I have just come back from a 2 nights stay at the Sands in Reno, which I booked with some hesitation after reading the nasty reviews on this site. Fortunately, everything worked out well.

So maybe you don't like yellow and purple - so what! The hotel, as with many other in Reno, is older and has probably seen better days (okay, many things look like they've seen better days when you visit on a cold January day). Downtown Reno sure isn't the prettiest (why don't they at least try to clean up the side streets - do they think all visitors only see Virginia Ave.?)

Anyway, the Sands worked out great. Rooms are spacious (at least 700 sq ft), with good views. Bathroom had been modernized and everything worked fine. Hot water just wouldn't get above 105 F, but that was ok. In-room AC and heat unit worked great, albeit noisy. Thermostat controlled.

Front-in staff was not the friendliest I've ever seen, but they did the job flawlessly and quick when I checked in. Bell staff was excellent. Parking in the garage seems to be limited, but there is plenty of outdoors parking. The ski-shop on premises was convenient instead of renting at the crowded resort rental shops.

Did not try the restaurants other than Mel's Diner which is ... like Mel's is; greasy and mediocre. Gambling at the Sands is okay, dealers not the liveliest, but not unfriendly either.

Health club was nice! On the 15th floor, views toward the West with snow-covered Sierras. Big jacuzzi, a steam room, sauna and work-out room. Nice after a day of skiing.

All in all; I would go for the Sands again - especially if it's half the price of the Virginia Ave. hotels. There are many disgusting and sleazy motels in Reno, and several closed casinos and hotels, but the town still has some cool atmosphere. This hotel is not a bad base to enjoy it from. And it's close to the freeway. :-)

I stayed at the Sands Regency for three nights after a recent snowboard trip to Tahoe and was very impressed. Two of the three nights were complimentary thanks to a free room drawing that I had previously won. I received a nice room on the 6th floor of the Empress Tower that had a balcony overlooking town. Everything was very clean and housekeeping was prompt and courteous. When I decided to stay a third night as a result of a flight cancellation, the hotel staff was courteous and gave me a great rate of $29. The front desk and bell desk staff were great to deal with.

Unfortunately, I had no luck at the casino but did see alot of people winning. They have a pretty good player's club and all of the restaurants are great. Be sure to check out Mel's Diner, they have really good milkshakes.

I must admit that I was a little hesitant about staying here after seeing some of the negative reviews posted, in addition to the extremely cheap room rates that this property normally offers. However, my stay was overall pretty good.

My only qualms were long lines at check-in and the player's club. In addition, the elevators seemed rather slow. However, the place seemed extremely packed while I was there and it was evident that everyone was doing the best they could to accomodate the traffic. Also, the bed seemed a little on the rough side...you could feel the springs in it.

This was my first trip to Reno, and one thing I can say is that Reno in general is pretty trashy and certain areas are not safe. Just about anyone will tell you that. It has nothing to do with any specific hotel or area, it's just the town itself. The Sands is about 2 blocks away from the Strip, and I was advised by several people not to attempt to walk around at night. It's best to take a cab. You will be approached by drug dealers, homeless people, and prostitutes regardless, day or night, in or out of the casinos. All of my encounters happened during the day! This is something to consider when rating any hotel, it's not the specific property, it's just Reno!

If I'm ever in the area again, I will definitely consider The Sands. The cheap room rates do not reflect any bad aspects of the property. Something to consider before paying much higher rates down on the Strip.

We stayed at the Sands during a recent trip to Reno, and I must say that the hotel is not bad. FIrstly, after reading some of the reviews on this site (after booking the room), I expected the worst. Many people complain about the smoke around the front desk area. I found that this was not a big problem. It's a casino! People are going to smoke! I realize this and I'm not a smoker. I had also heard a lot about the trains. The trains run past most of the hotels in Reno. The casino was like others that I had been to before (and accually cleaner and less smokey than others that I visited during the trip). My husband and I also had good luck with the slots. Each day we won enough to pay for meals, plus some. The hotel is a little more removed from downtown than other hotels, but within a good 5min. walk we could be downtown, and also we visited during the National Bowling Tounaments, which the hotel was kind enough to run a shuttle to and from. About the rooms. We had a great room. The last place we stayed at in Reno gave us a view overlooking one of the area strip clubs (Yuck!) The Sands had a great view that included the mountain line in the distance. The staff was super nice and the housekeeping always honored requests without a problem. The food located in the hotel was superb! We ate at Tony Romas once and Mel's too many times to remember! The only thing about Mel's was that the portions were huge! You could not leave that place hungry. Do not hesitate about the Sands. You will enjoy your stay!

After seeing "newly renovated" on website, we had high expectations. The health club and spa were closed for maintenance (after being newly renovated???). Front desk supervisor was not helpful at all. No sense of customer service. Noisy train, not their fault, witnessed arrest being made in parking lot. We ended up leaving to stay at another hotel. Upon returning home, I called hotel manager, left a message, she never called me back. Then I e-mailed her, still no response. That will let you know that the poor level of service starts at the top, no wonder the folks below her don't care about the guests. Will never stay there again, would definitely recommend staying at hotels NOT in downtown Reno (stay closer to the airport). Mel's diner was the best thing going for the Sands Regency.