Anybody out there have one in hand? I haven't received a current one from either
casino, and I have been to each twice this year. I'm looking for an open-ended offer
good thru July (as opposed to one for a specific weekend).
If nothing comes up, I'll prevail upon my host to help me out, but I thought I'd see
what's out there first. I'll share info any info I gather.
This will help me decide where to stay and play next visit!
Thanks!
~Mark
An update from my Host @ Peppermill:
NO Cash Bonus Offers in the offing.
I AM getting a $100 certificate for the new Oceana restaurant - not in a mailer, but
I'll get it after I check in from VIP services.
Slot tournament July 4-5 ( not my cup of tea, but maybe I'll try: 3 x 15 min. free-plays
43K in prizes, $99 entry for me (VIP deal) + if I finish in top 100 out of 300, I'd at
least get my money back. finish 101th-300th and get $50 returned).
Silver Legacy: No reply yet from an e-mail inquiry I sent to my Host there.
I really wanted to return to Peppermill, so I got my suite reso there already, for July 2-
6. If I get a Cash bonus offer from Silver, I may taxi over there for a few hours one or
two days.... We'll see.
~Mark
Anybody out there have one in hand? I haven't received a current one from either
casino, and I have been to each twice this year. I'm looking for an open-ended
offer
--- In vpFREE_Reno@yahoogroups.com, "Mark" <mark_my_words_again@y...> wrote:
good thru July (as opposed to one for a specific weekend).
If nothing comes up, I'll prevail upon my host to help me out, but I thought I'd see
what's out there first. I'll share info any info I gather.This will help me decide where to stay and play next visit!
Thanks!
~Mark
Mark:
As a low roller who gets to Reno only twice a year, we generate
decent but not great offers from the Peppermill. We are only
Bronze, but are flying out Tuesday for a few weeks, including two
short stays at the Pepp on a mailer for tower room at $35/night --
actually less generous than previous mailers. Over the last few
stays we have been bumping our coin-in (joint account) up each time,
and I estimate we will have about $3-4K coin-in (VP mostly, wife
likes the slots too) on this trip. We'll be back before you leave,
and we are planning to try Oceano. I'll let you know what we think
of it. How much action is required to warrant getting a host?
Also will be staying at the Atlantis for a couple days.
Al
--- In vpFREE_Reno@yahoogroups.com, "Mark"
<mark_my_words_again@y...> wrote:
> Anybody out there have one in hand? I haven't received a
current one from either
> casino, and I have been to each twice this year. I'm looking
for an open-ended
offer
> good thru July (as opposed to one for a specific weekend).
Correction: $3-4K coin-in PER DAY on this trip.
Mark:
(snip)
and I estimate we will have about $3-4K coin-in (VP mostly, wife
likes the slots too) on this trip.
(snip)
--- In vpFREE_Reno@yahoogroups.com, "A&C" <cnacouple@h...> wrote:
You get a host once you've moved up to Gold Card methinks. I think they look at
accumulated coin-in, no idea how much, maybe it restarts if you don't play for a year.
If you warrant a comped room, you can also use the VIP lounge.
I started at Gold and have been bumped up to Platinum after 120K coin-in (about 8
days play?). I'm no regular there yet, maybe someone else knows better. I rarely play
over $1 coin machines, I just play for long hours, being a confirmed night owl
(insomniac?).
No cash bonuses now at Silver Legacy, by-the-way: host thinks not until winter will
they start it up again.
It will be hard for me to pass up a free $100 chit at Oceana, but let me know what
food you tried, I'll share my restaurant review also July 7 or 8.
And enjoy the light blue lighting just outside the Oceana - new machines, newly
renovated casino floor is very comfy gambling environment.
send e-mail or phone the vpFree listed host lady: Chris Bak. She'll tell you particulars.
She's told me my coin-in every trip and has been most accomodating.
~M
--- "A&C" wrote:
Correction: $3-4K coin-in PER DAY on this trip.
