Pioneers settled in the Truckee Meadows, where downtown Reno now sits, in the 1850s. Discoveries of gold and silver during this decade helped the city grow, ultimately replacing Washoe City as Washoe County's county seat in 1871.
The mining industry waned in the early 20th century, forcing the town to diversify its economy. Reno embraced Nevada's decision to legalize open gambling in 1931. Within a few years, its Bank Club became Nevada's largest employer and the world's largest casino. Tourism also grew in line with gambling. Local events such as the classic car convention Hot August Nights, the Great Reno Balloon Race, and the Reno Air Races have helped widen the city's appeal.
Regardless of what activity brings you to Reno, you'll enjoy the city more if you stay at the right hotel. With a variety of options, from modest budget-friendly chains to lavish casino resorts, you can research the choices to find one that suits you.
When to Visit Reno, Nevada
If you plan to see Reno only, rather than its surrounding areas, then visit during fall or spring. The weather is pleasant, and the crowds thin out, encouraging hotels to lower their rates to entice travelers.
Perhaps a review of the local festivals will help you decide. During the spring, the city hosts the Reno Jazz Festival and Reno River Festival. In the fall, crowds gather for the Reno Celtic Celebration and Eldorado Great Italian Festival.
However, if you're into outdoor sports, you may prefer to brave the crowds. Reno is ideally located close to Lake Tahoe's waterways, beaches, and ski slopes. If you want to take advantage of these facilities, you'll need to visit during Reno's busiest periods.
No matter which time of the year you visit, try to visit Monday through Thursday. Weekend gamblers and visitors from Lake Tahoe generally stay in the city Friday through Sunday, and hotels raise their prices to take advantage of the demand.
Below is a chart of the current pricing seasonality of hotels and motels in Reno, NV:
Reno by Star Rating
Below we've posted 3 graphs demonstrating mean nightly cost patterns by star rating class in Reno, NV. You can use these illustrations to evaluate the cheapest time to book in Reno for upcoming travels.
Luxury Hotel Options in Reno, Nevada
4 Star Average Prices: £86.36
If you've got some cash in the pocket, stay in one of Reno's most upmarket casino resort hotels. You'll enjoy VIP treatment at these conveniently located establishments.
Atlantis Casino Resort & Spa offers spacious guest rooms with tasteful décor and oversized windows for admirable views of the Reno skyline and Sierra Nevada Mountains. High-tech additions, such as large high-definition flat screen TVs, digital safes, and a Bose Wave radio with iPod docking station, are offered for your comfort.
For the greatest indulgence, book into the Concierge Tower and enjoy VIP check-in, butler service, and an exclusive lounge serving continental breakfast and afternoon hors d'oeuvres. Guests also enjoy access to the casino's eight restaurants, fitness center, swimming pools, whirlpool spa, and gaming floor.
Peppermill Resort Spa Casino received recognition for its luxurious features with a AAA Four Diamond rating. The deluxe rooms and suites are tastefully appointed, with triple-sheet, double-pillow-top mattresses, plush terry cloth towels, and large wall-mounted TVs.
Although you're unlikely to spend a lot of time in your room, the casino has many restaurants, including four fine dining establishments, several bars and lounges, a full-service spa and salon, two pools, three spas, a fitness center, a game arcade, and more.
Affordable Hotel Options in Reno, Nevada
3 Star Average Prices: £99.96
Reno is best known for its opulent casino resorts, but you can save money if you stay at one of its budget-friendly chain hotels. You can find many establishments to suit families and frugal travelers. Some of the most affordable hotels are located on the city's outskirts.
Travelodge Reno is a pet-friendly hotel steps from Circus Circus Reno Casino and the National Bowling Stadium. The guest rooms are spacious and all are nonsmoking spaces for the comfort of guests. Free perks include on-site parking, Wi-Fi access, and Bear Bites continental breakfast each morning.
Extended Stay America – Reno – South Meadows caters to long-term guests. But whether you enjoy an extended break or short stay, you'll appreciate features like the full kitchen in each room and the on-site coin-operated laundry. The free grab-and-go breakfast is ideal for visitors getting an early start on sightseeing. Pet-friendly rooms are also available on request.
For a more distinctive experience, book a room at Wildflower Village, Reno's only hostel and bed-and-breakfast. Designer linens and Tiffany-style lamps decorate its quirky rooms. But you're not likely to spend a lot of time in your room. With two art galleries, a café, and an on-site wedding chapel, you'll find plenty to see. Wi-Fi, maid service, and laundry are all included in your room rate.
