Reno’s Atlantis Casino has been a perennially easy hotel to score on Priceline, it’s been the only four-star property in Reno for awhile – or so Priceline says. It strikes me as rather three-star, but there’s no hard and fast Priceline rule distinguishing the two categories. Still, targeting Atlantis is easy if that’s your bag. Although at some point the Peppermill may get an upgrade to four stars as they complete a renovation.
Last week I was there on a $39 Priceline rate. At check-in I was told that no king bed rooms were available (I had put in a request for one in advance). I insisted and was offered a king in the motor lodge. There’s a no-tell motel facility out back, pretty dodgy, a separate facility that I wanted nothing to do with.
After pressing further I was given what I was told was a junior suite in the concierge tower. I actually think it was a standard room, although it had a nice-sized sitting area.
The room came with lounge access. The small lounge was only open for breakfast and late afternoon desserts. Breakfasts had no hot options or smoked salmon, just a sparse selection of pastries, a coffee machine, and orange juice plus milk for cereal. Wireless internet was paid, even in the lounge, but two computers were there for use.
While the room itself was relatively stylish (except for the bedspread) recently renovated and in much better shape than the rest of the hotel, I wasn’t impressed with housekeeping. There wasn’t any turndown service. Daily cleaning didn’t involve replenishing toileteries at all over the course of three days. And the bathroom amenities – while they included a flat panel television – were somewhat sparse. Only soap, shampoo, and moisturizer. That’s it.
Now, I have no complaints at all about the property. I was given a better room than I was entitled to, and even a standard room in the more basic ‘luxury tower’ would have been well worth the price I paid! And it’s unclear what property would be nicer in Reno. An upscale city this is not…
Tahoe, on the other hand, really is beautiful… 🙂
Although the Tahoe psychic with a for sale sign on their building clearly didn’t forsee the decline in their business…
Gary does Priceline stays?!?!? I had no clue! 😀
My own dime + RENO = Priceline :p
personally, i wouldn’t complain about amenities if i paid $39. but, maybe that’s just me. 😉
Wasn’t complaining as much as reporting. As I wrote, “I have no complaints at all about the property. I was given a better room than I was entitled to, and even a standard room in the more basic ‘luxury tower’ would have been well worth the price I paid! “
I had a nice tower room for a equally low rate two years ago at the Atlantis. I liked the pool area. Much nicer hotel than the ones downtown. The mountains around Reno (esp Virginia City), are nice. too, not only Lake Tahoe. Virginia Lake is a nice refugium in Reno.