Successful Meetings OCTOBER 2006
"Reno is undergoing a tremendous Renaissance, with more than a billion dollars in public and private investment enhancing the Reno / Tahoe area as a destination for meetings and tourists alike," says Ellen Oppenheim, president and CEO of the Reno-Sparks CVA. "It says a lot about the community that we are getting this level of investment." Even as new upscale developments sprout in Reno's downtown, the Lake Tahoe area is planning a $400-million convention center complex in South Lake. Which prompts Oppenheim to add, "We see a very bright future ahead, and we love sharing it."
Essential Tool Box
Convention Facilities: Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 500,000-sf center with 380,000 sf of dedicated meeting space and 67 meeting rooms (largest accommodates 12,090 theater-style). Reno Event Center, 118,000-sf arena facility with 55,000 sf of dedicated meeting space and seven meeting rooms (largest accommodates 7,000 theater-style).
For more listings, visit Facility Quick Search at www.mimegasite.com
For More Info:
Reno-Sparks CVA
www.visitrenotahoe.com
North Lake Tahoe VCB
www.mytahoevacation.com
Lake Tahoe VA
www.bluelaketahoe.com
The Big News
Several mixed-use projects are introducing a spate of new condos, shops,
dining, and entertainment venues to downtown Reno: The 1,995-room Grand Sierra Resort & Casino, formerly the Reno Hilton, is undergoing a $1.8-billion renovation project that will reconfigure its top 11 floors into 825 luxury condos by the end of this year. Renovation of all guest rooms and public and meeting space is expected to be completed by next fall; then, new construction will begin on a 150,000-sf indoor water park. (Future plans include residential towers, a sports arena, a nightclub, new shops and restaurants, and a revamp of all 10 restaurants at the resort.)
Another development similar to Reno's Truckee River Whitewater Park (now two years old) is expected to open in downtown Sparks by next fall.
In South Lake Tahoe, groundbreaking is set for next May on a $400-million convention center complex, set on an 11.3-acre parcel of land close to the major casino resorts and directly opposite Heavenly Village. Expected to open in 2009, the complex will feature a 93,000-sf facility with a headquarters hotel attached (with an upscale boutique hotel nearby), and 56,000 sf of retail/dining space.
FACILITIES UPDATE
RENO The Downtown Reno Ballroom is scheduled to open next year across the street from the 118,000-sf Reno Event Center, with 28,000 sf of ballroom space (divisible by five) and a 4,700-sf prefunction area that can host a banquet for 1,970 people and a meeting of 2,990.
* Construction is scheduled to begin early next year on a $50-million expansion at the 980-room Atlantis Casino Resort & Spa, to add 27,000 sf of meeting space, a 14,000-sf spa and fitness-center expansion, a 20,000-sf casino expansion, and a skywalk connecting the property to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.
* Last Jun, the 1,572-room Circus Circus Reno Hotel & Casino opened the new Skywalk Billiards Room.
* The 952-room Harrah's Reno Casino-Hotel completed a guest room renovation in Jan and opened Carvings Buffet.
* This fall, 1,600-room John Ascuaga's Nugget wrapped up a soft-goods renovation of its south tower, with renovations now under way on the guest rooms in the north tower.
* A $300-million transformation slated for completion next fall at the 1,070-room Peppermill Hotel Casino includes new 65,000-sf clear-span convention and exhibit space, a 600-unit, Tuscan-themed all-suite tower, a lavish pool deck, and a 10,000-sf nightclub, Baciami, overlooking the pool. There will be 21,000 sf of new casino space that includes a poker room and a themed bar, an arcade for families and children, and a new spa and salon.
NORTH LAKE TAHOE The owners of the 220-room Cal-Neva Resort, Spa & Casino have plans under way for a top-to-bottom renovation over the next couple of years that will modernize the infrastructure of the property without losing its historic integrity.
* In May, the 42-room Cedar House Sport Hotel opened with a hip mountain lodge style and a meeting room that can accommodate up to 20 people.
* In July, the 442-room Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino completed a $2-million remodel of 24 lakeside cottages.
* Construction is under way on the $300-million, 173-room Ritz-Carlton Highlands, scheduled to open in late 2009 in The Highlands, a new on-mountain residential resort community at Northstar-at-Tahoe ski resort. The Ritz will feature 11,000 sf of meeting space, a 20,000-sf spa, several pools, and about 150 residences.
* The Village at Squaw Valley USA recently added a 1,200-sf meeting room.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE In May, Caesars Tahoe became the MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa; renovations are scheduled to wrap up by the end of the year, injecting a
cosmopolitan style into all parts of the 440-room property. Along with expanding the spa, refurbishing meeting space, and remodeling the 40,000-sf casino, the revamp aims to reinvent the hotel's four nightlife venues and seven restaurants.
* Projects recently completed at Harrah's Lake Tahoe include a $3-million guest room/suite renovation, a $2.5-million renovation at Reflections Spa, refurbishment of the special events center, and addition of a $3.1-million VEX nightclub.
* Harveys Resort & Casino has several renovation projects under way, including a $10.6-million redesign of its balcony suites, a $7-million guest room renovation, the $13-million Phase I of a casino remodel, a $1.35-million refurbishment project at the health club/pool, and the debut of the trendy 19 Kitchen-Bar restaurant.
Groups Should Consider
Groups should consider these recommendations from Successful Meetings' Home Team* experts. Top choices include the 405-room Squaw Peak Resort and the 1,070-room Peppermill Hotel Casino.
*Home Team contributors who informed this section include MaryAnne P. Bobrow, CAE, CMP and Annette M. Kovalcik. Contact them at [email protected]
On Site: Lake Tahoe
Bountiful & Boundless
On the way from Reno to Lake Tahoe this past spring, I briefly stood at the edge of the famous lake, looking into its crystal-blue water. Then, as a light snow began to dust its sun-glistened surface, I dashed to my car and drove to the ever-growing Village at Northstar in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
At buildout, the Village will include seven new buildings with 213 luxury one- to four-bedroom condos and 100,000 sf of retail space. Last Dec, this pedestrian-friendly village unveiled 100 luxury condos, new shopping options from stylish boutiques to specialty retailers, art galleries (which groups can rent for events), cafes, and restaurants. There's also a collection of fire pits and a year-round 9,000-sf ice-skating rink.
Continuing around the lake, I stopped at the newly refurbished 405-room Squaw Creek Resort, near the former Olympic site, Squaw Valley USA. The guest rooms there now feature kitchens, gas fireplaces, and free Wi-Fi, thanks to a $53-million renovation that also freshened the spa, four restaurants, lobby, and its 33,000 sf of conference facilities.
Later, I swished my way down freshly packed powder at nearby Alpine Meadows (which has 2,400 acres of ski terrain), then feasted that night on the delectable fare at the resort's Six Peaks Grill, which offered striking views of the majestic six peaks of Squaw Valley and the meadows below. Inside seats 90, but guests can also dine outside and stay warm by its large fire pit, with seating for 40.
Next day, I skied between Nevada and California at South Lake's Heavenly, which has 4,800 acres and a gondola that whisked me 2.4 miles up the mountainside, providing yet another glimpse of Lake Tahoe's unparalleled beauty. -April I. Torrisi