Also posted on LVA website:
Our vacation included three stays at the two properties separated by
side trips to Susanville, CA (for my son's graduation) and a
visit to Santa Rosa, CA and the Sonoma coast (winetasting).
8 Jun: Flew from Dayton through Chicago on American Airlines.
Although our flight from Dayton was delayed 45 minutes, we still
made our connection and arrived safely in Reno about 10:15am. Rented
a car and were at the Atlantis (two nights) by 11am.
Atlantis 8-10 June
Hotel: We checked in at the rate I was quoted ($59) and were given a
large room on the 11th floor in the tower which I later found out
was considered a "suite". Room was clean, well-lit, spacious and was
furnished very nicely. The bed was comfortable. The floor to ceiling
window offered views to the North and NE to Sparks, d/t Reno, and,
yes, the Peppermill. No problems with the room.
Casino: The main casino was darker than I like, but surprisingly not
as smoky as I remember in the past. Most of my gambling time was
spent in the Sky Terrace, which is a floor (with machines and the
Oyster/Sushi Bar) which sits literally above S. Virginia St. It is a
smoke-free area, but the scampi/soy/garlic odors definitely pervade
the area from mid-day through early evening. I'll take the trade.
In stark contrast to the main casino, the Sky Terrace is well-lit,
with the sun glaring through the somewhat-tinted glass roof, making
the machine displays almost impossible to see at times. Still this
is where I had found the 10/7 DB Spinpoker (5c), my personal
weakness, back in February. To my disappointment but not surprise,
the paytables have been downgraded to 9/7 for DB, but JoB was still
9/6 and NSUD is still offered. Cocktail service all over the casino
was spotty at best, but the servers and the rest of the floor staff
were friendly enough. In the mornings, they also offer cookies and
donuts along with beverages.
Gambling Anecdote. The highlight from our stay at the Atlantis was
me being dealt Quad 8's on Spinpoker for $113. As I was about to
play it off, Chris said, "you know, I think that's the `card
of the day'". Sure enough, the nice change people came by and
after a short discussion amongst themselves gave me a hand-pay of
$45 (100-coin bonus times 9 lines).
Net loss for this visit: $770
Restaurants:
Purple Parrot Coffee Shop: Ham and Eggs for breakfast and Prime Rib
special at dinner were surprisingly good. Recommended
Oyster Bar (Sky Terrace): I thought the clam chowder (served in a
sourdough bread boule) was so good I ordered it for lunch two days
straight. The bay shrimp cocktail was also very tasty. Reasonably
priced, and highly recommended
Toucan Charlie's Buffet: We had only one meal here (dinner,
comped). The selection and quantity was average. The prime rib
wasn't as good as what I had had in the coffee shop. I think they
also have a seafood buffet on the weekend which might be a lot
better.
Comps: After a total of $12K coin-in for the two nights (probably
about 60/40% VP/Video Slots), I met with a host who offered me one
night's room comp plus the dinner buffet. Total comp value: $93.
I was hoping for a little more, but we don't have much of a
history
of playing there, so that may have had something to do with it.
***************************************
Peppermill 13-15 Jun, 20-24 Jun:
I admit I am biased toward the Peppermill, as they have always been
fairly generous in their marketing offers, even though we have been
pretty low rollers.
Hotel: Check-in was no problem, again at 11am. We were in on a
$35/night marketing offer. The room was a standard tower NS King on
the 10th floor, this time facing south towards Mt Rose and, yes, the
Atlantis. The rooms at the Peppermill are virtually the same as the
first time I stayed there in 1998, and I think they are due for
renovations, in particular, the bathrooms.
Casino: A few weeks prior to our trip, we had established a line of
credit at the Peppermill. This was the first time we have done this.
