Denise Richards got so peeved at paparazzi photographers during a visit to British Columbia’s River Rock Casino Resort last week that she wrestled their laptops away from them and chucked them over a hotel balcony, which just happened to be located 30 feet above a group of vacationing senior citizens. The laptops struck two women ages 80 and 91. Neither victim has decided to press charges against Richards, but the poor, poor cameramen who claim they were assaulted by Richards are planning on filing civil charges (give me a break).

If you were visiting the 220-room River Rock Casino Resort (about 20 minutes outside Vancouver), you would find an all-suite hotel with a spa, fitness center, indoor “tropical forest” swimming pool area and water slide, a 144-berth marina, a 24-hour casino, Canada’s largest poker room, daily poker tourneys, tons of food and cocktail establishments and free high-speed Internet access in every room.

It would have been really cool if Richards had been able to send the laptops down the indoor waterslide… just sayin.

River Rock Casino Resort

November’s issue of Conde Nast Traveler features the results of its annual Readers Choice Awards. The issue goes on sale Oct. 24th. In the mean time, you can check out the top three winners in each category. Real travel junkies can compare this list to last year’s Readers Choice Awards:

Top Cities - United States:

1. San Francisco, CA

2. Santa Fe, NM

3. New York, NY

Top Cities - Asia:

1. Bangkok, Thailand

2. Hong Kong

3. Chiang Mai, Thailand

Top Cities - Europe:

1. Florence, Italy

2. Rome, Italy

3. Venice, Italy

Top Cities - Africa/Middle East:

1. Cape Town, South Africa

2. Marrakech, Morocco

Top Cities - Pacific Rim:

1. Sydney, Australia

2. Melbourne, Australia

3. Queenstown, New Zealand

Top Cities - The Americas:

1. Vancouver, British Columbia

2. Buenos Aires, Argentina

3. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Top Islands - Europe:

1. Mykonos & the Cyclades, Greece

2. Madeira, Portugal

3. Capri, Italy

Top Islands - Pacific Rim:

1. Maui, Hawaii

2. Kauai, Hawaii

3. Moorea, French Polynesia

Top Islands - Caribbean/Atlantic:

1. Bermuda

2. St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

3. British Virgin Islands

Top Islands - North America:

1. Vancouver Island, Canada

2. Kiawah, South Carolina

3. Nantucket, Massachusetts

Top Islands - Asia:

1. Maldives

2. Bali, Indonesia

3. Phuket, Thailand

Top International Route Airlines:

1. Singapore Airlines

2. Emirates

3. Cathay Pacific

Top Domestic Route Airlines:

1. JetBlue

2. Midwest

3. Hawaiian

Top Car Rental Agencies:

1. Hertz

2. Renault Eurodrive

3. Avis

Top Large Ship Cruise Lines:

1. Regent Seven Seas

2. Crystal Cruises

3. Disney

Top Small Ship Cruise Lines:

1. SeaDream Yacht Club

2. Grand Circle Cruise Line

3. Regent Seven Seas

Top Resorts - Africa:

1. Singita - Ebony & Boulders Lodges

2. Chief’s Camp, Botswana

3. Chobe Chilwero, Botswana

Top Resorts - Canada:

1. Pan Pacific Mountainside, Whistler

2. Four Seasons, Whistler

3. Westin Resort, Whistler

Top Resorts - Atlantic:

1. One&Only Ocean Club, Bahamas

2. The Reefs, Bermuda

3. Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos

Top Resorts - Central/South America:

1. Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo

2. Explora en Patagonia, Chile

3. Llao Llao Hotel & Resort, Argentina

Top Resorts - Asia:

1. Four Seasons Bali at Sayan

2. Four Seasons, Chiang Mai, Thailand

3. Banyan Tree, Phuket, Thailand

Top Resorts - Mexico:

1. La Casa Que Canta, Zihuatanejo

2. Royal Hideaway Playacar, Riviera Maya

3. JW Marriott, Cancun

Top Resorts - Pacific Rim:

1. Four Seasons Lodge at Koele, Lanai

2. Four Seasons Hualalai, Big Island

3. Voyages Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef

Top Resorts - Europe:

1. Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland

2. Westin Turnberry Resort, Scotland

3. Mount Juliet Conrad, Co. Kilkenny

Top Resorts - Caribbean:

1. Malliouhana Hotel, Anguilla

2. Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

3. Sandy Lane, Barbados

Top Resorts - United States:

1. Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, AZ

2. Inn at Palmetto Bluff, SC

3. Inn at Spanish Bay, CA

Top Hotels - Asia:

1. Fullerton Hotel, Singapore

2. Amandari, Bali

3. The Peninsula, Bangkok

Top Hotels - Caribbean/Atlantic:

1. Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France

2. Ladera, St. Lucia

3. Waterloo House, Bermuda

Top Hotels - Pacific Rim:

1. Rialto Hotel on Collins, Melbourne

2. Park Hyatt, Sydney

3. Lilianfels Blue Mountains, Australia

Top Hotels - Africa:

1. Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza

2. Cape Grace, Cape Town

3. Sofitel Palais Jamai, Fez

Top Hotels - Europe:

1. Four Seasons Gresham Palace

2. Chateau Les Crayeres, Reims

3. Four Seasons George V, Paris

Top Hotels - South America:

1. Hotel Monasterio, Cuzco, Peru

2. Four Seasons, Buenos Aires

3. Swissotel, Quito, Ecuador

Top Hotels - United States:

1. The Peninsula, Chicago, IL

2. Watermark Hotel, San Antonio, TX

3. St. Regis, New York, NY

Top Hotels - Canada:

1. Auberge du Vieux-Port, Montreal

2. Hotel Dominion 1912, Quebec City

3. Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City

Top Hotels - British Isles:

1. Buckland Manor, The Cotswolds

2. Gidleigh Park, Devon

3. Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London

Top Hotels - Central America/Mexico:

1. JW Marriott, Mexico City

2. Esperanza, Cabo San Lucas

3. Casa Santo Domingo, Guatemala

Top Hotels - Middle East:

1. Grand Hyatt, Amman

2. King David, Jerusalem

3. David Citadel, Jerusalem

Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers Choice Awards

In 90 days, visitors to Alaska who arrive by cruise ship will owe the state a $50 tax. The measure was recently approved by Alaskan voters.

Alaska Approves $50 Cruise Tax

News for frequent travelers between the U.S. and Canada: the passport requirement for ferry passengers won’t go into effect until Jan. 1, 2008. That’s one year later than the previously proposed deadline. Until then, passengers can enter Canada using a birth certificate or photo ID. Click the pic 4 more info…

Not a bad pool setup for a hotel that’s so close to the airport. Click the pic 4 more info about the Doubletree Hotel Seattle Airport, which TravelPosters give an overall 8.9 rating - out of 76 reviews.

Want to know where you can find business services at U.S. airports? Like cell phone charging stations, free wi-fi or laptop rentals? Bookmark USA Today’s Airports Open Services to Keep Fliers Plugged In. There’s a cool, useful chart at the bottom of the article that shows you where to find which services. For example, did you know that the following airports offer free wi-fi:

Las Vegas

Phoenix

JFK terminals 1 & 6

Charlotte airport atrium

Pittsburgh

Portland, Ore.

Seattle

Boston

Fort Lauderdale

Alaska Airlines has decided to start charging passengers $5 for inflight meals (unless you’re in First Class). Alaska Air flights from the East Coast to Mexico. The new policy goes into effect on Aug. 1, 2006.

Press release on Alaska Air

You shop. You eat. You like to do both on vacation. If that’s you, pick up an eat shop guide to one of the following cities:

San Francisco

Austin

Brooklyn

Chicago

Los Angeles

Portland

Vancouver

Los Angeles

Seattle

Read more about the series and its creator in For Urban Singletons, Travel Market is on the Rise via USA Today

There’s just something kinda nice about knowing what your room is going to look like before you go, isn’t there? You can find this and 11 more pix on TravelPost.com by clicking the pic or visiting Fairfield Inn Seatac.

Notice the large pig. Now these are things you wouldn’t necessarily know about a lodging option in your future without all the photographs TravelPosters are uploading along with their hotel reviews. You can view all 13 pix of this hotel at Silver Cloud Seattle Lake Union.