My standard hotel reviews include a breakdown by the following topics. Feel free to skip to whichever section you find most interesting.
- Experience
- Lobby
- Room
- Hotel Space / Ambiance
- Food & Drink
- Fitness
- Miscellaneous
Experience Harrah’s Reno Hotel & Casino
The historical nature and pleasant atmosphere for Harrah’s Reno made for an enjoyable overall experience. Reno’s low limits and reasonable prices were present in Harrah’s, the non-aggressive clientele made gambling much easier (see the miscellaneous section). For food, the gigantic portions of Hash House a Go Go and surprisingly good quality of Joy Luck Noodle Bar pleased us. Also, we did well gaming and were charged lower than expected resort fees!
However, did have a major issue. Total Rewards issued me two $25 promotional game play offers, which I called to confirm I could use both for a total of $50. However, upon showing up they said they were the same and only gave me $25, so I felt betrayed and lied to. Despite calling Total Rewards department at Harrah’s Reno, and verifying how much I should get, they disregarded it and stonewalled me.
LOBBY
There are two separate towers, East and West, with parking and registration in Harrah’s East. The helpful bell desk stored our bags as we checked in early. There is a clear and separate line for Diamond and Seven Stars guests, as well as another line for Platinum guests. Note that VIP Access gained in Las Vegas does not work in Reno, as the Caesar’s employees will have no idea what it is. We arrived at about 1pm, and told to wait an hour for our upgraded room (West Tower, Handicapped room) to be ready. Upon returning at 2:30pm, I was told that the room was still not yet ready, and combined with the other Total Rewards issue (see above section) they apologized and immediately put us in a standard room.
ROOM
The bellman brought bags up to our room, which was very convenient. The standard room was just that: standard, with a decent view and two full beds. Harrah’s Reno only has two full beds or a king bed as options, and they do not have two queen bed rooms. They had a seating area next to the beds, with a low-hanging chandelier type light. I hit my head only a couple times, so be wary for those who are vertically endowed.
HOTEL SPACE / AMBIANCE
The casino skybridge to Harrah’s West passes the buffet, an arcade, a Starbucks, and Hash House. Harrah’s West has a much larger casino compared to Harrah’s East, with a complement of table games. The ambience and clientele skews older, as there were many familes and old people gambling and enjoying themselves. This is the first and thus oldest Harrah’s property, at nearly 80 years old. It has gone over several remodels, and has interesting aspects like a bowling alley in Harraah’s East.
FOOD & DRINK
We ate at several locales within Harrah’s Reno. Hash House for both breakfast and dinner was good, although there is no buy one get one free coupon like there is for Hash House Las Vegas. During the holiday Harrah’s had a promotion for buying a $25 gift card and getting $5 free. You can see if that is still available, but you must wait a day after buying to use it!
Also, Joy Luck Noodle Bar had very good soup and fried rice, with a $1 discount per item for Total Rewards members. The 2-for-1 buffet coupons were given freely at checkin, which helped the holiday pricing from as high as $29/p to about $15/p for dinner. However, the food was adequate – not great, but not poor either, and roughly worth the $15/p paid.
FITNESS
All of my fitness consisted of walking between casinos and exploring them hunting for specific slot games, so walking 5-6 miles a day meant I did not see their gym/pool. Next time I will be sure to do so, especially with all the food I ate on this trip (see above).
MISCELLANEOUS
Harrah’s Reno is located almost at the southernmost point of Downtown Reno, with only Cal-Neva directly south. As a result of being the “biggest little city”, you could walk the 4-5 blocks north and see the remainder of the downtown casinos. Excellent location near great restaurants and hot spots. Hotel parking was free for both self and valet parking – they don’t have the price gouging of Las Vegas, at least not yet.
One major benefit and difference compared to Las Vegas, is that Reno overall was more laid back and economical in pricing and minimums. Additionally, you won’t find roving gangs of locals moving from casino to casino hunting for advantage slot play. You won’t encounter dirty looks from those people as you take what they consider “their” bonuses, as you would in Las Vegas. This allowed us to explore and win without too much competition.
Lastly, I was originally quoted $50 as resort fees for the three nights, but only ended up paying $40! I had an amazing time in Reno and Harrah’s, and I cannot wait for the next time!
Featured image from our hotel room in Harrah’s Reno.
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Great review. I’ve been to Reno and Vegas many times and increasingly find Reno the better alternative. I suspect the Vegas price gouging (now for even parking!) will drive more savvy people to the friendlier and laid back Reno area.
Absolutely – I was shocked at how reasonable everything was by comparison. Yes things may not be as nice or glamorous, but it’s still a better deal.