Hotel near Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg — 5 minutes to the gaming floor, with free breakfast & parking

The drive is about 5 minutes. From the hotel you follow US-50 (Eads Parkway) toward downtown Lawrenceburg and turn down toward the Ohio River, where the casino sits along the levee. There is no interstate driving and no bridge to cross, so the trip back at 1 AM is as simple as the trip out at 7 PM.

That short hop is the reason most casino guests book with us. Plenty of visitors would rather not pay resort-style room rates for a bed they will use for six or seven hours. Here you get a refreshed, non-smoking room, a free hot breakfast the next morning and parking right outside the door, then you drive five minutes when you are ready to play.

We are also about 2 miles from I-275, so guests coming in from Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky or the I-74 corridor can check in, drop their bags and head to the casino without doubling back. Our Google listing shows the city as Greendale, which is the neighboring town on the same stretch of US-50; it is the same hotel and the same short drive.

Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg is one of the bigger casinos in the Cincinnati area, with slot machines, table games, a sportsbook, several restaurants and bars, and an event center that books concerts, comedy and touring shows. Indiana requires you to be 21 or older on the gaming floor, so bring a valid photo ID even if you are well past the age of being carded.

Outside the casino, historic downtown Lawrenceburg is a few minutes away. Walnut Street has local restaurants and shops, and the Ohio River levee walk gives you a flat stretch to clear your head between sessions. On summer weekends, Lawrenceburg Speedway runs dirt-track racing about 10 minutes from the hotel, which makes a good early-evening plan before a late night at the tables.

When the event center has a headliner or a holiday weekend lines up, the whole riverfront gets busy. Rooms closest to the casino tend to go first on those nights, and booking a few minutes away is often the easier way to get a room at all.

The casino has a large parking garage with self-parking and valet. Parking and valet rules change from time to time, so ask the casino directly about current charges and players' club perks before you arrive. If you would rather leave your car at the hotel, ask the front desk whether the weekend casino shuttle is running on Friday and Saturday nights during your stay.

If you plan to have a few drinks, line up a designated driver or a ride before you go. Five minutes is a short drive, but it is not a reason to take chances on US-50 at closing time. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest on the floor and on the road; weeknight stays are usually quieter and easier to book.

• Bring a valid government-issued photo ID; the gaming floor is 21 and over.
• Ask the casino about current parking, valet and players' club details.
• Ask our front desk whether the Friday and Saturday night casino shuttle is running.
• Plan your ride back before the first drink, not after the last one.

Late nights are easier when someone is always at the desk. Ours is staffed 24 hours, so you can check in at 3:00 PM, go out for dinner and a few hours at the tables, and come back whenever you are done without worrying about a locked lobby or a dark parking lot.

The rooms keep things practical: a mini-fridge for leftovers, a microwave, a coffee maker for the morning after and an in-room safe for cash you would rather not carry around. Couples marking a birthday or anniversary often book the King Whirlpool Suite, which has an in-room jetted tub. We only have four of them, so book early for Friday and Saturday nights.

In the morning, free hot breakfast runs until 9:30 AM on weekdays and 10 AM on weekends. Take a swim in the indoor heated pool, check out at 11:00 AM, and head home with rooms from $69 per night leaving more of your budget for the trip itself.