2 Star Average Prices: £59.83
Best Discounts in Reno, Nevada
If you're a member of a certain group, you may enjoy discounted rates at several Reno hotels. Discover some of the best discounts available in the city below:
Courtyard Reno and Residence Inn Reno state that guests ages 62 and older will save at least 15 percent on the best available room rates.
Eldorado Resort Casino recognizes the sacrifices of the men and women who have served in the military, so they extend an exclusive promotional room rate to all military personnel. In addition, the hotel provides a $100 discount coupon book for all military guests upon check-in.
Circus Circus Reno is another casino offering great discounts to eligible guests. All military personnel, AAA members, and AARP members receive an extra $5 discount per day from the casino's already low online rates.
Best Value Options in Reno, Nevada
Somewhere between the budget hotels and luxury resorts you'll find Reno's accommodation sweet spot, a number of mid-priced accommodation options that offer real value for money.
Comfort Inn & Suites Airport Convention Center is an out-of-the-way place, but the free shuttle to the airport, select casinos, and several businesses mean you won't be inconvenienced.
You'll also enjoy free coffee, free Wi-Fi, and free breakfasts. The morning spread with waffles, eggs, fresh fruit, and yogurt is an ideal way to start the day. Rooms are simple but well-appointed spaces, with microwaves, refrigerators, and coffee makers.
Hyatt Place Reno-Tahoe Airport is a family-friendly, pet-friendly choice. A buffet breakfast with a generous mix of hot and cold items is available every morning, but if you're short on time, the Grab 'n' Go case is an ideal option. The Gallery Menu offers flatbreads, burgers, and other meals 24 hours a day. If you're feeling guilty about those late-night calories, you can work them off in the 24-hour Stay Fit fitness center.
While Wildflower Village's hostel rooms are ideal for budget travelers, its four bed-and-breakfast rooms offer the best value. They're more spacious than the hostel rooms, and you can get a champagne breakfast delivered to your door each morning. With dishes like quiche with filet mignon and gorgonzola sauce, apple turnovers, and berries and cream, the morning meals are much more diverse than most hotel offerings.
Family-Friendly Attractions in Reno, Nevada
Reno's reputation for being an adult playground remains, but a few attractions are suitable for all members of the family.
Children can have fun while they're learning at The Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum (The Discovery). Hands-on galleries and exhibitions teach visitors about science, technology, engineering, and the natural world. The Cloud Climber, which teaches kids about the water cycle as they climb, and the water play zone, Truckee Connects, are among the museum's highlights. Traveling exhibitions complement the museum's permanent collection.
If the kids haven't had enough of science, visit the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center. Part of the University of Nevada-Reno campus, its exhibition hall features displays about the Earth, our moon and solar system, deep space, and more. Make sure you don't leave before catching a show at the Dome Theater.
Alternatively, your family could enjoy the great outdoors at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. Make sure to look out for turtles and water fowl in the ponds as you're exploring the walking trail. You'll also find an arboretum filled with animal and plant life and a fun playground, complete with a T. rex-themed slide. The park also hosts the Great Reno Balloon Race, a hot air balloon race with more than three decades of history, every September.
No matter your age, mini golf never loses its appeal. Magic Carpet Golf has two 19-hole courses and a 28-hole course, making it Nevada's largest mini golf complex. Operating since 1974, Magic Carpet Golf is still owned and run by the family that created it. All the structures are hand-built creations, giving this mini golf center a distinctive character.
Reno is best known for its casinos, but the city has much more than these establishments to endear itself. Brush up on the local attractions and choose your hotel carefully to make the most of your stay in Nevada's largest city.
Reno, NV summarized
The Biggest Little City in the World is a topnotch vacation spot because of its teeming arts and entertainment scene. Even if it only has 100 square miles, there is definitely something for every soul who will set foot in town. Will you be up to the nonstop fun that's in store for you? Some of the edifices in town are not only historic but magnificent architectural styles that range from Colonial Revival, Classical Revival and Neoclassic to Art Deco. Among the significant buildings are The El Cortez Hotel, The McKinley Park School, The Patrick Ranch House and the Washoe County Courthouse. Sports buffs can engage themselves to different activities depending on the season. Ski resorts will entertain them in the winter while trails and the rivers will give them adrenaline rush during warmer months. Even when the sun sets, the fun never stops as you can laugh and dance the night away with all the nocturnal excitement that the town offers. Get the party started (or stopped) at your convenient time. Test your luck with the casinos in the area, flirt in the hottest clubs and indulge yourself in world class performances or with a plate of gourmet meal. Pick your pleasure. Enjoy your stay in Reno.
'Even the deserts can bloom “ with money, if not anything else!