We did not want to carry around an additional $3K in cash or
travelers checks, so we thought we would take the plunge. The first
time at the cashiers cage we had to verify our information, but it
all went very smoothly. From that point on, it was very easy to walk
up, show our identification and Passport (players) card, and draw a
marker for whatever amount we needed. We took $500 increments on a
daily basis (when needed). At the end of each of the two stays, I
paid back the outstanding markers with a combination of cash and a
personal check. I also could have waited until I got home (up to 30
days past the initial marker draw) to pay them back. I highly
recommend this approach if you are going to stay and play a
significant amount at one property.
The Peppermill is well-known for its purplish neon plus track
lighting against generally dark fixtures. It's either beautiful
or gaudy, depending on your point of view. The casino is also
designed well to disorient you, and it is very easy to get lost in
it. Renovations over the last few months to accommodate the new
seafood restaurant (Oceano) and associated video bar has expanded
the play area in two ways: one, the floor space is slightly greater,
but more significantly, the machine density has been reduced, giving
the floor area a much more wide-open feel. Another nice change is
that there are flat screen plasma TVs placed all over and in some
elevators, that play music videos (a mix of mostly 80's, country,
and classic RnR from what I remember seeing). Also the air-
circulating system has apparently been significantly improved, as
the casino was rarely smoke-filled in any area. However, there are a
few areas where the air-conditioning is set way too cold, but they
were working on it while we were there.
Once again, I set my sights on the Spinpoker machines, this time not
so surprised to find that the pay tables aren't very good (9/6/5
DB and 15/9/4/4 Ducks). Meanwhile, Chris seeks out her favorite
Video slots (Enchanted Unicorn). This trend continued throughout
both of our stays.
Cocktail service is extremely good at the Peppermill. It might be
because Chris and I will each tip a dollar every time we get a
drink. The waitresses really seem to appreciate it, and often will
give us a better label of wine than the house chardonnay.
Gambling Anecdote:
On Spin DB, I was dealt a full house, Aces over 7's. I hate
that!!! I discarded the 7's, hoping to see the fourth Ace pop up.
Thankfully, it did. In the middle card of the middle reel, which
gave me 5 lines of 4 Aces (I don't hate that!) for a $210 jackpot.
Restaurants:
Coffee Shop: Nothing like fake plants and lots of green neon lighted
fuzzy upholstery with track lighting to start your day. It's one
of my favorite places. Servings are always generous and consistent.
If you are there during graveyard shift, ask for Harold to be your
waiter. He is 76, and very witty and efficient. Recommended
Island Buffet: There is always a long line at dinner time for the
Buffet, and now I remember why. The variety and quality of the
buffet is in a league of its own. I can't think of anything I ate
there that I did not enjoy. We had three meals there, one at each
time of day, and they were all outstanding. Highly recommended!
One humorous note (to us anyway): One evening, when we were getting
hungry, we saw the huge line waiting to get into the Buffet and then
checked our Passport point balance. 1996 points - just four point
away from the exalted "Gold" status. We calmly went to a machine and
played for about ten minutes, then returned to the Slot Booth, where
we now have over 2,000 points! They then printed new Gold cards for
us, which also acts as a line pass for the buffet. So there we go to
the head of the line.
Oceano: Where else but the Peppermill can you dine in a restaurant
with lots of green, blue and turquoise neon, mirrors, and ceiling
light fixtures that are made of giant hanging plastic squids and
jellyfish? And be able to say that the décor is appropriate for a
nice upscale dining experience? We dined here twice, both times for
lunch, so I cannot attest to some of the larger entrees, but I did
have their sampling of soups (two chowders and a lobster bisque) one
day that were very good, and the Pacifica Sandwich (VERY fresh
Dungeness crab and rock shrimp in mayo on grilled sourdough) was
outstanding. Highly recommend!
