NAC-E (Reno): Useful information

[JEC]

Don't remember much other than it looks like [an old] Las Vegas, but it has the beautiful Lake Tahoe nearby.

Venue: ?

Hotel: Hilton (Other suggestions??)

Transportation: Airport shuttles, taxi

The USFA website is down, so I couldn't get additional info.

[fencergal33]

Has anyone gotten (or heard of) any good flight or hotel deals? I REALLY wanna go, but money is definitely an issue. Also, any other girls looking to possibly share a room?

[edew]

Several years ago (April 2001?), there was a Div I NAC in Reno. I scheduled to fly out at 7PM from SFO to Reno. So I left work at 3PM to get to friend's house to take shuttle to airport. Arrived at 5:00PM or so (appropriate time, even before 9/11). Waited and waited. 7PM flight to Reno was cancelled. We're stuck with the 9PM flight. That was delayed until close to 10PM. Arrived at Reno at 11PM, got to the hotel at around quarter to midnight. Got up for 8AM competition. Slept-walked through the first pool and was promptly knocked out.

I figured I could have left at 2:30PM and drove to Reno and arrived by 8PM for a refreshing dinner and entertainment before going to sleep at 10:30 or so.

I'll drive this time.

Reno does not look at all like Vegas (other than the epilepsy-inducing flashing lights). It's a bit more cowboy than Vegas. The Hilton is a good hotel/casino location.

[Mauler]

Ha! This Summer Nationals was the first time I ever went into a real life casino. Put $1 chip on a roulette table and won $35! Figuring that this must be a "beginner's luck," I stopped playing, swore that I shall never gamble again and ran away ASAP! So I have a pretty good lifetime winning ratio, and it all happened in Reno.

In fact, I still have the chips I haven't cashed!

[Dee EffEll]

Anyone know if this is in the same hotel as the Div 2/3/Vet NAC in 2002? Nice to have the venue in the hotel; it had many restaurants to choose from. IIRC, we showed up, checked in, stayed for 3 days and never left the hotel. I think it was the Sheraton. The deal we got was an airfare and hotel package deal from Southwest Airlines. THis was also the time all the tournament equipment showed up like halfway into the first day of the tournament.

[millsisland]

I believe that was the Reno Hilton, sort of out a bit. I think there''s another Hilton downtown.

[jjefferies]

Several years ago (April 2001?), there was a Div I NAC in Reno. I scheduled to fly out at 7PM from SFO to Reno. So I left work at 3PM to get to friend's house to take shuttle to airport. Arrived at 5:00PM or so (appropriate time, even before 9/11). Waited and waited. 7PM flight to Reno was cancelled. We're stuck with the 9PM flight. That was delayed until close to 10PM. Arrived at Reno at 11PM, got to the hotel at around quarter to midnight. Got up for 8AM competition. Slept-walked through the first pool and was promptly knocked out.

I figured I could have left at 2:30PM and drove to Reno and arrived by 8PM for a refreshing dinner and entertainment before going to sleep at 10:30 or so.

I'll drive this time.

I'll agree with EDEW's comment. For anyone out of the area consider that Reno is 3.5-4.0 hours from the bay area, San Francisco or Oakland (approx 230 miles). So if you can get a good deal to SFO or OAK but the airlines are charging an arm and a leg for a hop to Reno then I would consider driving. CAVEAT, I-80 does get snowed in occasionally but very rarely does it stay closed for more than a night. The location does appear to be different than 2002. If you have a car you can usually get decent rooms for half of what the host hotel charges. Parking is generally inconsequential as the hotels are primarily casino's making the bulk of their money off gamblers. 'Course in winter there are the snow bunnies who are off to the slopes 30 minutes or so away.
Just remember YMMV.

[alan swan]

I am not fencing at this NAC, but I am very familiar with the venue. I have a yearly conference there. The Hilton is a nice hotel and should be a good place for a tournament. It is pretty much self contained, with lots of restaurants etc. If you want to save some money, skip the rental car. There is a free shuttle from the airport and there are plenty of places to eat at all prices right in the hotel (buffet, tex-mex, burgers, steak-house, asian). Make sure you check out the lower level where there is a sub shop and pizza place. If you do have a car (you can get a little claustrophobic stuck inside that huge building so take a cab) I would reccommend the Great Basin Brewing Co. in Sparks. A drive to Tahoe or up to Donner's Pass is also worth the time. The Hilton is near the airport and away from dowtown Reno. But, you are not really missing much dowtown. It's not Vegas.

[jjefferies]

I'll amend my earlier comments about finding hotels cheaper
than the host hotel. I just checked prices at the Hilton on the days of the
NAC and found them to be relatively REASONABLE!!
Gads did someone screw up and book us into a reasonably
priced place?

[fencergal33]

Did you go through THS, or just look at the Hilton on your own?

