The Atlantis Casino Resort Spa: Your New Atlantis
Casinos
Written by Meghan Flynn   
Sunday, 01 March 2009
The Atlantis Casino Resort Spa: Your New Atlantis
This casino resort is inviting guests to return for a new experience, one that will reposition it as the number one destination for entertainment in Reno.
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In a state with one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country that has also taken a hit from a sharp drop in gaming revenues, John Farahi and his team are positioning the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa to become the cornerstone of entertainment in Northern Nevada.

“In the months following 9/11, we saw a drop, but nothing as deep or sustained as this; the most recent figures released by the Nevada Gaming Control Board reflect that gaming revenues from the Vegas strip were down 23%, and Reno’s were down close to 27% over last year,” said Farahi, CEO of the Atlantis. “But the team here is experienced and capable, and we’re planning for the future.”

From top to bottom
The Atlantis is in the middle of a $75 million expansion and renovation project that will completely change its look when it’s finished, which Farahi predicted would be sometime in the third quarter of this year. The project took three years of planning and development, and in the last 12 months, the hotel has received a new spa and fitness center, new and remodeled ball rooms, and an expansion to the casino floor that includes a new race and sports book, a new sports bar, the Manhattan Deli, and the new Bistro Napa gourmet restaurant.

The Atlantis Casino Resort Spa: Your New Atlantis
John Farahi, CEO
“I’ve had countless guests approach me to say the deli is better than any they’ve tried, including famous New York City delis,” said Farahi. “And we were thrilled when Wine Enthusiast chose Bistro Napa as one of the restaurants to receive its Award of Unique Distinction.” This award, he explained, is given to the most wine-friendly restaurants in the country, and with a 4,000-bottle wine room, Bistro Napa was an obvious choice.

The resort’s expansion of its casino floor includes a new poker room and an updated look that Farahi describes as inspired by the lost city of Atlantis: tropical, alluring, mysterious. He said in the next few months, the rest of the casino floor will be renovated to match the updated look.

A portion of the third floor of the hotel was transformed into a 30,000-square-foot, European-inspired spa featuring equipment installed by German and Austrian-trained technicians. Farahi said under the leadership of Darlyne Sullivan, general manager, his team spent years studying the most popular spas to develop this world-class facility.

On the second floor, the project includes a 14,500-square-foot ballroom, for which Tandem Design received the 2008 Hospy Award for Best Ballroom and Convention Space Design, and eight breakout rooms with the latest in projection and sound equipment stored in the walls and/or ceilings. There also is a formal board room to cater to high-profile corporate guests, of which Farahi expects many, thanks to the highlight of the expansion project: a 650-foot sky bridge connecting the hotel to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center across the street.

“The sky bridge was something that our guests were asking for.  Because of our proximity to the convention center, we are the first hotel to fill up during an event, and it only made sense to provide our guests with an easy, safe way to get from one place to the other,” said Farahi, adding that the sky bridge has been especially welcome during the colder Northern Nevada winter months.

Atlantis already has received recognition for these improvements, and for the third time has earned Smart Meetings 2008 Platinum Choice Award.  The award is decided by votes from readers of the magazine, who choose among hundreds of facilities in 13 Western states, Western Canada, and Mexico for exceptional service, amenities, ambiance, technology, and overall satisfaction.

Reaching out
The resort remained fully operational throughout all phases of construction, and the expansion has contributed to improved numbers for Atlantis, even as other casinos and hotels are facing closure. “We’ve exceeded everyone’s expectations, and I attribute our success in this project to our competent and reliable team,” said Farahi.

He said Atlantis has a tradition of long-tenured employees: the general manager has been with the property for 30 years, the executive chef for 20, and the VP of finance and executive director of marketing have been there for 17 and 15 years, respectively.

In conjunction with the expansion project, this team has been working with the convention center marketing team to attract corporate travelers and inform the hotel’s target audience about the  resort’s improvements. Farahi said the campaign is centered on “discovering your new Atlantis,” conveying the idea that the resort is a new world to explore.

“At the end of the day, everyone here understands that this hotel belongs to our guests: whatever they need to have the best experience, we give them,” Farahi said. “That is one of the reasons we’ve been so successful.”

He praised his team for leading by example and never asking their employees to do something they wouldn’t do. That is one reason Atlantis was named one of 12 best companies to work for in the state by Nevada Business Journal last July. Atlantis was the only casino resort to make that list.

Farahi doesn’t deny, however, that a prime location has played a roll in Atlantis’s success and said he and his team will take full advantage of the hotel’s opportunities to grow as demand dictates and the economy improves. The hotel owns a 20-acre parcel of land, currently used for excess parking, across the street from the hotel on the other side of the convention center. He described the area of Reno as a mini-strip, anchored by Atlantis and the convention center.

“We have all the ingredients to provide a guest who comes to Northern Nevada with a truly memorable stay,” he said.
 
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