Room Quality: The Tuscany Tower has the nicest rooms. They are called suites but are actually slightly large rooms with enormous bathrooms. They are swanktacular combinations of old world Italian and new world Peppermill glitz. Supersoft furnishings, two LCD TVs, bathrooms with soaking tubs, separate showers, water closets, two sinks, lights on dimmers and other amenities. The regular tower rooms are plenty nice, too, though, and crazy funky. The carpet and bedspreads are a shimmery dark blue. The curtains are heavy blue velvet-like material. In all, it feels like the den of a drug dealer circa "Miami Vice" and we find it fun, especially since it is all done with high-quality. The bathrooms are big but otherwise surprisingly plain. They have something called Montego Bay rooms, but all that means is they are the old, smaller rooms from a time when the Peppermill didn't think it could be a fancy place. They have 'em dressed up nice with plasma TVs and stuff, but we still prefer the tony tower. Where's the purple neon around the toilet seat?

	Check prices for this property with Expedia and HotelDiscount.com. Weekday $60-$100 ($170-$240 for Tuscany Tower) Discount Weekday $50-$80 ($140-$200 for Tuscany Tower) Weekend $120-$200 ($280-$350 for Tuscany Tower) Discount Weekend $90-$140 ($250-$300 for Tuscany Tower) What does discount mean?

Service Quality: Good service overall with quick check-in, a big room service menu, and quick response to needs. We wouldn't stay here on business because that's not really who they service, and because the funky atmosphere would make us want to play, not work.

What You Get Bottles of in the Bathroom: Shampoo, separate conditioner, lotion and some very good soap. This is good stuff, and indicative of the high quality the hotel strives for.

Clientele: It's a mix of locals and tourists who are looking for something different than a Hilton, but at that level. Mostly it's upper-middle class people in their 30s. Very few kids.

How's the Pool? One of the better pools in town with a nice jacuzzi and waterfalls. It's on the roof of the casino and can get crowded in the summer, but it's surrounded by more attractive people than the other pools in town. They offer poolside drink service and pool boys to whip with a wet towel.

Free Shuttle: They will happily run you to the airport and back every hour up until 11 p.m. Of course, we don't recommend you do this for kicks, just when you have a flight.

Table Games: Blackjack, craps, roulette, Pai Gow, Three-Card Poker, Mini-Baccarat, Let It Ride, and Caribbean Stud Poker. In short, almost anything. The tables are covered with velvet and soft glowing lights glow underneath the rails. Superfreaky! Also, check out the flock of fake pink flamingos flying overhead and walking along the edges near the Flamingo Food Court.

Bet Minimums: Most everything is a $5 minimum, but you can occasionally find craps for $3 with double odds. Roulette is usually a $4 minimum with $1 chips (but has been $0.50/$2). The blackjack is single deck allowing you to double on 10 and 11, and the dealer hits soft 17s. Baccarat is $10 min.

Machines: Over 2000 machines in almost any denomination from pennies up. They have all the latest machines, including some you won't see elsewhere in Reno. The upstairs section is where low-rollers go to play. You do have to put up with weak air conditioning to play the second-floor pennies and nickels. There's some full-pay VP at the quarter and higher level scattered about the casino.

Cocktails? At the tables the service is pretty good, but at the slots it's not so hot, maybe because the casino is so big and sprawling. You might die of thirst before getting a free drink in Nickel Heaven, unless you're making a lot of racket.

Who Gets Comps? There's a slot club, but it's not exactly generous in our experience. You need to play quarters for a long time before they'll even give you a buffet. At the tables, you must put in a few hours of $25 or higher bets before they will give you something to eat.

Bimini: The Peppermill's steakhouse ain't cheap and it ain't a place you go n your Daisy Dukes. Especially you men. It's got big chops in its meat-heavy menu, a huge wine bar and plenty of the over-the-top-yet-somehow-tasteful elegance the Peppermill is famous for.

Biscotti's: Biscotti's is sort of like your neighborhood chain restaurant that serves mediocre versions of just about everything. Want hot wings? Got 'em. Want a seafood quesadilla? It's there. Lots of salads, pizzas and pastas, but also sandwiches and burgers. The menu is extensive, the food is okay and the prices are a touch too high for a casual place.

Cafe Espresso: Eh. This goumet coffee shop serves coffee, tea, paninis and boring pastries.