My husband gave me the entry fee for two events as part of my Christmas present. He said he'll buy the plane ticket for my birthday......so it looks like I'm going to Reno!!!! Hotel and food is all I really have to worry about...

[Dee EffEll]

It's not Vegas.

Wow. Profund truth on Fencing.net.

[jjefferies]

Did you go through THS, or just look at the Hilton on your own?

My husband gave me the entry fee for two events as part of my Christmas present. He said he'll buy the plane ticket for my birthday......so it looks like I'm going to Reno!!!! Hotel and food is all I really have to worry about...

Eh, I've got to learn to control my keyboarding. But this one is sort of interesting in a mundane sort of way. On this past sunday, Dec 25, in an outrageous act of boredom - it hadn't yet snowed, the presents were all unwrapped, the food was ate, I went online (dialup from my wife's place up in the sierra nevada) and checked prices at the Reno Hilton for saturday and sunday nights of the NAC. I fence the veterans on monday and could drive back home afterwards. Halleluah, prices were $59./saturday and $49./sunday!! That to me is almost reasonable compared with the $100+/night I've seen previously at NACs. But I hadn't registered yet and so didn't know for sure which nights I would really need. So I put it off until I got back to the bay area and had registered. Got back home and registered tuesday for both the Vet60 and DivII (the USFA hasn't said anything about my current rating so why not). Then went and tried to do the hotel reservations. WHOA NELLIE!! Reno Hilton is showing nothing available on the 11th and 12th on their online registration. So I go by telephone. Nothing for the 11th but $59 for the 12th. So I go to the 888-536-TEAM number. They have rooms for $99./night 11th and 12th. Boy do I feel had.

All's well that doesn't kill you I figure. Went back on line at the Hilton website and made reservation for sunday March 12 for $44/night (AAA discount rate). Checking Google maps I find that there are about 12 hotels within five miles of the venue. So if I do fence Div II I can get a room saturday night somewhere and show up for the event and check in afterwards. I've had this pricing increase happen to me several times with air fares. So I'm trying to learn to go in early fully prepared to make a reservation there and then if I see a good deal.

Hope it works for you.
J.

[Inquartata]

That's what happened to me the last time a NAC was in that hotel. I was able to book the first night at the Hilton, at a price much lower than THS's "special" rate, but was forced to move to another hotel for the second night---everything was full. ( I had waited until less than 30 days remained before the event, and THS had released its remaining rooms...of which there were none for the second night. )

[_fence(1)]

Just curious, as an Unrated fencer - can I just go to Div III NAC in Reno, NV?

Are there any qualifying events for DIV II/III NACs?

[fencergal33]

Not for a Div II/III NAC...you can just go. You are eligible to fence in both Divisions.

Hope to see you there!

edit: youdo need to send the application in ahead of time though. I believe the deadline is February 9th.

[notalent]

Greetings fence(1),
You can fence at Div 2/3 NACs,
Summer Nationals have quals. I guess 312 fencers in d3 MF was too much

Just curious, as an Unrated fencer - can I just go to Div III NAC in Reno, NV?

Are there any qualifying events for DIV II/III NACs?

[dberke]

For those going to Reno and have yet to book a hotel...

As usual, you can get a beter hotel rate than THS provides if you shop around. The THS rate is $95/night for a room at the Hilton where the event is being held. Depending on which days you'll be there, you can get a better rate on Expedia or Hotels.com.

Expedia shows these rates:
Thurs 3/9: $80
Fri 3/10: $100
Sat 3/11: $100
Sun 3/12: $49
Mon 3/13: $59

So, despite the extra $5 for Friday and Saturday, you still pay less if you're staying Sunday and/or Monday nights.

Dan

[mfp]

Avoiding THS can easily save as much as $50 per night.

We ended up with the "Atlantis Casino Resort Spa" for $43 per night for Thursday through Saturday nights using a Priceline bid for the "Reno South Airport" zone. The Atlantis is near the airport and 3.4 miles away (5 minutes) away from the Hilton according to Yahoo.

For Sunday night we'll move over to the Hilton since it is only $49 on Sunday on the Hilton web site (again avoid THS).

The Priceline hotels reported in the "Reno South Airport" zone include the Atlantis (at "4 star") along with the Hilton and Peppermill (which both have been coming up as "3 star").

[_fence(1)]

I've checked Orbitz and tickets to Reno,NV are coming to about $400...

Would you recommend any airports where I can fly and just drive to Reno? What about San Francisco?

[mfp]

I've checked Orbitz and tickets to Reno,NV are coming to about $400...

Would you recommend any airports where I can fly and just drive to Reno? What about San Francisco?

Sacramento is closer to Reno than SFO and depending on where you're flying from, can sometimes have better fares than the SF Bay Area airports.