Tell me about Reno

My local airport just added round trip flights for $49. I can be in Reno in about 1 1/2 hours that way. I can drive to Vegas in about 4 hours. I’m not a big gambler but I enjoy some slot time and I love the entertainment and restaurants Vegas has to offer. Is Reno a good idea for me or should I stick with Vegas?

 

Reno isn't Vegas, and it's not the "Biggest Little City" anymore.

If you like Las Vegas, you will be a bit disappointed with Reno nowadays.

P.S. I've been going to Reno for over 50 years . . . .

 

As a one time visitor, I am obviously highly qualified to comment on Reno. Okay, not so much…

Our short stay in Reno was at the Peppermill. The suite we had was very nice. The staff was great. The one restaurant we ate at was above average but not great.

My wife did not like it. She had a hand pay within the first hour and still did not like it. She found the mix of slot machines to feel “old” and just not for her.

I found the table game dealers competent and friendly. They learned my name and used it regularly. I actually enjoyed it.

Going back? Not soon. Seemed more like a local joint overall and nothing I have read here seems to give me the desire to return, even to a different property. The one draw would be Tahoe because of the beauty folks mention.

Your situation is different, travel wise. If I have to fly further to get somewhere besides Vegas, it needs to offer much more of a Vegas feel for than Reno did for us.

I would likely go solo—remember that I enjoyed the tables—long before my wife would go with me. Since she is not going to stay home from a gambling trip (cannot blame her!), my short term decision is made!

Many will see it in a different way…

 

I've been to Reno many times, but I haven't been back since the pandemic started. Although, I have some friends who have been visiting Reno this year who have kept me updated. You'll be disappointed if you think Reno is like Vegas, since it's not busy and crowded unless you go when a big event is taking place like Hot August Nights, Air Races, etc. Everything is also spread out, so you either need a car or Uber/Lyft/Taxi to go casino hopping outside of the downtown area.

If you've never been to Reno, I would say it's worth checking out for a few days. If you get a rental car, you'll have more options for taking some side-trips like to Virginia City which is cool western town, just a short drive from downtown. You can also take a drive out to Lake Tahoe. Whenever I go to Reno, I often stay at the Peppermill which is my favorite, but have also stayed at the Atlantis, and the Eldorado (downtown).

 

I was just in Reno last week for work.

I really liked Atlantis. Craps was $5 on one side and $10 on the other side of the table. Second table opened at night at $10. Lots of other table games like DJ Wild and High Card Flush were open. Lots and lots of slots there. Their buffet is open and Manhattan Deli has a humongous menu. We had a work lunch there as everyone raved about their Au Juis sandwich. I spent most of my free time here and would go back in a heartbeat.

Peppermill has a younger, fancier vibe. While I wouldn't compare it to the Cosmo, as it's nice but not Vegas nice, this is the best I can come up with. Craps was $10 on a weeknight and had great dealers. Looks like their was lots of food, their poker room was active (didn't have 1-2, had bigger games) and lots of nice seating. Another place I would go and take the wife. I hear their rooms are really nice.

I dropped into the Nugget for about 1/2 hour on the way to see a client. It's fine. It looks like more of a locals place (which I like as I spend more time at Jerry's Nugget and Cannery when in Vegas than on the strip). Craps was $10 during the day. Good vibe, lots of slots, good parking.

I didn't make it to any of the other casinos. Most of the others were in a different part of town and owned by Caesars, which I'm not giving play to.

I plan to go back to Reno and take the wife when we can find some good deals.

 

Reno, IMO, is for gamblers, not for people who want entertainment or dining on the same level as Vegas. Downtown Reno, in particular, is pretty underwhelming. You're not going to want to walk around outside here at 10 at night. Granted, I have not been since Oct 2019.

I think the gaming value is great, especially for video poker and table games, and there are some nice places like the Peppermill. A lot of the casinos are well kept up; now that the old Harrahs is closed, I'm hard pressed to think of one that's truly abysmal. But, there's no real downtown/Strip type of thing (there's just the 3 connected Eldorado joints downtown) plus a bunch of one off places you have to drive to.

If you're a marginal Vegas player with a $500-$1,000 bankroll for a quick weekend gaming trip, your buck will go pretty far in Reno. If you're a green chip player, big slot player, someone who wants Majordomo, or someone who wants high end entertainment? It's not the spot.

 

I didn't think about Tahoe or other side trips, that might make Reno more appealing for me. Otherwise it sounds like I should stick with Vegas. I wish we had flights to Vegas

 

I have not been to Reno since the Covid hit the fan, but my best impression is that it's a more comfortable alternative to Las Vegas in the hot-hot-hot part of the summer.