Bill Harrah, the famed founder of Caesar Entertainment Group that virtually rules the gaming and gambling industry in Nevada, had a wide and far-sighted vision about making Nevada in general and Reno in particular, the entertainment capital of America.
About 7 decades on, it would be safe to say that his vision has materialized in more ways than one can keep a tab on. Located right at the foothills of Sierra Nevada, Reno has transformed from being just another small town on the Wild West Frontier to a bustling metropolis where money and pleasures of life flow without inhibitions.
With over two dozen top notch casino venues (and countless smaller ones), there's nothing that is fitter to be the identity of Reno than the gambling industry. While the dilemmas of morality creep up from time to time, it must be conceded that this unprecedented growth of money-sucking as well as money-making casinos has indeed helped Reno's tourism and economy.
If these pleasures aren't enough, close proximity with many family entertainment places, natural wonders and sporting activities mean that Reno is nearly a perfect tourism hub.
So, keeping in mind that Vegas is not the only good thing that Nevada has to put on the table, we would love to recommend our readers to keep Reno in contention when they are next making holiday plans.
Maybe, a little step in that direction with this brief article about Reno hotels might go a long way!
Finding Budget Hotels and Inns in Reno
Las Vegas is synonymous with gambling, and the State of Nevada often finds itself short-changed when potential tourists concentrate only on Vegas, further making it more and more expensive every passing year.
That's why, a trip to Reno can be quite refreshing in many ways. To begin with, staying in Reno is much, much more affordable than staying in Las Vegas “ thanks to many cheap hotels and inns in the city. Secondly, Reno offers much more in way of sightseeing than Vegas can ever hope to.
To keep your holiday budget standing tall instead of hobbling in pain, you can choose Boomtown Hotel & Casino to crash at night. Despite being a cheap hotel, this one offers a number of luxuries to its guests “ from spacious rooms and top class food to a fully-fledged casino to try their luck at!
If having easy access to a casino is not really of import to you, you can try La Quinta Inn Reno. It is a classic American motel where you can spend your nights at in total safety and relative comfort.
That just about does it for this segment of cheap hotels and inns in Reno.
Posh, Lavish & Extravagant: Five Star Hotels in Reno
Well, we all must have seen that coming. Being a city that is famous for its casinos, it really shouldn't be put out there in writing that Reno has a good collection of posh and expensive (sometimes, overly so) resorts.
Also, it shouldn't be too difficult to agree with the fact that the best way to spend a holiday in a city that celebrates all sorts of carnal pleasures is to book your stay at a truly lavish hotel and be done with the worries of managing your budget!
Among available luxury hotels in Reno, the one that impressed us the most, while coming on top of most competitors in regard with stringent criteria that we use for comparison, is Hyatt Place Reno Tahoe Airport. Located near the airport, it is the most splendid hotel around Reno, with every possible facility and luxury you can think of being present just a phone call away!
To enjoy a little more of secluded stay, Siena Hotel can be chosen. It has a vibe of a boutique hotel about it, and at the prices starting from $190 per night “ it is surely a bargain pick! A state of the art in-house casino further strengthens the case for Siena Hotel.
Sightseeing in Reno
Moving the discussion on from Reno hotels to sightseeing potential of the city, we would love present to our readers a quick round of must-see things and must-do activities in Reno.
- A quick day and night trip of various casinos in the city is worth one's while. You can also try your hand at various slots and games, if you wish to!
- Nevada Museum of Art presents a unique chance for art lovers.
- Wingfield Park of Reno is a modern amphitheater where many notable acts and artists perform.
- An overview of excellent food culture of Reno can add a nice touch to your trip.
- Reno Central Library “ an imposing building that is an oasis of knowledge in the desert “ is also a great spot to admire the beauty of human triumph and architecture.
- In the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, adventure seekers can enjoy a day or two of mountain biking, hiking, camping and other outdoor activities.
- Kayaking in the Truckee River is also a popular activity among tourists visiting Reno.
Sightseeing Tips for Tourists Visiting Reno
- Many hotels in Reno have special sightseeing arrangements for their guests. So, you can avail them to save some cash.
- While gambling in Reno, make sure that you don't go overboard. It won't make for a good story if you are suffering from a ˜gambler's remorse' on the way back home.
- Make sure that you enjoy various music, art and food festivals that take place in and around Reno all year round.
Best Time to Visit Reno
Nevada is perhaps the hottest state in the US. Being a desert, one can expect Nevada to be dry throughout the year. So, there is no window of time that's better than the other.
However, with that said, we would suggest our readers to visit Reno during late summer or spring, in order to avoid intense heat of the desert that prevails around high-summer.
March and September can be shortlisted as best months to travel to Reno in, on account of their pleasant weather.