Steak House: Definitely need reservations for this place. We
weren't starving, so we decided to split a 12-oz prime rib. What
we ended up with, had to have been two separate 8-10 oz. servings,
plus individual sides, and we were only charged a split plate charge
of $5.99. Very tasty, and an excellent value. Prices seemed about
right for a nice steakhouse, and their wine and dessert lists were
extensive. One note, we had asked for non-smoking, but it appeared
that there were not separate sections in the restaurant. Still, it
was not a nuisance. Service was quick and excellent. Highly
Recommend.
Romanza: This is the Italian restaurant that we dine in every year
for our Anniversary (which was the last night of our trip). I am not
sure whether reservations are really needed except maybe on the
weekend. Once again, the servings are generous, tasty and the prices
are, I think, appropriate for the experience. I had a veal
scallopini, and Chris had a garlic fettucini dish and they were both
wonderful. We were also given an anniversary cake for dessert, which
was delicious and so huge that after we each had a piece, there was
enough for us to take the leftovers in a box, which we enjoyed at
the airport the next day while waiting for our flight to depart.
Recommended
Fireside Lounge: A very nice place to get away from the bright neon
and noises of the casino and relax in warm sultry tones of not-so-
bright red and pink neons in an intimate environment. Flat screen
TVs on all of the walls play music videos here as well. The neat
part is that it is surrounded by the casino and the Coffee Shop, but
you don't notice any of that. Drinks are pricey but it is well
worth it especially if you are dressed up just before or after a
nice dinner. Free appetizers are offered during Happy Hour. Highly
recommended, even if all you do is walk through it to capture the
ambiance.
Comps: Upon checkout from the first Peppermill stay, I stopped in to
the VIP lounge to see a casino host. The slot boothlings, while
generally inconsistent with their knowledge (like every other casino
in which I have ever played), have always recommended to charge
everything to your room. Then upon checkout, see what can be comped.
Kevin, the host I spoke to, reviewed our play (~$16K coin-in for a 2-
night visit) and immediately comped the room and all of the room
charges. He also comped the first two nights of the upcoming second
visit and suggested that when we have enough point to reach
the "Gold" level that we should come back and have a host assigned
to us. If anyone is interested, I can explain the levels at the
Peppermill. Comp value for the first visit was $164, and our net
loss for this first visit: $348.
When we returned for the second stay, we used the VIP check-in, and
for a third time, were able to check in (again, a standard tower
King, this time on the 8th floor) during the morning of our arrival.
Once we achieved our Gold status, we stopped in again, and were
assigned Kevin Brantner, the same host we had talked to on our first
visit. Kevin again reviewed our play and comped our stay and room
charges up to that point. At the end of the stay, all of our charges
ended up being comped once again. (Net loss for the second visit:
$1260 -- Coin-in: $25K -- comp value $380) I had a few opportunies
to contact Kevin during our stay, and in every case he was paged,
and returned the page within a minute each time. We also had bought
tickets to the Reno Rodeo and Kevin was very good about providing us
with passes to the shuttle that had been arranged for invited
guests, saving us the hassle and costs of driving and paying for
parking, as it was sold out that night. So far, I am very impressed
with Kevin.
Both the Atlantis and Peppermill are somewhat secretive about their
comp club formula. For the mix of games we played, it appears that
the point formula is about $20 coin-in = 1 point, at least at the
Peppermill. I don't know how points are translated into
nondiscretionary comps.
Comparisons between Atlantis and Peppermill -- here is my admittedly
biased opinion of which is better:
Rooms: Atlantis
Casino Environment: Peppermill
Casino Gaming: Atlantis
Coffee Shop: Peppermill
Buffet: Peppermill
Seafood Restaurant: Atlantis (for now)
Comps: Peppermill
Summary:
Our total coin-in for the trip was about $53K, (about $6-7K/night, a
lot more than I was expecting) and was split somewhat evenly between
video poker and video slots. No royals this time, and most of our
larger jackpots were of the $100-$200 variety.
Our total losses for the trip was about $2400, resulting in a return
of about 95.5%. If we factor in the comp value ($637) the return is
about 96.7%, if you want to think in those terms.