL casino, twice within ten minutes I caught two different dealers trying to take money from players when the players had in fact won. Pretty soon, SL is going to start charging a surcharge for the money they're losing by getting caught swiping cash from its players.

I won't gamble at the Silver Legacy anymore, but I will stay there... I dig the spa.