Once it was the nation’s divorce capital, then a second-string Las Vegas, but now Reno has a whole new identity. A once-faded downtown is sparkling with upgraded hotels, residential condos, a vibrant arts district, hip nightspots, and even a white-water river that runs through it.
The city is also capitalizing on its spectacular environs of mountains, lakes, rivers, ranchlands, and high desert that provide an array of outdoor adventures just minutes from hotels and meeting rooms. Added to this is a wealth of intriguing places for groups to party, some of them contemporary and some of them drawn from the region’s not-so remote roots in the Wild West.
According to Knud Svendsen, vice president of sales and marketing for the Reno/Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA), ambitious measures to present Reno as a well-rounded destination are a matter of necessity.
“With the advent of Native American gaming, especially in California, older gaming destinations like Las Vegas and Reno have had to reinvent themselves and put an emphasis on something more than casinos,” he says. “In our case, we realized that we have this great outdoor playground all around us, with plenty of things to do year-round. And there’s plenty to do after-hours, as Reno has always been an entertainment hub.”
Reno/Sparks
Meetings and conventions figure prominently in Reno’s reinvention process, according to Svendsen.
“We are going after meetings as never before,” he says. “We’ve got everything in place—major renovations and expansions are under way at our properties, we have an expanded convention center and the new Reno Events Center. The new Downtown Reno Ballroom is coming in. All of this has a big impact on how we can pursue meetings.”
The RSCVA, which recently beefed up its sales staff and launched an advertising and marketing campaign with the tagline, “America’s Adventure Place,” has the goal of doubling its amount of meetings business, which currently accounts for about 15 percent of its total visitor volume.
“We intend to grow our national business, while still remaining a favorite destination for groups from California and the Pacific Northwest,” Svendsen says. “With all the improvements going on, we’ll be able to appeal more strongly to the corporate meetings and incentives market.”
At the same time, he emphasizes that Reno will remain an affordable destination.
“A lot of planners are being priced out of first-tier destinations these days,” he says. “We offer significant value for meetings.”
For those who haven’t been to Reno in a few years, the new look and feel of the city may come as a big surprise. The city’s centerpiece is the Truckee River Whitewater Park, where rafters and kayakers can tackle the rapids without leaving town.
Lining both banks of the river is the rapidly evolving Truckee River Arts District, where an increasing array of art galleries, restaurants, nightclubs, and residential condos, some of them converted from old casinos, are giving new life to Reno’s downtown. New nightspots with party space for groups include the Divine Ultra Lounge, 210 North, Se7ven Teahouse and Bar, and Sierra Tap House.
Among the most dramatic changes taking place in Reno is the $450 million redevelopment of the former Reno Hilton, which was renamed the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino following its purchase last year by Grand Sierra Resort Corp.
“Reno is reinventing itself by becoming much more than a gaming destination and is capitalizing on all the things there are to do here,” says Richard Langlois, executive vice president of sales and marketing for the 145-acre property. “We’re doing the same thing at the resort—just on a smaller scale.”
Actually, not a whole lot smaller. The first phase of Grand Sierra’s ambitious makeover, scheduled for completion this month, includes the addition of 825 luxury condo-hotel units on the upper 11 floors of the hotel tower. Called the Summit at Grand Sierra, the hotel-within-a-hotel offers private check-in and concierge service, along with accommodations appointed with leather and suede furnishings, flat-panel TVs and walnut cabinetry.
Two new restaurants, both operated by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer, are opening at the resort. One is a steakhouse and the other is Fin, the chef’s first seafood restaurant. They will join the contemporary Italian restaurant, Dolce Enteca e Ristorante, which opened in October.
New food and beverage options also include The Reserve, a wine bar with Enomatic dispensers for individual wine tasting that will include rare vintages sold by the ounce. A sommelier will be on hand to introduce, educate and assist in the wine-tasting experience.
Other new offerings at the resort include All City Live, a hip nightclub, and Nikki Beach Poolside, which features beach volleyball, a swim-up bar and nightly entertainment in the hotel’s redesigned pool area.
A second phase of the project, scheduled for completion in 2009, will include the nation’s largest waterpark, a 200-room hotel, a shopping mall, and a vintage car museum.
According to Langlois, the resort, which already offers 200,000 square feet of meeting space, is also considering adding an additional 100,000 square feet. While the improvements will appeal to high-end groups, he says the property will continue to target a wide range of meetings.
“The new enhancements will only help our convention business. We’re really offering something for everybody,” he says. “Planners now have more options for their attendees. They can block rooms at both the Summit and on the regular floors. This gives people a greater choice and appeals to different budget levels.”
