Take a stroll through the mall connecting the Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus hotels in downtown Reno, and you’ll be hard-pressed to tell where one property ends and another begins. You’ll pass restaurants, nightclubs, a comedy club, bars, showrooms, a craft brewery, even a carnival-like midway, all under one contiguous roof spanning four square blocks. Meeting and event venues branch from the main artery and come in all shapes and sizes, while the Reno Ballroom and Reno Events Center, just across the street, expand on the options for large gatherings. On the floor below, slot machines jangle and casino action carries on around the clock.
Welcome to THE ROW, a recently branded megaresort encompassing three hotels previously referred to as the Tri-Properties. Although long connected by sky bridges, the trio of hotels, now under Eldorado Resorts ownership, had separate identities. Each hotel keeps its name under the unifying brand, with meeting planners able to enjoy a great deal of flexibility.
“We work with one sales manager and one sales coordinator for all the properties, and are able to have control over food and beverage at all three,” explains Amanda Berry, national sales manager for THE ROW’s lodging properties. “If something arises and a book is grouped and it grows, or there’s a conflict, we have the option to move entirely between properties.”
More than $100 million has been poured into the rebranding effort, which includes renovation of more than 1,000 guest rooms (there are 4,200 in all between the three hotels), 10 new restaurants, a complete redo of the Circus Circus midway (yes, there are circus acts, as well as an arcade, a food court and a Mexican restaurant that shares a space with a sushi purveyor) and the addition of a luxury spa occupying the entire fourth floor of the Silver Legacy.
Each property has a distinct profile. “The Eldorado is more high-end, with a boutique atmosphere, while Silver Legacy has more general entertainment options and Circus-Circus is more of a family experience, although we see lots of adults in the midway, too,” says Angela Kabisch, THE ROW’s executive director of advertising and public relations. “Everything is new and clean. From a meetings perspective, anything a group could want is under one roof.”
That broad range of choices is what has drawn Farmers Insurance to hold annual conventions here for the past 12 years. “We love that we can have our meetings and accommodations in one fun place,” says agent and planner Becky Huddle. “The staff is great and the food for large groups is better than any place I have ever been.”
“We’ve used the Reno Ballroom for big meetings and the meeting rooms at Silver Legacy for breakout smaller meetings,” she continues. “In addition, we’ve booked Rum Bullions Island Bar [a popular watering hole outside the Silver Legacy] for a private event with karaoke and a live band, and rented all of the midway at Circus Circus for a theme night with games, food and drinks.”
Farmers will be bringing 800 California agents again in October, she says. “Our guests love the ability to stay in one place and have lots of options. We are repeat customers at THE ROW because they are so willing to work with us and help give us new ideas to keep our event fresh and fun every year.”
THE ROW hosts many larger groups as well. Last year, a bicycle manufacturer’s gathering, a safari hunting association and a nursery corporation each drew more than 2,000 attendees.
The new Spa at Silver Legacy features a 21,000-square-foot treatment area surrounded by windows overlooking a swimming pool and an 8,000-square-foot deck with waterfall and fire features, soaking tubs, shaded seating and sunbathing lounges. Besides full menus of massages, facials, scrubs, wraps and “duet” packages for couples, the spa also houses hair, nail and waxing salons.
Sooner or later, most visitors to THE ROW need a breath of fresh air. The complex is well located for that: North Sierra Street, home to a slew of new restaurants and pubs, is just outside and from there it’s a short walk to the Truckee River Walk that hugs the waterway’s shore for about 12 blocks and offers a scenic respite from The Row’s constant hum of activity.
Meeting Space at THE ROW
SILVER LEGACY: 45,591 square feet of function space
CIRCUS CIRCUS: 23,000 square feet of function space including a convention center
ELDORADO: 12,000 square feet of function space
RENO EVENTS CENTER: Adjacent to the Sliver Legacy, this sister facility accommodating large, citywide groups features 118,000 square feet of function space including a floor for exhibitions and trade shows, two mezzanine levels and suites.
DOWNTOWN RENO BALLROOM: A recently completed facility with 32,655 square feet of divisible space. Across the street from the Circus Circus Convention Center.