Silver Legacy Reno (Caesars) Review: Our 2-Day Stopover Before Lake Tahoe

Why We Were There

It was the pandemic winter. We turned the clocks back. The sun rose late and set early. After a year inside, we itched to get out and spend time in nature.

This time, we wanted skiing and snowboarding—fresh mountain air—so we set our sights on Heavenly at Lake Tahoe.

To get there, we flew into Reno. It made sense to explore this mini-Vegas, the “biggest little city,” for a couple of days before driving up to the lake.

Our First Impressions

The casino quarter of Reno gave off an aged, eerie feeling at first. That’s where Silver Legacy Reno Casino & Hotel sits. Don’t let that first impression scare you.

By day, we walked south toward midtown and the vibe flipped—hip and modern. A beautiful creek, mountain views, and lively restaurants and bars.

What We Booked

• Travel Dates: December 2020

• Room Type: Mountain View Room

• Duration: 2 nights

Our Stay

Finding the check-in desk took longer than expected—from the garage, through the casino floor, and finally the hotel desk.

Routine check-in… until we opened the door to our “non-smoking” room and—poof—cigarette smell. We weren’t staying another minute.

Back to the desk we went.

We raised the issue; they reassigned us with no questions asked. New keys, back up the elevator—and a surprise: a complimentary upgrade for the headache.

Queen Suite, city view from the bathroom, a jacuzzi, an oversized bathroom, and a bedroom the size of a living room.

It turned the stay into a Reno story we still tell.

Where We Dined

Breakfast at Peg’s Glorified Ham n Eggs on S Sierra St set us up for midtown walks.

For dinner, we went to Wild River Grille and we took a relaxing stroll by the Truckee River afterwards.

We also grabbed drinks at a local midtown bar called Shea’s Tavern before winding down.

Looking out over Reno’s Truckee River in daylight

Things To Do

For adults with kids—or adults who act like kids—there’s a legacy arcade in the connected complex.

Not today’s loud digital rooms; think circus-style games under a big-top vibe. Follow the indoor walkways to the Carnival Midway at Circus Circus.

We’re not big gamblers on the casino floor, but here we easily spent about $100 on hours of fun and laughter.

Practical Takeaways

• Check-in maze: From Silver Legacy’s garage, allow extra time to navigate to the hotel desk; ask a staffer for the fastest route.

• Non-smoking reality: If your room smells like smoke, go right back to the desk—they swapped us quickly and upgraded us.

• Room tip: If you can afford a 5-star room, book the Queen Suite which delivers space, a jacuzzi, and that fun city-view bathroom.

• Connected resorts: You can walk indoors between Silver Legacy, Eldorado, and Circus Circus—handy for food and the Midway arcade.

• Trip stopover: Reno as a 1–2 night pre-Tahoe stop works—reset in midtown by day, arcade for fun, early start for the lake.

Our Final Thoughts

Silver Legacy started with a miss and ended on a high note.

The smoky room wasn’t great—but the quick fix and complimentary suite turned it around.

Using Reno as a short stop before Tahoe worked for us: a taste of the city, then up to the mountain.

We’d do the stopover again with the same plan—midtown by day, a little arcade nostalgia, then head for the snow.