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Siena Part 5

 
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JD



Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 956

PostPosted: May Wed 11, 2016 9:10 pm    Post subject: Siena Part 5 Reply with quote

From Today's (11 May 2016) RGJ:

Miles Construction, a Northern Nevada general contractor, began renovation of the former Siena Hotel Casino located at 1 S. Lake St. in Reno to a non-gaming Renaissance Hotel, part of the Marriott collection.

Miles Construction is remodeling 214 hotel rooms, 15,500 square feet of convention space, lobby and public spaces. The renovation also includes the conversion of the former 17,000 square foot casino area into a restaurant and event center that featuring seven indoor bocce courts and a 9,000 square foot outdoor garden with two additional bocce courts, a dining area and private event area.

“We love being part of these exciting renovation projects as they reshape downtown Reno and the perception of our community,” Cary Richardson, vice president of business development for Miles Construction, said. “Our team is part of this community and we appreciate the opportunity to be part of creating vibrant properties that continue to move our region forward.”

Expected completion is late 2016.

----------------

"....bocce courts..." ? Really?
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spdmrcht



Joined: 12 Oct 2012
Posts: 498

PostPosted: May Wed 11, 2016 11:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good one JD I can hardly wait! I have never bet on a Bocce ball?
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BC Dave
Site Admin


Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 1592

PostPosted: May Thu 12, 2016 8:47 am    Post subject: Are they crazy? Reply with quote

I wouldn't doubt for a minute that Marriott knows more about the existing market for hotels in Reno than I do. But, given that the Holiday failed (after a good run) and the Siena failed twice - after a lot of renovation, their reasons for optimism about the place are a complete mystery to me. And Bocce courts? I really must be out of touch - Is this "sport" taking the country by storm?
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CaSwede



Joined: 28 Feb 2006
Posts: 866

PostPosted: May Thu 12, 2016 9:24 am    Post subject: Thanks for my laugh of the day Reply with quote

Bocce Ball? That is an activity for over 70 year old Italian men. I doubt there will be any betting, as the Siena - phase 5 will not have a gaming license.

http://ftp.anaheim.net/Community%20Services/bocce%20ball%2009/bocce%20ball%2009%20002.jpg
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joeschmeaux



Joined: 05 Oct 2006
Posts: 43

PostPosted: May Thu 12, 2016 11:51 am    Post subject: Re: Are they crazy? Reply with quote

BC Dave wrote:
I wouldn't doubt for a minute that Marriott knows more about the existing market for hotels in Reno than I do. But, given that the Holiday failed (after a good run) and the Siena failed twice - after a lot of renovation, their reasons for optimism about the place are a complete mystery to me. And Bocce courts? I really must be out of touch - Is this "sport" taking the country by storm?


I used to stay at the Holiday a lot and I even stayed there the last night it was open -- how strange it was to have the pit boss call last deck at 11:50! According to a dealer who had worked there for years, the flood that took out the Center St. Bridge was the first nail in the coffin of the Holiday. She said she used to see people come out of Cal Neva and walk across the bridge to the Holiday and that business never came back when the bridge was rebuilt.

The Siena renovation was too expensive ($70m) and the casino was poorly managed. Then the recession hit (in Reno it was a true depression with 25-30% unemployment) and few people were coming to Reno to lose money. However there were plenty of houseless people parked at penny slot machines (hardly playing them) in the wee hours of the morning -- not an attractive environment for rich gamblers. If they had torn down the Holiday and built something from scratch, it would have been cheaper and might have been viable. But the way it was done, made it likely to fail. At least the Holiday building was rebuilt before it had a chance to pancake in the swarm of earthquakes that happened a few years ago. That would have been terrible.

Fast forward half a decade and Reno is booming! Everywhere you go there is construction, south Reno is getting crowded and people are out and about in formerly sedate midtown. Once Tesla is up and running, there will be a housing shortage in Reno.