Also undergoing a major makeover is the Peppermill, which expects to complete a $300 million expansion in December. The expansion includes a 62,000-square-foot, clear-span convention center with 16 breakout rooms, a state-of-the-art audiovisual system and a business center. The facility, which will bring the hotel’s total square footage of meeting space to 102,000, will accommodate up to 3,000 people.
Also part of the expansion is a 600-unit, all-suite tower with a Tuscan theme that will give the hotel a total of 1,631 rooms. The suites, which will range from 560 to 3,000 square feet in size, will feature 42-inch plasma TVs, marble surfaces and other luxurious touches.
The tower will also include a landscaped area with an infinity-edge pool and a full-service spa and salon. A floor of cabana-level rooms will open onto the pool deck and gardens.
“We will be in position to more than double our current amount of meetings business and also attract more high-end corporate groups,” says Bill Hughes, director of marketing operations for the Peppermill. “Our new convention center will be equal or better in quality than facilities at the top hotels in Las Vegas. And the suite tower will take us to a new level of luxury.”
Meanwhile, the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa has embarked on a $50 million expansion. Scheduled for completion next year, it will include a pedestrian skywalk connecting the property to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. The resort is also adding 27,000 square feet of meeting space, doubling its current amount.
In addition to the Grand Sierra, the Peppermill and the Atlantis, Reno’s other major group-oriented properties include the Eldorado Hotel Casino, Harrah’s Reno, Circus Circus Reno, John Ascuaga’s Nugget, Silver Legacy Resort Casino, Sienna Hotel, Spa and Casino, Boomtown Casino Hotel, and Sands Regency Casino Hotel, all offering extensive meeting space as well as plentiful restaurant and gaming options.
Along with new hotel meeting space, the city will soon have a major new venue, the 28,000-square-foot Downtown Reno Ballroom, opening across from the Reno Events Center in January. The ballroom can be used separately or in conjunction with the Reno Events Center, which has 118,000 square feet of meeting space.
The city’s largest group venue is the Reno-Sparks Convention Center (RSCC), which features 565,000 square feet of exhibition and meeting space, 53 meeting rooms and a 30,000-square-foot ballroom. It can also offer two temporary pavilion structures adjacent to the convention center, adding another 50,000 square feet of exhibit space.
Other major Reno meeting facilities include the versatile Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center, used for shows, concerts, event receptions, and the annual Reno Rodeo. The climate-controlled space seats 6,200 people indoors and also offers a lighted outdoor arena for 9,000 guests.
Lake Tahoe
For many groups meeting in Reno, a visit to Lake Tahoe is an essential part of the agenda. Sunset yacht cruises and events held at lakeside mansions such as Valhalla at the Tallac Historic Site and Thunderbird Lodge are among the many options available.
“It’s only about an hour away from Reno and yet it’s a whole other world,” says David Johnson, account executive for Sierra Event Co., a destination management company based in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. “Tahoe never fails to impress people.”
Aside from its many unique event sites, Lake Tahoe is prime territory for outdoor types who want to soak up the high-Sierra scenery and partake in adventures such as skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and boating.
Lake Tahoe is home to numerous hotel and resort options on both the Nevada and California sides of the lake, and it continues to evolve as a destination, with a major redevelopment taking shape at South Shore’s Heavenly Valley as well as significant projects under way at Northstar-at-Tahoe.
Carson City
While not as well known as Reno or Lake Tahoe, Nevada’s quaint capital city has a lot going for it as a meetings destination and event site. Much of Carson City is a living historic district that includes sites along the Kit Carson Trail, the Nevada State Railroad Museum, the Nevada State Museum, and the Northern Nevada Children’s Museum.
One of its prime venues is the Nevada State Capitol, the second-oldest capitol west of the Mississippi. Its Old Assembly Chambers can host events for up to 170 people. Another historic venue is the Brewery Arts Center, once the Tahoe Beer Company, which accommodates up to 200 people in a top-floor meeting room restored to its 1864 grandeur and offering views of the city.
“Along with holding an event in an historic venue, we can arrange for groups to have walking tours of the historic district with actors dressed up as characters from the Old West,” says Janet Jones, group sales manager for the Carson City CVB. “We can also bring in an authentic old stagecoach.”
Along with its Old West charm, Carson City promotes the “Divine Nine,” a portfolio of golf courses open year-round that also offer meeting and banquet facilities.
Meetings-friendly properties include the Carson City Plaza Hotel, the Best Western Pinon Plaza Resort, the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Carson City, and the Hampton Inn & Suites Carson City. Expected to reopen later this year is the 146-room Ormsby House, which is currently undergoing a major renovation.
For More Info
Carson City CVB 775.687.7410
www.visitcarsoncity.com
Reno–Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority 775.827.7600
www.renolaketahoe.com
