With a history as a simple coffee shop and now expanded to multiple locations as a resort hotel, the Peppermill is an upscale, kitschy, Italian-inspired resort. If you love marble columns, gambling under golden ceilings, and walking past the benevolent view of old-world statuary, you’re in for a fun stay. The Reno resort sprawls with two towers and two wings, with its entry lobby a nod to the Duomo in Florence with its Gothic dome. The AAA Four Diamond resort treats guests well, with an 82,000-square-foot casino and a playful outdoor pool (swimmable in winter) with a cascading waterfall descending from the top of a round, columned structure and the chance to swim in a circle around a statue of a fabulous mermaid. Heavy on fantasy and architecture that places the modern next to the ancient-seeming, the Peppermill is a quick eight-minute drive from downtown Reno and its Riverwalk, world-class art museum, casinos and hiking trails.
The best part, however, has to be the Spa Toscana, rated the third best hotel spa in the U.S. by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. We highly recommend getting a day pass to experience the three-story spa, where you travel by elevator to the exquisite Caldarium. Originally, a Caldarium was a Roman space with a hot plunge bath and steam room heated by a fire-fueled furnace. The Peppermill’s version is a beautiful space with a vaulted ceiling, an indoor pool with beautiful mosaic tiles and a cherub statue you can do the breaststroke around, and an outdoor sun deck. Penetrate to the otherworldly Relaxation Room with white recliners and a large screen showing calming travel videos. On another floor, you can try the Ritual Room with its cold plunge, hot tubs, sauna and steam room. Finally, there are 24 treatment rooms on another floor for massages, facials and other salon services.
We loved the fresh, made-to-order ACYE sushi and specialty cocktails at the hotel's sea-blue Oceano restaurant. The Fireside Lounge is an ‘80s throwback and a little hard to find (we love a secret hideaway), with a door tucked into the corner of the casino floor. Inside, electric blue lighting paired with vintage music videos keeps the party vibe going, along with a circular seating area around a bubbling blue pool with live fire in the middle. Plenty of other bars and restaurants are on-site, including the Chi Bar, with antique Chinese artifacts and statuary.