There's already a big market for hotel rooms for people in Reno on business. Tesla itself books a lot of rooms (at least it books rooms at Whitney Peak, so I imagine it also uses other hotels). When I stayed at Whitney Peak in January, there were lots of guests. Other non-casino hotels (Holiday Inn Express, Hyatt Town Place, etc. seem to be doing well and more are being built (for example a Hampton Inn at Robb and I-80). I don't understand the wisdom of putting in bocce ball courts, but Marriott is wise to have a non-gaming boutique hotel in downtown Reno.
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spdmrcht



Joined: 12 Oct 2012
Posts: 498

PostPosted: May Thu 12, 2016 3:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Thanks for my laugh of the day Reply with quote

CaSwede wrote:
Bocce Ball? That is an activity for over 70 year old Italian men. I doubt there will be any betting, as the Siena - phase 5 will not have a gaming license.

http://ftp.anaheim.net/Community%20Services/bocce%20ball%2009/bocce%20ball%2009%20002.jpg


Ok, I get bowling in field with no holes!
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BC Dave
Site Admin


Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 1592

PostPosted: May Thu 12, 2016 10:05 pm    Post subject: I miss the Holiday... Reply with quote

Although I never stayed there, I always spent some time in the old Holiday casino. I spent hours playing video blackjack for a quarter a hand and enjoying their free beer. My Mom used to play bingo there. She told me how the staff would walk out with the local bingo customers to see that they all were safely in their cars. A nice touch we're not likely to see again.
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spdmrcht



Joined: 12 Oct 2012
Posts: 498

PostPosted: May Thu 12, 2016 10:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I stayed there once when it was still the Holiday, was on gamblers trip on a bus trip, then about 6 mo. before they closed, Their closing didn't have anything to do with my wins, I didn't have any! But the rooms were very nice.
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TIMSPEED



Joined: 28 Jan 2015
Posts: 24

PostPosted: May Sun 22, 2016 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did set the Reno craps record in the siena.
105 rolls.
I still keep up with a few of the dealers from there. (Jean Michele works at GSR)
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Shooty



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 182

PostPosted: Jun Fri 24, 2016 5:43 pm    Post subject: Re: Are they crazy? Reply with quote

joeschmeaux wrote:
Then the recession hit (in Reno it was a true depression with 25-30% unemployment) and few people were coming to Reno to lose money.
Reno was one of the worst hit regions following the economic collapse in 2008. But the unemployment rate in Reno was nothing close to 25-30%:

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the vertical axis being in percent, not seasonally adjusted:

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spdmrcht



Joined: 12 Oct 2012
Posts: 498

PostPosted: Jun Fri 24, 2016 7:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was one of the folks that helped keep some of the casinos open
during that time, free rooms were every where, but how soon they
for get us, charging Resort fees and no free rooms on weekends.
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joeschmeaux



Joined: 05 Oct 2006
Posts: 43

PostPosted: Jun Wed 29, 2016 9:58 am    Post subject: Re: Are they crazy? Reply with quote

Shooty wrote:
joeschmeaux wrote:
Then the recession hit (in Reno it was a true depression with 25-30% unemployment) and few people were coming to Reno to lose money.
Reno was one of the worst hit regions following the economic collapse in 2008. But the unemployment rate in Reno was nothing close to 25-30%:

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the vertical axis being in percent, not seasonally adjusted:



I remember reading an article about the true unemployment rate in Reno-Sparks at the height of the recession, saying that it was around 25-30%. Of course I can't find that one now. But this one says it reached 23.7% in the first quarter of 2011.

It was very bad. Now it's getting better quickly. If Tesla hadn't come along, it would still be very bad. Once it's up and running, housing will be scarce and hotel rooms will be expensive, but the economy will still be booming!
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Shooty



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 182

PostPosted: Jun Wed 29, 2016 8:25 pm    Post subject: Re: Are they crazy? Reply with quote

joeschmeaux wrote:
I remember reading an article about the true unemployment rate in Reno-Sparks at the height of the recession, saying that it was around 25-30%. Of course I can't find that one now. But this one says it reached 23.7% in the first quarter of 2011.
In the United States, the term "unemployment rate" refers to the U-3 rate that the Bureau of Labor Statistics has tracked since 1948. Sure, people can use other the phrase "unemployment rate" to refer to other statistics when they want that make the economy sound better or worse than it is. But if you're not going to specify you're using one of these nonstandard rates, you'll confuse people.

Yes, water boils at 100 degrees. But if you're going to say that in the United States, you want to add that you're a fan of the metric system, because people here will think you're wrong.

Reno's unemployment situation was particularly bad during the great recession, no question. But it's a really good number now, we should be happy about that.

By the way, I'll be in Reno on August 7, look me up if you'd enjoy more off-topic pedanticalness (fat chance lol)!
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