Best Reno Hotels

This luxury North Lake Tahoe hotel is situated within the pristine beauty of the forest. Just minutes from the beaches, boating and water sports of Lake Tahoe, there's an awful lot to do around the place. During the winter, the slope-side location at Northstar Resort features convenient ski-in, ski-out access with mountain concierge services. The 173-room hotel has all the trappings of a Ritz-Carlton, including impeccable customer service. Manzanita, the hotel's signature restaurant, offers innovative seasonal California cuisine created by James Beard Award—winning Chef Traci Des Jardins. There's also a nice spa that features treatments and therapies themed around water, the woods and wellness.

The Hyatt, a 40-minute drive from Reno, is one of the few resorts actually situated right on the beach in Incline Village at Lake Tahoe. And what a resort it is. Talk about location—it's situated on some seriously expensive real estate in the western Sierra Nevada forest. It's a 400-room property with rooms ranging from small hotel tower spaces to romantic, wooden cottages with full kitchens near the beach. In the summertime, the sandy beach is packed with lounge chairs and wealthy guests basking in the alpine sunshine. The private beach features a pier with a floating bar and catamaran that’s available for tours. Come for a drink on the pier and watch the sunset or ease your tired muscles with a massage in the spa. You can also try your luck at the casino or grab dinner at the Lone Eagle Grille, which has spectacular views.

Grand Sierra Resort is one of Reno’s best accommodations, with some rooms spruced up in a modern design (ask for a renovated room). The 1,998-room, 27-floor behemoth hotel is big on amenities, including exceptional fine dining options. One of the premier restaurants is Charlie Palmer Steak, Reno’s first and only celebrity chef restaurant. You'll also find a large casino, nightlife (replete with a pretty exciting concert schedule) and activities for all, including a 50-lane bowling alley, 18-hole miniature golf course, virtual indoor golf course, on-property golf driving range, go-kart track and enough stuff to keep you occupied for days. An adventure concierge is available to whisk visitors to active pursuits like biking and water sports.

If you're looking for either action-packed adventure or relaxation in the mountains, this is the place to stay. Northstar is known mainly for its ski resort, which has a great diversity of beginner and intermediate runs. There's also a village with shops, restaurants, lounges and an ice rink. There are a variety of room options available, from hotel-style accommodations to condo units and mountain homes. Lodging options range widely, depending on your budget.

This glittering, blue-mirrored monolith is just a few blocks from the beach and next door to Heavenly Ski Resort at South Lake Tahoe. Along with 437 rooms, you'll find a casino, lounges and lots of great nightlife happening here. Many of the rooms have spectacular lake and mountain views and feature fluffy, extremely comfortable Bleu Cloud beds. If you've got the funds to splurge, get yourself a suite which features a living area, super large screen television, dining room and a wet bar. As with many of the resorts in Nevada, there's round-the-clock entertainment, so all you have to do is walk downstairs and you'll find everything from Bob Dylan in concert to cage fights and magic shows, all depending on the schedule of course.

The Days Inn, a 60-minute drive from Reno, features 42 rooms and is nothing fancy (be warned that the website claims the property has undergone renovations, but it doesn't look like it). What this cheap hotel has going for it is that it’s one mile from the casinos, shopping, fine restaurants and the gondola for Heavenly Ski Resort. Guests can relax by the outdoor heated pool in the summer or soak in the outdoor year-round hot tub. The hotel also features free wireless Internet in all rooms, in-room coffee makers, complimentary continental breakfast from 7 to 10AM and free parking.