Chi: An upscale Asian restaurant with a heavy emphasis on traditional Chinese done all fancy. Look for Peking duck, kung pao chicken, some pork dishes, crispy duck and others you'd expect just about anywhere.

Coffee Shop: The Peppermill runs several coffee shops in California and Nevada which are well known for dishing out excellent food. It's not cheap, but certainly worth it for the huge portions and fresh grub. Try the fruit salad for about $10 and see if you can finish it. Heck, see if you and a friend can finish it. The "Comfort Food" menu offers some very good options on weekdays for about $5.

Island Buffet: The best buffet we've had in Reno. It's large, with a huge selection of meats and vegetables. The desserts are fantastic. The regular dinner buffet has prime rib, crab legs, and some live action stations. Friday night is a seafood extravaganza for extra dough and Saturday is steak and crab legs for an additional charge. The décor is tropical with green carpet and chairs and a waterfall, lasers and kooky sound effects in the dining area.

Oceano: This seafood restaurant is as neony as the rest of the Peppermill, and you can dine under a sea turtle or killer whale. They serve up what look slike California-style seafood, and also have an oyster bar and lots of sushi. As the "Little Mermaid" sang, you can eat everything "under the sea." (We heard she did, and now she weighs 800 pounds.)

Romanza Ristorante: A goofy, over-the-top Italian restaurant. Smack dab in the middle of the casino, Romanza prides itself on having more neon than all of Times Square. It's a fancy place with unbelievably overstuffed furniture and lots of Roman columns. In your hometown, Romanza would make folks gawk, but here it looks downright subdued. Appetizers run a very high $10-$15.

Saucy's Smokehouse: Don't confuse this with a true barbecue joint. They also have burgers, wings, fries and other typical pub grub along with a decent sampling of brisket, ribs and links. Prices are also higher than any true rib shack would charge. Sauces tend to be sweeter, Texas-style.

Live Shows: They have an eclectic mix of musical acts, such as smooth jazz guys, lounge rock and other stuff that won't offend you. It's all geared to a 30s to 50s crowd, and tickets are usually an affordable $15-$25.

Lounge Acts: Everywhere you look in this neon paradise there seems to be a lounge with live acts playing to a tropical-drink-sipping audience. The big center stage seems to be reserved for classic rock cover bands with stringy long hair. Other bars offer more mellow selections.

Number of TVs: This most wonderful of all Reno sports books has 23 average-sized plasmas for racingg plus one giant screen. For sports there is 19 regulars and another giant.

Number of Seats: There are 82 chairs at tables in a lounge style and then 72 more super plus leather chairs at desks with individual TVs that alos have Internet access, access to odds, access to restaurant menus and a trackball to navigate.

How Many Betting Windows? About nine. The signboards are as lit up as the rest of the casino.

Snack Bar? Yes, the sports deli is right next door to the book and serves sandwiches and other quick eats.

Minimum Wager: $5 for sports, $2 for racing, and $1 on the naked Roman wrestlers. Aw, just kidding about the wrestlers.

Other Notes: This may be the best sports book ever. Sure, that sounds like hyperbole, but only because you haven't seen it. Man, it's so swank and comfortable and fantastic it almost makes our eyes water.

Number of Tables: Eleven tables, with four to six usually going. They have at least one game going except in the earliest hours. They also have five more tables in an annex space that can be used for tournaments.

Comfort of Chairs: Good chairs. Our tushies didn't complain at all.

Closed Room or Open to Casino? It's open, but hidden off to the side and quiet. It's not a good place for people bothered by blinking colored lights, though. Just like the rest of the casino, this poker room's full of them.

Game Spreads and Limits: There are many Hold'em games here, from $2-$4 all the way up to $10-$20, as well as the typical No Limit game.

Beginner Games or Classes? No. Unless you consider having all your money taken away from you by strangers a kind gesture, this room is not that friendly to beginners.

How Crowded is the Room? On weekend nights it can get crowded and there may be a wait up to an hour. Most of the time during the week there will be a table for you.

Comps? They give one buck an hour, which doesn't sound like much, but is better than most any other place in Reno.

How Good Are the Players? It's 60% locals and 40% tourists, and the locals are good. If you're new to the game, go to the Atlantis where you'll feel more at your level.

What Else Do I Need to Know? They have progressive bad beats for Hold'Em, a high hand jackpot and 10% rake up to $4 max. Overall, this is an excellent room for the experienced player. The room is totally non-smoking.