The Associated Press

Tue, May 20, 2008 (12:42 p.m.)

Northern Nevada's hotel-casinos are reporting a mixed outlook for the Memorial Day holiday in the face of soaring gas prices.

Some say bookings are not as strong as the past, but others say rooms are filling up for one of the biggest travel weekends of the year, including one that is offering a $50 gift card for gas.

The average price for a gallon of unleaded self-service gasoline in Reno was $3.81 on Monday, according to AAA Nevada, and the average in Sacramento was $3.97.

"We have 75 percent occupancy projected at this time for Friday and Sunday nights, and 90 percent for Saturday night," said Beth Cooney, executive director of marketing at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks.

"It's looking promising. Today we kicked off an ad campaign in California that with a two-night stay booked online, you get a $50 gas card for the trip home. We're hoping that works well," she said.

In downtown Reno, officials expect the Silver Legacy Resort Casino to be sold out.

"Reno is still the best bet for a great getaway," said Glenn Carano, director of marketing. "The summer looks like it may not be as strong as we'd like it to be, but Reno is positioned favorably for price and value."

At the Atlantis in south Reno, publicist Ben McDonald said the hotel-casino is expecting "not much change" from last year.

And at the Peppermill, 500 more rooms are available with the recent expansion to 1,632 rooms.

"We have less than 100 rooms left for Saturday night. We're expecting a sellout," said Bill Hughes, Peppermill director of marketing operations.

The Carson Valley Inn in Minden also had rooms available Monday.

"Usually, we're full one week before," said Bill Henderson, sales and marketing director. "This is not inconsistent with what's going on with the economy. It seems people are not making as many trips up here, and when they do, they aren't spending as much."

At the 422-room Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe in Incline Village, Memorial Day bookings are progressing "fairly well," said Brad Mettler, director of sales and marketing.

"The industry, in general, is expecting a little bit of a softer summer than in the past," he said. "But it's not a cause for concern as it pertains to this weekend."

Officials at the Lake Tahoe Lodging Association predicted a lot of last-minute bookings but said people aren't reserving rooms as far in advance as past years.

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Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com