Convention Center and Hotels

Choosing the right facilities, and using them well, is a critical part of the recipe for any successful Worldcon. And the facilities are the single biggest reason we have chosen to bid Reno for 2011.

On this page, we've introduced each of our facilities and also provided some general information on topics such as location and smoking. Separate pages then provide more detailed information on the Convention Center and on each individual hotel. For quick reference, we've also provided this handy comparison table with all the key facts and figures.

Convention Center

The Reno Sparks Convention Center is the right size and shape for a Worldcon. All facilities will be located on a single level, and we will be the main (and probably the only) event on our weekend. There are no unions to deal with, reducing costs and simplifying logistics. In addition, the Convention Center is directly connected to our party hotel, the Atlantis, by a fully air-conditioned sky bridge. Over 70 eating options are available within a mile of the Center.

Read more about our Convention Center.

Hotels

Conventions do not generally use resort hotels but in many ways they are fannish heaven! Resort hotels are designed for 24/7 service with great amenities to keep guests happy and on-site. This means, for instance, free parking, numerous restaurants, salons and spas. Not to mention the funky, over-the-top decor ... but in all seriousness, please take a moment to reflect on what these hotels can offer us - this will be a very different experience from the chains we generally use, and a very memorable one.

We have chosen three hotels for our accommodation, and have signed conditional contracts for over 1200 rooms in place as of January 2009.

Atlantis

Peppermill

Courtyard

Atlantis

The Atlantis will be our party hotel, and as noted above is directly linked to the convention center by the new sky bridge. Our confirmed block comprises 450 rooms, with a guaranteed maximum 2011 room rate of $148 (single/double). We also have 16 suites reserved, along with function space, to host our parties and Con Suite. The Atlantis has 9 on-site restaurants including a California style Bistro, Deli, Steakhouse, Italian and seafood from the Oyster Bar and All-you-can-eat Sushi Bar. There is also a 24-hour full service café. For those who want to pamper themselves, the Atlantis offers swimming pools, fitness center, spa and salon.

Read more about the Atlantis.

Peppermill

Our second hotel is the Peppermill, where our confirmed block comprises 715 rooms with a guaranteed maximum 2011 room rate of $147 (single through quad). We also have first call on up to 105 suites, starting from just $157 for a Spa Suite. The Peppermill has 12 on-site restaurants including the White Orchid for fine dining, a steakhouse, seafood, BBQ, buffet, cafés and Biscotti's for family fare. The hotel also has pools, fitness center and the luxurious Spa Toscana.

Read more about the Peppermill.

Courtyard

Our third and smallest hotel is the Courtyard by Marriott. We have included the Courtyard to give us a fully no-smoking hotel for members who are especially concerned about smoking exposure (as well as those with Marriott points to use up!). While we do not envisage any smoking issues with our larger hotels, we do appreciate that some members may want the extra comfort of knowing they have an entirely no-smoking option available. We have a confirmed block of 50 rooms at the Courtyard, with a confirmed 2011 room rate of just $119. A buffet breakfast is available for just $8.95.

Read more about the Courtyard.

Transport Costs

We are pleased to say that we have free parking available at all of our hotels for those driving or renting cars during their stay. In addition the Atlantis and Peppermill have free shuttle services to the airport - with a journey time of less than 10 minutes.

Local Navigation

The Reno Sparks Convention Center and our three hotels are all located on South Virginia Street which runs on a North-South axis just to the West of the International Airport. As noted above the Atlantis is connected to the convention center by sky bridge. The other hotels are around 10 minutes walk or a short cab ride away.

Smoking

The divide within fandom regarding smoking mirrors that in our society as a whole. Our main hotels in Reno have, as part of their major remodeling, been working diligently to address the concerns of both sides of this divide. They recognize that their clientele, just like our membership, includes both smokers and, increasingly, non-smokers, and are working to accommodate the needs of both groups with as little inconvenience as possible to all.

• The convention center is completely non-smoking, as are most public facilities in the United States.

• The Atlantis and Peppermill hotels include a mix of smoking and non-smoking rooms, segregated into separate floors - so no non-smoking bedrooms are on the same floors as smoking bedrooms. At the current time, around 20% of bedrooms are smoking, and we expect this percentage to be the same or lower in 2011. Outside of the bedrooms, hotels allow smoking only on the actual casino floors and in bars that do not serve food. This is dictated by Nevada state law.

• All other areas of these hotels are completely non-smoking. This includes the entirety of the 2nd floor of the Atlantis, where the Con Suite will be located, as well as the sky bridge which links that floor to the convention center. Fans will therefore benefit from a continuous smoke free zone extending from the convention center across the sky bridge and into the Con Suite.

• Both hotels also have sophisticated filtering and scrubbing technology to remove smoke and particulate matter from the air in the casino floors and bars in which smoking is allowed so that the other areas are not affected.

• For those fans who want a completely smoke-free hotel in which to stay, we have reserved a block of rooms at the Courtyard by Marriott.