Slippage at Hooters

One of the casinos we've tended to visit occasionally is Hooters, just east of the Strip on Tropicana. We've gotten room offers for our play and stayed there several times, always enjoying the experience.

No one is going to mistake Hooters for the Wynn, but it has its charms. It advertises itself as "the cure for the ordinary casino," and it is refreshingly self-deprecating. At the front desk, a sign guarantees same-day check-in. The hotel towers are the "ocean view" and "bayfront," and the "do not disturb" signs say "no knockers." Unless you're a women's studies professor, you'll probably find a lot to laugh at. The crowd is usually high spirited and a mix of the young, middle aged and even families. (I once encountered a couple with two young boys in an elevator and asked the kids how they liked Hooters. They grinned widely and said they loved it, but Mommy glared and said, "DADDY booked us in to Hooters.")

I play 16/10 "not so ugly" deuces, available in denominations up to $1 on one bank of machines in front of the cashier's cage, and double deck blackjack, available on one table with a minimum of $10 and maximum of $500, never on more than one table. My spouse plays double bonus deuces wild (99.81 percent payback), which is on only one of the machines that also have the 16/10 deuces. 9/6 Jacks or Better is also available.

The rooms at Hooters are basic but have always been acceptable. This weekend we had the room from hell. It was at the end of the hall, overlooking the airport, so we got that noise, plus noise from the adjoining room. It seemed like there was no soundproofing at all. The bathroom sink didn't drain; the toilet ran; the bathtub faucet dripped. One of the closet doors had been knocked in; the blackout curtains were missing a pull rod; the clock radio didn't work.

A sign on the check-in counter and in our room invited us to a manager's reception with free hors d'oeuvres at the Mad Onion, the restaurant that until recently was Dan Marino's. We went one day and found that the hors d'oeuvres were available only with the purchase of a drink, which could have been made clear by the signs but wasn't.

The room was comped, and some might think it's ungrateful to complain about something you get for free. In the casino business, though, room comps serve as a reward for previous business and an inducement to come back. A substandard room fails to accomplish these goals for the casino.