Reno Hotels Cut New Year’s Eve Prices

Some Reno hotel-casinos are following Las Vegas’ lead by slashing room rates in the face of dismal expectations for New Year’s Eve tourism.

John Farahi, chief executive at Atlantis Casino Resort in Reno, said it appears business will be less than normal here over the New Year’s weekend. His hotel has joined others by reducing rates 70% to 80% to try to boost demand.

“The industry as a whole nationally . . . overdid this business of millennium madness,” he told the Reno Gazette-Journal. “ 1/8Hotels 3/8 all in a sense were gouging and the travelers said ‘No, thank you.’ ”

Room reservations in the Tahoe-Truckee area are down 40% for December and 30% for January, said Kris Collins of the North Lake Tahoe Resort Assn.

Most Tahoe ski resorts are only partially open because of below-average snows.

“Part of that 1/8decline in reservations 3/8 comes from the weather and part of that is people are staying home, for whatever reason, for the millennium,” Collins told the Tahoe World newspaper.

“Business owners, public service people, policemen, CEOs--all these people have to stay close to home for the new year. And we are seeing this trend across the country, not only here.”

But most major Tahoe hotel-casinos are sold out for the New Year’s holiday.