My first trip report. Please cut some slack 
Trip report Reno July 2011
ATLANTIS:
Room: I didn't ask for anything special, but my host put me in an incredible 2-room suite. It was in the Concierge Tower, but was much bigger, more elegant, and richly appointed than the one illustrated on the Atlantis web site. Both rooms were huge. The sitting room had a wet bar with four stools, a TV, a fridge stocked with water and juices, a dining table with six chairs (8 would fit nicely), two overstuffed chairs with ottomans, an entertainment console with another TV large, flat screen game console, etc., and various cabinets, end tables, sculptures, etc. There was a bathroom with a tub off the sitting room. The bedroom was only slightly smaller than the sitting room, with a king bed, huge spa/Jacuzzi that could easily accommodate 4-6 people at a time, a large round table with four chairs, an entertainment console, two dressers, and end tables. Another bathroom with a shower and a walk in closet. All tastefully appointed and decorated. I typically spend very little time in my room while in Reno, so the room is not critical to me but this one really blew me away. It was nice to feel treated like a high roller for a couple of days. I also appreciated access to the Concierge Lounge, where I enjoyed breakfasts of coffee, juice, pastries and fresh fruit each morning.
Food: Had matzoh ball soup and a half pastrami sandwich at the New York Deli. It's about as close as you can get to a real New York Deli west of NYC except that the waiters are not abrupt and the place is spacious with lots of room between tables. I always have at least one meal there when in Reno. Had a light dinner at the oyster bar delicious New England clam chowder and a nice, fresh, luscious sushi roll with a glass of wine. Excellent. Another place I will try to hit on any visit to Reno. Lunch at the buffet (free for platinum players on Thursdays) was fine. Great selection of food and what I chose was very good.
VP: I think the Atlantis is VP paradise. The VPFree2 database appears to be accurate, though I didn't have to search for games. I could find my favorite NSUD on virtually any VP machine in the place, and had absolutely no problem finding machines with other playable games for variety. Did well overall, even if I don't count the a royal I hit, and the four deuces a couple of hours later.
My host at Atlantis is super.
PEPPERMILL:
Room: If I hadn't just left that incredible room at the Atlantis, the Peppermill room would have been impressive. They had mistakenly put me in a suite in the Tuscany Tower. I like those rooms, but hate the trek back and forth to the casino, so I asked for a Peppermill Towar room. The VIP desk person complied, apologizing that it "isn't quite as nice as the room we have you in in the Tuscany." Another two room suite, about ½ to ¾ the size of the Atlantis room. Bar, two stools, couch and two chairs, etc in the sitting room, spa/Jacuzzi for 2-3 people in the bedroom, entertainment consoles in both rooms very , very nice.
Food: Lunch at the Oceano was fine. Manhattan chowder was good for a change of pace. I wasn't very hungry so I just ordered a shrimp cocktail. Only four shrimp but they were HUGE, fresh, nicely chilled and very tasty and just enough for my light lunch. The Bimini steak house served me a spinach salad that is the tastiest I've ever had. Fresh greens, big chunks of thick bacon, and a hot bacon dressing. Not for the diet conscious, but fabulous. I'll go there again just for the salad. The filet mignon was piping hot, perfectly cooked and delicious. Sides were excellent, too.
VP: In the past, I felt that there was little difference in the quality of the VP offerings at the Atlantis and the Peppermill. I was dismayed when I read in VPFree2 that NSUD had disappeared from the machines in all the bartops. To my delight, I discovered that NSUD was back on the machines at the Qube bar. I checked the Sports Bar and those machines still had short pay deuces. There are plenty of machines around the casino with NSUD, 9/6 JoB and 8/5 Bonus Poker but no longer can you assume that every VP machine will have playable pay tables of all sorts at all denominations. I found enough short-pay machines that I wound up checking pay tables carefully for each game I was considering. I also found some that had full-pay at one denomination and short-pay at another (checking mainly dollar and quarter denominations). It's still a great place to play VP but be careful for now they are changing things around sometimes degrading, sometimes reinstating good pay tables. Caveat Emptor. Did well there left with a few bucks more than I had on arrival.
My host at the Pepp is great, too.
GRAND SIERRA:
Room: I hate the way they have remodeled the rooms and the casino. The Reno Hilton was my Reno home when I first started playing in Reno. I loved it. I was in a summit "suite". What that means is that they remodeled the old rooms. They've split the one spacious and bright Hilton room into two "rooms" with a sliding curtain, with a bed, etc on inner half, and stuffed chairs/couch unit on the window side. A stroke of genius they put the TV in the bedroom half so if you have a spouse who wants to sleep and you want to watch TV, you're outta luck. Someone told them that dark brown and black throughout the rooms (and casino, too) is elegant. To me, it's simply DARK and dreary. Another stroke of genius the save is in a small cabinet at the very bottom of a built-in set of cabinets and drawers. Literally on the floor. A pain in the back for an old guy to use and the location, the dark décor, and the 10 watt bulbs (an exaggeration) in the light fixtures make it impossible to read the instructions for using the safe.
I didn't eat at the GSR this trip. I like the selections of restaurants at the Atlantis and Pepp much better.
VP: See VPFree2. All playable VP machines have now been downgraded. There is not a single good pay table in the place. I converted my remaining points to free play (easy to do at the machines a very nice touch for the players' club) and ran it and the free play I got in the mailer through the machine once and played no more. I will probably not return there unless they see the light and put some good VP machines in the place.
All around, they've taken a bright, lively casino hotel that was pure fun at which to stay and play, and turned it gradually over the years into a VP wasteland, with very little to offset the poor gambling. Very sad to me.
HARRAH'S RENO:
Didn't stay there, but saw a good show a tribute to Sammy Davis Junior. The entertainer was no Sammy, but he was a good entertainer sang well, impersonations were very good, lots of energy. Not the greatest dancer, but OK. Backup was a seven instrument band. Four of the musicians had played for Sammy they were great.
I was pleased to see that Harrah's still has some 9/6 JoB and full-pay BP a rarity in Harrah's properties these days. The casino is old-style, but has character. I like it. But it's hard to justify playing where there are only a handful of JoB and BP machines to play, and no playable deuces, when you have the Atlantis and Peppermill nearby (and even the Silver Legacy and Ascagua's Nugget, neither of which I hit this time around.
OVERALL: A very good time. Nice rooms, good meals, a nice show (all comped), good VP to play and a winning trip!