In my opinion, Harrahs is south Lake Tahoe's most attractive mega hotel-casino. It's a high-rise with 540 rooms located in the casino strip right on the California-Nevada border between the Lake and the Heavenly Valley ski area. It houses a good sized casino as well as several restaurants, a modest shopping mall, health club and spa, entertainment venues, and more.

Harrahs Lake Tahoe is owned by the Harrahs group of hotels and casinos, and Harveys Lake Tahoe, which has even more rooms and Tahoe's largest casino, is right across the street, connected by an underground tunnel. Both hotels have had fairly recent bottom to top renovations. In terms of luxury, Harrahs is a small step above Harveys, and its prices are modestly higher. To check out Harveys, just click.

Why Stay There?

Harrahs is a great place to stay for anyone who wants to combine outdoor recreation by day with gambling at night while enjoying big hotel luxury in the middle of one of America's most beautiful and diverse recreation areas.

Within a five to thirty minute drive--a five minute walk for some activities--are opportunities to ski, snowboard or cross country ski, golf, kayak, bicycle, hike, swim, water ski, fish, boat, parasail, etc. The base station of the new Heavenly Gondola, which takes skiers and sightseers to the heart of Heavenly's ski terrain, is less than a block away.

After a day of physical activity, you can test your luck in Harrahs sizable casino or make the quick two minute trek through the underground tunnel that connects it to Harveys 88,000 square foot mega-casino. My general impression is that Harrahs casino is less smoky and noisy than Harveys but a bit less diverse in terms of the games it offers. But, it's great to have a choice.

Location

Harrahs is literally at the California-Nevada border (in Nevada, of course) right on the main highway through South Lake Tahoe. It's a very easy trip by car from western Nevada and California's Bay and Sacramento areas. For those coming by air, it's a two-hour bus trip from the Reno airport, which makes it less desirable as a fly-in destination.

The huge Heavenly Valley ski area is now accessible by gondola from one block down the street. Other major ski areas--Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Northstar and Kirkwood are all about an hour's drive, weather permitting.

Other diverse recreational opportunities are scattered throughout the Tahoe area, from five minutes to an hour by car from Harrahs.

Rooms

Harrahs standard rooms are spacious at just over 500 square feet, and they feature two complete bathrooms (one with shower and the other with shower-bath), a boon for families or two-couple parties and a nice luxury for any couple. Virtually all the rooms have mountain and/or lake views, but "premium" rooms on the west side of the hotel supposedly have better views and thus command $20 more per night. In my opinion, any room above the seventh or eighth floor has a breathtaking view.

Rooms typically have a king or two queens, a small "breakfast table" with easy chairs and a queen sleeper sofa, a minibar, a moderate sized TV with remote control, game console and a keyboard for internet access. A large selection of on-demand movies is available. Rooms also come equipped with an ironing board and iron, and hair dryers. Each bathroom has its own mini-TV (unfortunately of poor quality) and telephone.

Harrahs recently (September 2004) opened a Starbucks in the lobby. Unfortunately, this coincided with the disappearance of in-room coffee makers. To add insult to injury, the Starbucks charges quite a bit more than a typical Starbucks location.

Most rooms have been recently renovated with pleasant understated furnishings.

The one amenity lacking is in-room safes, which are provided at Harveys.

The Casino

By Tahoe standards, Harrahs casino is one of the biggest, but it's only modest by Las Vegas standards. However, it is quite pleasant and uncrowded, and the dealers, waitresses, and other help seem much more friendly than they are in Vegas or Reno. If you don't find what you're looking for at Harrahs, take the two minute walk through the underground tunnel to Harveys casino, the largest in Tahoe at 88,000 square feet, or go next door to either Caesars or Horizon. For lower table limits (including $3 blackjack and penny slots) and a somewhat less refined ambiance, go next door to Bill's (also owned by Harrahs).

For some cheap entertainment, including free drinks, spend some time at one of the increasingly rare $5 blackjack tables ($10 now seems to be the new rock bottom minimum). Those familiar with blackjack will find that Harrahs, like almost all casinos, is taking more and more countermeasures against card counters, most significantly the almost universal use of mechanical continuous shufflers. But, it's still fun! In addition, Harrahs has recently changed the payout for blackjacks in single deck games from the traditional 3 to 2 to a truly lousy 6 to 5. To minimize your losses, stick with the multiple deck games that still pay 3 to 2.

Prices

Harrahs is one of those hotel chains that's perfected demand pricing, so their rates vary almost continuously to balance supply and demand. I've spent as much as $199 and as little as $59 for the identical room. However, I can offer a few observations to help you get a good deal.

Rooms on the "view side" of the hotel cost $20 more than identical rooms on the other side (where the view is arguably just as good). Rooms cost much more during ski season (although early December is usually inexpensive), summer vacation season, and some holidays. They cost much less in the shoulder seasons: winter before the beginning of ski season, early spring after ski season, and late fall. Prices are generally lower Sunday through Thursday.

I use Harrah's web site to price shop, and I generally find that I can book a Sunday and Monday night at $69 and $79, respectively. If your vacation dates are flexible, use Harrah's "Hot Deals" calendar, which shows dates with low prices. Even after you've made a reservation, check back to see if a lower price becomes available. At most Harrahs hotels, you can cancel and rebook without penalty up to 72 hours before your reservation.

Harrahs also has occasional packages that lower the cost of your stay. Another alternative is to stay across the street at Harveys where nearly identical rooms are about $20 less. [As of late 2003, this price difference is not so clear cut, with Harvey's often charging more than Harrahs.]

Use of the exercise room, indoor pool and Jacuzzi is free, but take your room key to gain access. In room on-demand movies cost $10.99, a bit steep, but the selection is pretty good. If you have kids, call the front desk or use the on-screen parental control menu to block the porn offerings.

Restaurants

In general, the restaurants and buffets are expensive, and the food is mediocre with some notable exceptions. Llewelyns, across the street at Harveys, is very expensive but pretty good. Within Harrahs, both the Starbucks and the deli meet my expectations for their category. The American River Cafe offers a nice forest and waterfall atmosphere and OK food at reasonable prices.

For breakfast or snacking, there's the Starbucks in the lobby area and, another one across the street in the Horizon casino and yet another one in the Marriott complex just down the street.

As for lunch and dinner, I recommend you check a good travel guide such as Frommer's California, for a selection of nearby restaurants. There are quite a few excellent places. For great "healthy" meals and funky ambiance, I recommend Sprouts on Lake Tahoe Blvd. For a top notch dinner, try Evans American Gourmet.

Everything Else

Harrahs has free valet parking in its multilevel parking structure and free self parking in its large open air lot. Bell service is plentiful and quick, and there is a very helpful concierge.

In general, all of the employees seem to be helpful and friendly.

There is a huge game arcade for the kids, as well as an indoor pool area with a good sized heated pool and two hot tubs, and a full service health club and spa.

Ski and snowboard rental is available in the hotel.

Related Links

Harrahs on-line address is www.harrahs.com. Follow the appropriate links to check prices and amenities and make reservations at any Harrahs property (including Harveys Tahoe).

Wondering how to save on your hotel bill? Click here for my review of a no-fee credit card that gives you 1% cash back on all purchases.

For an amazing scenic ride, check out the Heavenly Gondola.

Another top choice hotel in the South Tahoe casino strip is Caesars Tahoe.

For a great hotel in Hawaii, check out Kauai Sheraton.



Recommended: Yes