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Any advice for a Reno Virgin?

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Casino Hotels' started by massiets, Mar 21, 2015.

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  1. massiets

    massiets Tourist

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    I am a regular (3-4 times / year) traveler to Las Vegas and am headed to Reno solo for the very first time for a work conference in a couple of weeks. I will be going down 3 days early and staying at Harrahs in a comped Luxury room but hope to get upgraded to a little bigger room as I hear these rooms are VERY small. Then I head over to The Peppermill for 4 nights, and will be attending class at the Grand Sierra Resort in the daytime and traveling back to the Peppermill to play/drink/etc. I am a $20 / hand Blackjack player and will mix in some VP depending on how the bankroll is doing or if I need to catch up on a couple of quick drinks. Anyway, I am just looking for any advice the VMB'ers can give me on where/what to play, what I need to see and where I just have to eat. I should also mention that I do not have a rental car, but don't mind paying cab fare. Thanks in advance.
     
  2. Breeze147

    Breeze147 Button Man

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    They have specials for virgins at the Mustang Ranch.
     
  3. azlefty

    azlefty VIP Whale

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    We used to live in Sacramento and went up to Reno frequently. We once stayed at Harrahs in what I think was a standard room and it seemed perfectly comfortable for us, about averaged sized, maybe 300 s.f., nothing fancy. We had a QQ room and our 2 young kids were with us. I think I got it on Hotwire so it was probably a basic room.

    The Peppermill has some very nice suites in the Tuscany tower and even their standard Tower rooms are nice.

    Reno has some good restaurants. What do you like to eat?

    Meanwhile, my favorite restaurants are these:

    Basque restaurant (mostly meat and potatoes, a fun environment where different groups are sometimes seated together at long tables): http://www.yelp.com/biz/louis-basque-corner-reno

    Excellent Indian food, about a mile up Virginia street from the Peppermill at India Kabab & Curry: http://www.yelp.com/biz/india-kabab-and-curry-reno-2

    There is a good (for Northern CA standards) Jewish style deli at the Atlantis, which is about a mile south of the Peppermill down Virginia St. : http://www.yelp.com/biz/manhattan-deli-reno

    The main Peppermill hotel coffee shop used to look like the one in Vegas, but I think they "updated" it, which is too bad. They shouldn't have changed a thing.

    If you like to play in a place with a divey downtown vegas feel, try the Cal Neva, across the street from Harrahs. I think they used to have pretty liberal blackjack rules compared to other casinos, but I haven't been there in a couple of years. But generally, Reno casinos have these standard blackjack rules.

    Your play is higher than mine. I used to go to the Western Village out in Sparks for the $1 craps table and $3 blackjack, owned by the same company as the Peppermill, and with a good steakhouse. Probably not worth the trip without a car, especially if you are comfortable with the limits at your hotel.

    Check the weather before you go and pack accordingly, as Reno can be cold. I would recommend a hike in the Sierras, but that isn't really practical without a car.
     
  4. aaisack

    aaisack VIP Whale

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    For me it has been 2 years, but during my last trip I really liked Atlantis. Their poker room was really soft, they had plenty of good VP and the casino didn't have that depressing vibe that many of the downtown casinos had.
     
  5. Bernie2

    Bernie2 MIA

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    Check out the Reno message board Visit Reno.
     
  6. CalifLovesVegas

    CalifLovesVegas High-Roller

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    Curious Why you are staying at Pep when your biz is at GSR? Why not stay there?
    I would have a rental car at your disposal, to get around to all those places.
    Rental cars are easy to get a Reno airport. Its fairly easy to drive around.
    Harrahs is fine since its comped. I prefer West tower. But with rental car,
    east tower is quieter and alittle closer to self pkg.
    Agree about the Reno message board.
    My current Reno home away from home, is Silver Legacy. But I've stayed
    many times at the places youre going. Theyre all fine.
     
  7. salukidean

    salukidean High-Roller

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    Check out a Reno Aces baseball game if they are in town. A great park and good atmosphere if you like minor league baseball.

    Have a Awful Awful burger at the Nugget across from Harrahs.
     
  8. Imperial_Palace_King

    Imperial_Palace_King High-Roller

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    Love the awful awful burger at the nugget. I really enjoy the steakhouse at harrahs's. In the basement with an old school feel. The waiters wear tuxes if I remember correctly. They do a $29 three course special during the week from 5-6. I usually try and get the west tower as it is more convenient to the casino and diamond lounge. The west tower also has the pool and gym.

    I've stayed in a few of their suites. The basic suites haven't been updated and aren't anything special to me. Just a bigger room. The spa suites are really nice and have been updated.

    I always hit the cal Neva too. Cheap drinks and lots of characters in there.

    There is a pretty good place for pho near harrahs called pho no. 7 I believe.
     
  9. meyers67

    meyers67 VIP Whale

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    I think you will be disappointed in Reno. Try to limit your trip to a couple days. Also, do a day trip to Tahoe to mix it up.
     