I also have not been since they closed Harrah's and merged those three properties into one.

 

Grand Sierra has some of the best show lineup in town

 

Like @DaiLun, my first trip was 50 years ago when I was a mere lad of 21. It was magical and Reno remained that way. Then things started slipping and it's a shadow of its former self. I mourn it. When my cousin moved to Reno, perhaps 8 years ago, I went to visit and really liked the Grand Sierra (where they have good entertainment). You would probably like the Peppermill and Atlantis. They're solid. But downtown is now depressing to me. Old Reno was, and remains, my favorite casino locale.

 

The reason that I didn't go to Reno so often when I was little was because there was nowhere to "stow" the kids, so my Mom and Dad needed to take shifts in the camper.

Lake Tahoe had a "Rec center" where parents could check their kids in for an hourly rate. There were pinball machines and a small theater where kids that weren't given $$$ could go.

My brother and I would get checked in there, and my Mom or Dad would stop by and "check on us" (give us more money if we needed it). This was in the 60's.

 

My wife and I were legally married in Reno, at the Heart of Reno wedding chapel. That night we had a suite at the Cal Neva for I think about $118 including dinner at the now defunct steak house. Good times.

I used to love gambling at the Cal Neva. Also Western Village. Very low limits and cheap food.

Haven't been in 10 years though. I would be very surprised if costs haven't escalated like every where else.

 

It's held its value better than you might think.

 

Sound like if Laughlin impresses you then Reno will astound you. And not to forget the cheapest Nevada gas north of Pahrump usually!

 

Laughlin really has never impressed me. However, I've always enjoyed Reno.

 

I stayed at the former Hilton and Flamingo (not sure if 2nd hotel still there).
Hilton has changed ownership.
Hilton had a cinema(unsure if it was 2 cinemas)
And it had a very good sports book.
Back in the day when casinos cared about a good sized sportsbook.
Lower key type of vibe from Vegas.

 

We regularly go to Reno/Tahoe and love it but it's not for anyone who is expecting the glitz and glamor of Vegas. My favorite place in the world is Tahoe, a short, easy drive from Reno. We usually split our time between Peppermill in Reno and either Harrah's or Harvey's in Tahoe. We love the great outdoors and, although we can't do much of it anymore, Tahoe has the best hiking trails anywhere. The natural beauty is astounding but, if you're not into that, maybe Reno/Tahoe isn't for you.

 

I remember staying at the various incarnations of GSR. Back when it was MGM Grand Reno, there were b/w photos of Hollywood stars on the walls. Slots were arranged in carousels with huge iconic signs - a rotating red 7, 98% $1 slots, Quartermania, Megabucks, the grand prize car surrounded by Red White and Blue 777 slots.. change ladies roaming the slot floor- always a welcome sight if you’re running low on coins.

some fixtures like the bowling alley and movie theater downstairs are still there after all these years. I used to buy the old movie posters from the cinema and hang them in my dorm room in college. If you want a trip back in time, ride the mini elevator next to the bowling alley entrance. It hasn’t changed a bit.

 

Although downtown Reno was in rough shape during the recession, the addition of the Tesla factory and the Amazon distribution center has changed the city's economy. Though I am sure Harrahs had been unofficially for sale for years and years, its purchase as a property with residences, non-gaming and retail shows the direction that downtown Reno is headed.

In addition, the Sands (which had always been the butt of jokes about Reno) is creating the Neon Line, which requires the demolition of all those old, rundown motels on 4th St. So even though downtown Reno isn't "back", its heading in the right direction.

 

I was just there three weeks ago for the first time and loved it. I stayed one night at Peppermill and one night at Atlantis. Both are nice properties and vp is good at both with a nice mix of older and newer slots. Cal Neva was a fun spot and Siri's was a fun place with a neighborhood bar feeling. I also enjoyed the Awful Awful burger at Carson Nugget and the vp at Jethro Bodine's casino in Carson City. Tahoe is beautiful, but the three casinos on the north side at Crystal Bay aren't worth visiting. I didn't notice as much ********* in Reno as has been in Vegas the last year or so. The food was decent but nothing to write home about. My only other complaint was that I couldn't find any of the rarer older IGT slots like Welcome Home, Little Green Men, Used Cars, or State Fair. I was expecting to find older slots that I'd never seen before but that wasn't the case. For me, Reno is like video poker heaven.

I look forward to going back!