It costs from $39 to $170 a night. There are 950 rooms.

It has very nice (and quiet) rooms in the downtown casino center, and more casinos are just across the street. All casino hotel amenities are provided--buffet, shows, gambling, gambling, and more gambling.

Check for ski packages.

The hotel room was average. Stereotypical bedspreads, carpet and curtains in dark colors to hide stains, I guess. Clean but could definitely use some updating. The advantages of this hotel were outside of the room. Large casino, 4 or 5 restaurants, a nice outdoor pool overlooking the lake and mountains, poolside waiter service, a large lobby with comfortable chairs for people watching, a rental car counter in the lobby, a very informative concierge with loads of brochures to look at, a travel area where you can catch buses that go all over the western part of the US and a trolley stop right behind the hotel and a private beach at the lake for hotel patrons only. And with all of this, the hotel rooms over the Fourth of July week were relatively modestly priced for a large tycoon as Harrah's. Most nights were about $99.

Like everything else in Lake Tahoe, accommodations come in a multitude of shapes and sizes, from Four Star casinos to a tent and sleeping bag.

On the South Shore, you’ll find big casinos with all the attractions – first-class accommodations, numerous dining options, shopping and of course, gambling. The bigger ones, Harvey’s, Harrah’s and Caesar’s all boast Four Stars. Not interested in the casino scene? Embassy Suites sits right next door to the casinos on the California side and also offers a four star rating. Aside from Stateline, you’ll also find a myriad of other smaller resorts, hotels, inns and condo and home rentals. Camp Richardson on the lake’s true South Shore is a great beachfront locale, and also offers horseback riding and great hiking in nearby Desolation Wilderness. But a word to the wise -- many are old and somewhat rundown. Try to check out their website or get a brochure to make sure that you don’t get a major surprise upon arrival.

On the lake’s northeast corner sits Incline Village, often referred to as "Income Village," because of its massive mansions and homes. With real estate prices reaching $40 million, you can find a use for all that extra dough lying around. In Incline you’ll also find the Four Star Hyatt Regency, the only full service hotel with a private beach in Lake Tahoe. Currently under renovation, the Hyatt has a cozy casino, nightly entertainment and superb dining options.

Another great (an much less expensive) North Shore hotel is the CalNeva Resort and Spa, straddling the Nevada/California state line in Crystal Bay. Each of its guestrooms is newly renovated and features stunning lake views. In its heyday, the CalNeva was frequented by Hollywood’s jet set, and was even partially owned by Frank Sinatra at one point.

Olympic Valley is home to the Resort at Squaw Creek, also a Four Star property just off the North Shore. A beautiful resort with breathtaking views of Squaw Valley (site of the 1960 Winter Olympics), the resort is the region’s only full service ski-in ski-out property. Other amenities include: golf course, multiple outdoor pools and hotubs, skating rink, great restaurants and a new 10,000 square foot spa.

Tahoe City, on the northwest corner of the lake, has numerous smaller and reasonable priced motels and hotels. For a quaint getaway, Sunnyside and River Ranch offer cozy rooms in great locations. There are also a couple of campsites in this area, one just east of Tahoe City and another at the entrance to Blackwood Canyon, just a little ways down the West Shore.

Just like lodging, there’s no shortage of visitor’s bureaus to get information from. www.virtualtahoe.com will get you information on South Shore, www.gotahoe.com for Incline Village and Crystal Bay, and www.tahoe4u.com covers most of the rest.