  10. massiets

    massiets Tourist

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    Reno Virgin Breeze! Reno Virgin!!!!
     
  11. massiets

    massiets Tourist

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    Thanks for the advice Azlefty. I contemplated going with the Tuscany Tower, but settled on the grand suite in the Peppermill Tower so hopefully the jacuzzi in the room will off set the decor of the Tuscany tower? I am not much into Indian Food (never really had much of it actually), but will eat pretty much anything else. A nice steak is definitely on the trip menu. I ate at a Basque steakhouse in Elko several years ago when I was down there on business. The group ended up eating there (Star Motel) 3 of the 6 nights we were in town it was so delicious. I just booked a car for the 3 days before my work training starts for $100 so I will be a little more mobile and want to check out Lake Tahoe one of those days.
     
  12. massiets

    massiets Tourist

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    I actually narrowed it down to Atlantis and the Peppermill, due to the reviews and my parents usually stay at the Atlantis. I was a little gun shy when I saw BJ pays 6:5 on the Atlantis website, but when I called they told me that was for a special blackjack game wi a couple of other different rules. I finally chose the Peppermill because I could book a suite and Atlantis would only let me book a regular room. I will definitely check out the Atlantis though at least one evening. Thanks for the info.
     
  13. massiets

    massiets Tourist

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    Thanks I just found it. I did some searching on the web and for the life of me I do not know why I did not run across this website!!!
     
  14. massiets

    massiets Tourist

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    A couple of reasons why the Pep and not GSR. One was that I am on a business trip and for a little more the company could pay for a suite at Pep instead of a regular room at the GSR. But the main reason was that I read a couple of reports that there have been bed bugs at the GSR, two reports since November 2014. That was enough for me to move places. I just booked a car for the first 3 days of my stay, but plan on taking cabs when the business part of the trip starts. I just want to remove all temptation of sing my job with a DUI on company business. PLus, they will pay for all the cab fares. Thank you for the info, I also want to check out the Silver Legacy.
     
  15. massiets

    massiets Tourist

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    Thanks, I will check out the baseball games. I actually kept reading something about the "Aces" but had no idea what type of team it was. Yes, I hear the awful awful burger is a must do while in Reno?
     
  16. massiets

    massiets Tourist

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    Will do Meyers. I just rented a car for the 3 days prior to the business part of my trip and will be going over to Lake Tahoe one of those days.
     
  17. tatterdema

    tatterdema VIP Whale

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    Virginia City also. In fact, if you can only do one, I personally would do VC.
     
  18. TXactuarial

    TXactuarial VIP Whale

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    I just got back from Reno last month. Prior to that, I had been to Vegas several times, but never Reno. I stayed at the Sands, but did most of my gambling at Silver Legacy.

    Pros:
    >The gambling is better. Blackjack rules tend to be more liberal. You can get a $10 DD 3:2 H17 DA# at The Silver Legacy and Cal Neva.
    >Everything is cheap. Prices are similar to downtown Vegas
    >$20/hand BJ is going to get you a bunch of comps and possibly some sweat at some of the smaller joints
    >VP is fantastic. Several 99%+ games, including some bartop VP at >99%

    Cons:
    >Downtown is a bit sketchy. Use the skywalks/cabs after dark unless you're on the main drag.
    >Very long commute from downtown to Peppermill/Atlantis
    >Not a lot of good entertainment options, at least not the same caliber as Vegas

    If it weren't for the comps I already had in Vegas, I'd make Reno my go-to gambling destination. Vegas if I'm going with the wife or with couples, Reno if I'm going by myself or with a group of guys to gamble.
     
  19. nhcris

    nhcris VIP Whale

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    I went to Reno last June and loved it so much that I returned in November and will be going back in April. I am a video poker & slot player, and the vp there is really good. The first time I stayed at Harrah's and my room was fine and then I moved to a double king Tuscany Suite at Peppermill and it was fabulous. Last time I stayed at Atlantis in a standardish room and it was nice enough, but didn't have much wow factor. I will be back in the Tuscany Suite at Peppermill next month.

    I seem to get much more play in Reno than anywhere else. Downtown didn't make me nervous at all, but I didn't wander around outside after 10pm or so. That said, the casinos at Peppermill and Atlantis are much nicer and I felt totally comfortable at both of them at all times. All of the restaurants I tried in Atlantis and Peppermill were very good. Awful Burger Downtown was actually quite good if you like a greasy spoon! My trips were all 3 or 4 days and I never found time to leave town as much as I want to get out to Tahoe one day!

    I think you have made good choices, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
     
  20. massiets

    massiets Tourist

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    Thanks TXactuarial and nhcris, I appreciate your comments and suggestions. I may end up just switching my entire stay to the Peppermill, but I definitely want to at least try the spots mentioned in the thread that are downtown. I read somewhere that there is a bus that you can take from downtown to Peppermill? Is that the airport bus or is there some other sort of other bus transportation? I imagine a cab fare from downtown to the Peppermill would be under $20?
     
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