The Reno-Tahoe region is a standout meetings and events destination due to the phenomenal scenery and outdoor activities afforded by both sides of pristine Lake Tahoe. Combine that with the gaming and urban offerings of Reno, itself set in a high-desert valley of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and there’s something for most every attendee.
Most groups fly into Reno-Tahoe International Airport, which is undergoing a billion-dollar expansion and located about three miles south of downtown Reno and about an hour from both South and North Lake Tahoe.
Reno
The Biggest Little City in the World is playing a winning hand, with significant new developments in the works as well as major improvements to its existing hotels, venues and infrastructure.
“There’s a lot going on in our region—a lot of development and a lot of capital improvement in our properties,” said Mike Larragueta, president and CEO of the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA).
[Related: What Fast-Growing Reno Tahoe Can Offer Meetings and Events]
One big highlight sure to warm the heart of any Renoite or aficionado of Nevada gaming is a major development on the site of the original Harrah’s property. When launched in 1937 as a bingo parlor by beloved Nevada gaming trailblazer Bill Harrah, many maintain that Harrah’s Reno ushered in the modern gaming industry in the Silver State.
Harrah’s Entertainment bought Caesars Entertainment in 2005, but with the acquisition of Caesars by Eldorado Resorts in 2020, Harrah’s Reno was closed.
After a failed attempt to bring the property back by another developer, Larragueta and his colleagues in the Reno hospitality community are excited for its possible return in the form of the Revival mixed-use project developed by Madison Capital Group.
“I think the opportunity to really put that property back on the map in a short period of time is promising,” Larragueta said, commenting barely more than a day after reports of the deal were announced. “[I believe they’re] looking at a live-work-play concept of residential units and 300-plus hotel rooms and a gaming component and a grocery store. Just to be able to activate that facility because of the footprint it represents downtown is promising.”
[Related: Nevada Is Having One of Its Best Years Yet—Major Event Reports From Las Vegas, Reno and More]
Another promising downtown gaming resort development is the approval of plans for J Resort’s festival grounds that would accommodate up to 15,000 for festivals, concerts and events.
Other projects that are part of $130 million in new developments at J Resort include the 400-seat Rolling Art banquet hall showcasing Ferrari supercars and a new expansion that is expected to contain an 800-seat banquet facility, meeting space, a spa and an indoor-outdoor rooftop pool.
“And then, of course, the other large casino resorts are always going through updates and modifications in their room products, with Peppermill, GSR [Grand Sierra Resort] and the Atlantis all having done renovations,” Larragueta said. “Caesars Entertainment and The ROW project downtown is just finishing up the Virginia Street Tower and ready to look at renovating the rooms in the Silver Legacy.”
Hyatt Place South Reno opened last October with 132 rooms and nearly 2,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The property is located minutes from downtown Reno as well as the state capital in Carson City. Nearby businesses include the shops at Shayden Summit, the Reno-Sparks Convention Center and the Tesla Giga factory.
Larragueta is also excited about a potential billion-dollar Grand Sierra Resort project that could include a 10,000-seat arena that would be home ice for a new hockey team as well as an events venue.
Reno Sports Venue News
A major sports events and meetings mecca—booking some 100,000 rooms per year in that segment, according to Larragueta—Reno also welcomed a new $5 million, NCAA-sanctioned indoor track and field facility. The 200-meter banked track, one of only four of its kind in the Western U.S., is also portable. The facility just completed its first season, hosting the Mountain West Conference men’s and women’s championships and hoping to host NCAA championships in future years.
Another of Reno’s major sports venues, the events-friendly National Bowling Stadium, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, with as-yet-announced events expected to herald the achievement of what is considered the most noted bowling facility in the U.S.
[Related: How Investment in the Reno Tahoe Region Is Changing the Meetings Game]
Lake Tahoe
A beacon for both outdoors enthusiasts drawn to the largest alpine lake in North America and gaming visitors primarily in South Lake Tahoe, both North and South Lake Tahoe also have resort and venue news to report.
South Lake Tahoe
The major South Lake Tahoe event news of the past couple years was the September 2023 opening of Tahoe Blue Event Center, which offers 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space as well as a 5,000-seat entertainment venue.
On the resort side, the biggest news is the opening of the first ski destination Margaritaville property.
[Related: Group Dining Experiences in Reno and Lake Tahoe]
The 399 all-suite Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe is located steps from both the lake and downtown and features 14,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space as well as easy access to Tahoe Blue Event Center.
Highlights of the new Margaritaville include the 4,200-square-foot Compass Ballroom and the availability of curated group experiences such as pedal-powered margarita-making contests, guided snowshoe treks and custom wellness breaks with chair massages and fresh juice bars.
Groups can also partake in glass-bottom kayaking, skiing at Heavenly Ski Resort, golf at Edgewood Tahoe— which reopened its event-friendly Clubhouse last summer—and private mountaintop yoga sessions.
Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe, formerly Hard Rock Hotel, is underway with a complete renovation project scheduled for completion in 2025. Highlights include new rooms and VIP suites/services as well as restaurant additions and a revamped lobby and outdoor pool and lounge. Saltgrass Steak House opened last fall, providing a casual vibe with steaks, chicken and seafood. Mastro’s Steakhouse, recognized as one of the “top 10 steakhouses in the U.S.” by Gayot, will replace Park Prime.
Coachman Hotel last summer debuted a 900-square-foot meeting space with landscaped outdoor patio seating, bringing the property’s total meetings offering to 1,900 square feet of flexible indoor/outdoor space. The property’s food and beverage outlet, The Merry and Mulled Market, returned in December, offering local/regional wineries and shopping from area vendors on-property.
Two of South Shore’s major resorts, both operated by Caesars Entertainment, announced renovations to their F&B outlets, with Harveys Lake Tahoe Hotel & Casino opening Wolf by Vanderpump and expanding Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen by 56 seats and adding a new bar and wine display. Harrah’s Lake Tahoe is adding a Brew Brothers sports bar in late spring 2025.
North Lake Tahoe
North Tahoe’s new evo Hotel Tahoe City, located steps from Commons Beach, offers 48 guest rooms curated by local snowboarding legend Jeremy Jones as well as a patio space that can host events for up to 45 people with firepits, porch swings, a sauna and cold plunge. The property also offers dining at Sierra Surf Club, with full buyouts available for groups of up to 120. The second-level Mezzanine Lounge offers 332 square feet of outdoor space overlooking Lake Tahoe.
The Ritz Carlton, Lake Tahoe completed a more than $20 million renovation in April 2024, including new carpet resembling the vibrant blue waters of Lake Tahoe and walls updated to reflect a winter snow design and bring in more natural light. Other highlights include upgraded guest rooms and suites and The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge. The resort now also offers a Topgolf Swing Suite that features more than 84 golf courses and three golf target games.
Connections
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