kid-friendly reno - Pitstops for Kids

3800 South Virginia Street
Reno, NV

On our long drive from Southern Oregon to Death Valley National Park, my family and I had the pleasure of pit stopping’ for one night at the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa in Reno, NV. We’ve made it a point to stay in Reno in the past, praising Reno’s all-season outdoor recreation opportunities and increasingly evident family atmosphere, but this time, the city also fell conveniently halfway through our road trip to southern California.

Atlantis hotel Reno:

(As I disclose with all compensated reviews, I received the two tower rooms we stayed in and a meal at the Manhattan Deli at no cost. This compensation came with no expectations of a favorable review.)

We arrived at the Atlantis in the late afternoon, and were more than happy to hand our car over to the valet parking attendant (valet parking is complimentary for Atlantis guests). The front desk staff were friendly and efficient, and we were quickly directed to our 20th floor adjoining tower rooms. The downside for us was the necessity of walking across the casino floor to reach the elevators (why is smoking still legal indoors?) but the upside was the elevator itself. A glass design situated on the outside of the building, it was tons of fun for the kids (and I might as well admit it, me too) to shoot up over the downtown Reno with snow-covered Mt. Rose in the distance.

Soon the kids were expending some much needed energy in our rooms, which started out looking like this:

Luxury tower room at the Atlantis Resort

And ended up looking like this:

Sword fight! That’s what these decorative pillows are for, right?

And then we hit the swimming pool.

Or should I say pools? We were especially excited to stay at the Atlantis because of its indoor/outdoor pool deck, and we weren’t disappointed. The main, indoor pool is located in a sunny, spacious atrium right off of their day spa. The d’cor is fun with a rock fade and waterfall. The second pool (open seasonally) and large hot tub (open year round) are located on the outside deck (actually the 3rd floor rooftop). It was quite satisfying to risk the breezy March air to reach the steaming hot tub and back into the warm atrium again and again.

Calvin hits the water in the indoor Atrium Pool.

My kids are so strange…Toby poses under the waterfall facade.

Unfortunately for me, another family in the pool area made my kids aware of the Atlantis’ Fun Center (arcade), so after swimming, we just had to go check it out. I’ll be the first to say I’m not a huge fan of these types of centers filled with video games, flashing lights, cheap prizes, carnival-type mechanical claws hovering over overpriced plush toys, and the like. (I didn’t even enjoy myself in The Great Wolf Lodge’s upscale version!) But as far as arcades go, Atlantis’ was pretty top-notch. One cavet (which might be viewed as a positive by some) was their fun card’ system. Instead of quarters or tokens, guests must buy cards loaded with pre-paid amounts. Kids then swipe the card at each game (which are all clearly marked by price) and the amount is deducted from the card. It’s easy to add money to cards, and at the end of play, whatever tickets a child wants to redeem are recorded onto the same card. The attendant only needs to swipe it again to know how much credit he or she has in the redemption center’ filled with the foresaid cheap prizes. It’s easy to see why Atlantis adapted this system: it’s efficient, it’s easy for kids and parents to keep track of, and it’s certainly easy to spend money in the arcade. Since we were simply sampling what was on offer, we bought just one card for $15, and let the kids share.

Nate and Calvin try out the arcade’s roller coaster simulator.

After a busy hour in the arcade, we walked downstairs to the casino level to try Atlantis’ Manhattan Deli, one of the resort’s moderately priced restaurants (for a four star experience, try their Napa Bistro¦I had a very good pomegranate martini there later in the evening). As the name would suggest, the Manhattan Deli was themed after the famed New York delis, and was very good. Our server was quite busy when we arrived, but we were quickly served small plates of pickled vegetables which Calvin especially loved. The menu consisted of sandwiches, burgers, soups, and salads, and all our portions were very large (too large, in fact!). The kids ordered hot dogs, which got good reviews (minus Toby; the dogs were more like sausages, and it just wasn’t what he expected). I ordered the Greek salad, which was wonderful.

(In addition to the pools, the Atlantis also offers a fitness center for their guests, which I did not have a chance to try out. We also did not try their casino floor, so cannot comment on the gambling aspect of the resort.)

Find more Activities For kids around Lake Tahoe on Trekaroo!

Date last visited: March 2010

Distance off the interstate: Just a few blocks off I-395.

Room Prices: At the time of this review, hotel rooms at the Atlantis range from $60-$80 per night.

Website: www.AtlantisCasino.com

Directions: From I-395, continue through Reno to the S. Virgina Exit. Turn right at the light (onto S. Virginia). Continue two blocks to the Atlantis.
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1100 Nugget Avenue
Sparks, NV

As I disclose whenever compensated while reviewing a location, my family did enjoy a complementary stay at John Ascuaga’s Nugget. We did, however, pay full price for all food and extras. This compensation came with no expectations or agreements for a positive review.

John Ascuaga’s Nugget Casino Resort

Due to its night life and casino industry, it’s easy to overlook Reno, Nevada as a family destination. However, the city and its surrounding areas have a lot to offer in all seasons (Mt. Rose, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Lake Tahoe are all short drives away), and as my family and I recently experienced for ourselves, there are kid-friendly hotel options (besides well-known Circus Circus). John Ascuaga’s Nugget Casino Resort is a clearly defined part of the Reno skyline with its two 29-story towers (and 1,600 rooms), located just three miles from downtown.

We arrived at 2pm. Half an hour later, we were checked in (exceptional front desk service), parked, and checking out the view from our 25th floor tower room.

Toby looks out over downtown Reno and the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range

Standard queen bed tower room

But we didn’t linger, because what the kids were really itching to get to was the Atrium Pool. Located on the second floor, this year-round, indoor pool is aptly named; its spacious solarium setting allows for light, views, and a feel of the outdoors while swimming in a covered, heated space. With an Olympic-sized main pool and connected ‘soaking pools’ (or massaging pools, as my four-year-old called them), there was plenty of room to let loose some pent up energy stored from our long drive. An oversized adult-only hot tub is located at the far end of the pool deck, poolside food service is available, and a pool attendant is always on duty (although life guards are not). A full-service salon and health club are located adjacent to the pool (although I didn’t have time to check either out, unfortunately).

Nugget’s Atrium Pool

Pool scene mid-day

After dinner, we tried out the Skywalk Arcade. At the time of this posting, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights, the Nugget will double your school-aged kids’ token purchase. (You’re asked to show school ID; since our kids’ elementary school doesn’t have IDs, they took us at our word, which was nice.) $20 total got each of our three kids (and my husband) $10’s worth of tokens. We were there over an hour, and everyone came away with typical arcade prizes after cashing in their prize ticketsâ€¦rubber snakes, bouncy balls, parachute men, and the like.

Toby challenges his great-grandmother in the Nugget arcade

We asked for a roll-away bed for our preschooler, and it was brought to our room immediately. The beds were comfy, and best of all, the swimming wore the kids out: they were all asleep within minutes of bedtime.

Date last visited: November 25, 2009

Distance off the interstate: one minute

Room Rates: Approximately $50-$70 plus tax and resort fee for a standard room with two beds at the time of this review.

Food Services: Eight within the hotel, including a buffet (closed the night of our stay), Starbucks, steakhouse, and a family cafÃ© (adequate food with prices in the mid-range of $7-10 a plate, but slow service on the night we dined there).

Website: http://www.janugget.com/

Directions: From I-80, take Exit 17 for Rock Blvd/Nugget Ave. Go 0.1 mile then keep right at the fork, following signs for Nuggget Ave/Victorian Square. Merge onto Nugget Ave.