Piper Stremmel and Chris Reilly have completed their first foray into Midtown. The husband-and-wife team expanded their hospitality options by renovating and reopening the Best Bet Motor Lodge on May 14.
“All our projects share a common theme of revitalizing Reno’s historic buildings, providing guests with unique ways to experience and appreciate the city’s heritage,” Stremmel explained.
That’s how Best Bet, a South Virginia Street property, fits into the couple’s business portfolio, which also includes The Jesse, Estrella Tacos y Mezcal and Abby’s Highway 40. Best Bet has been on the couple’s radar for quite a while.
“When my husband, Chris, and I moved back to Reno in 2017, we searched for a property with the charm and potential of Best Bet, but there were limited options available at that time,” Stremmel said. “Thankfully, we eventually found The Jesse (formerly the Lincoln Lounge), which met our needs from a building/space perspective but only had the potential for six rooms.”
The couple had been actively searching for additional hotel space when Best Bet became available for sale. Stremmel said the potential for transformation and the location both met their needs.
While Best Bet had a lot of promise, it wasn’t up to Stremmel and Reilly’s standards of modern-meets-Reno charm. The couple began renovating, turning 30 rooms into 21, with options for larger suite-style accommodations. There are, in total, seven room types, including pet-friendly and ADA-compliant options. The property was designed by Espie Creative and built by WCC Design & Build. Local business Hammer and Saw constructed the wood furniture inside. It may have kept “motor lodge” in the name, but the space is a boutique hotel.
The duo also reconfigured the parking lot to build a communal space for guests and the community. The lobby patio has fire pits, perfect for relaxing while people-watching in one of Reno’s busiest areas—although, tall trees and a partial fence help provide a bit of seclusion, as well.
“Beyond adding to our portfolio of accommodations, Best Bet helps round out the diversity of our hospitality concepts within our small family of businesses,” Stremmel said.
Even if you’re a local, you can enjoy the Best Bet by taking advantage of their most unique offering—the Reno Sauna Club. Unveiling this summer, the club includes two saunas—one indoors and one outdoors in a vintage trailer. There are also hot and cold showers, indoor and outdoor lounge areas and a locker room. The spaces are free to guests, but day passes and memberships will soon be available for locals and those not staying at the hotel.
Stremmel and Reilly aren’t slowing down.
“We are thrilled to be expanding in Reno and are always on the lookout for unique spaces,” Stremmel said. Still in the early stages, Stremmel and Reilly have already picked out their next project—the Morris, or formerly the Morris Burner Hostel, on East Fourth Street.
“We are committed to preserving Reno’s unique history while providing our guests and locals with modern, comfortable and memorable experiences,” Stremmel said. “We believe in every property’s potential to tell a story, and we look forward to sharing Best Bet’s story with our guests and the community.”
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