"nevada newsmakers." >> and back on "nevada newsmakers" we're pleased to welcome for the first time to the program niki gross. she's the managing director of the whitney peak hotel. pleasure to have you on the program. whitney peak is the former fitzgerald in downtown reno. it's right by the arch. and it's a nonsmoking boutique hotel. and tell me about the state of your business. it seems like with the renovation of reno that your business is kind of going through the roof. we are and it's nice to be the

we have all of this demand now and there's nobody else that can take it from us. it's right in the middle of downtown. it's very walkable. so boutique or no i think reno is ready to have that kind of alternative option for downtown reno. for that reason i think we've been very successful. >> so we've had -- we started with 155 rooms when we opened in the summer of 2014. we tested our proof of concept and we were happy with that. now we have 310. that was completed in august of this past year. since then we've filled up to 310 on most weekends. we're continuing to do so.

one of the things that's very exciting in reading about your property a lot of the executives they're locating in northern nevada. people from switches and tesla. >> so i mean we freely talk about it. they've said we can do so. they're not exclusive to our property. and we do host a lot of the tesla. and panasonic. we're hosting microsoft very frequently. we've developed personal friendships with a lot of people. because they stay there frequently. they share a lot of the likes and dislikes about reno. and they want to be part of that. i think because we represent that they choose to stay with us.

spurt of prior to this was when the m.g.m. in 1998. and i think that the feeling is different now. back then there was a no growth seal that came almost immediately after that. and it was reflected in the politics and feel of the town. because of the recession people are looking forward to the growth that's coming. you're not from here. you traveled from chicago and florida. how do you view reno. i think it's a town in transition. i think that the development right now can be seen as people are anxious for. and it's going to be very organic. very much in the way that the midtown developed organically where you have small business owners, and tours. and setting up these unique spaces and providing that sense

develop this urban community. i think it is going to the organic. and until now i think that the confidence wasn't there. i think that until bigger players come in and inspire that confidence for investment it's not going to happen. i can say in the year and a half that has changed. we've seen a lot of interest in our vacant space. for creditworthy tenants and really wanting to take advantage of that opportunity. >> can you share any of that. >> i can't. probably in the last two months a lot of the knowledge will become public. there are other groups developing different opportunities for growth. one of them in being a being more public in the next few

exciting things are happening. i think we're right on the cusp that everybody anticipated we're going to be. i think it's opportunity is there and if the investors are there then this town is going to -- just in the next five-year. i think it's a short-term window we're looking at it. >> just this business travel is phenomenal. >> it's huge. and that's the one thing -- i think reno has never had a problem with the transient travel over the weekends. and they've wanted to game or wanted to experience what reno is for what it is and it's been known for. you've got that mid-week problem that has to be solved for the hotels. sometimes our mid-week is busier than our weekend. edon has done a tremendous job

it's from all states. and it's worldwide. i think that the growth is there. for the businesses to come from the tax perspective. there's so many different benefits. it's beautiful. who wouldn't want to live here. you get all four seasons. it's a beautiful geographic location. there's not a lot to say against being here as somebody who wants to live here and also as a business. >> we're going to take a break. she could be a little bit more

we'll be right back. and back on "nevada newsmakers" we continue our conversation

she's the managing director of the whitney peak hotel in downtown reno right by the arch. it was interesting lesgomino how switch and tesla bought 4000 acres at the park. he's currently working with a client that would be bigger than those two put together. what do you think that will do to reno. >> i think with tesla. really not a lot has happened from the public's perspective in terms of the development for tesla. the job creation that is imminent has not occurred yet. so we haven't seen the economic effects of that yet. we've had a ripple here and there. nothing major. i think someone that's double in size or bigger in size is going to compound that for the community and for the confidence in the market for the people

who're looking at reno for business development in general. it's interesting with the carrano and circus circus from m.g.m. >> not only. kind of getting those bigger corporate giants out of way. it frees them to carry out their visions without having to go through the red tape. it makes it so much more easy to develop those things and to grow to be in line where the community is headed. i think that's a exciting thing for the downtown and for the community as a whole. these three properties have been institutions for decades. >> one of the things that was fun at the opening of the property was the climbing wall outside for anybody who comes down to the festivals. what kind of a draw is that for the property. it's huge actually.

they're happy to get their kids in to the climbing facility. >> it's on the outside of the bulged. >> yeah. it's a 164 feet. guinness reached out for tallest in the world. we know that just from the development process now it's official. so we're going through that. and we do have an indoor bouldering park as well. actually this month we hosted ad climbing competition with u.s.a. climbing. we had 200 competitors that came in and competed to go to the next level. there's a huge climbing community that's here. it's one of the fastest growing sports in the country. it's kind of unique. it's a great billboard for us to get for us. on any given day the gym is full. >> have you climbed. >> oh, yeah.

>> not to the top. i climbed to the first pitch and then i was wiped out. it's a difficult sport. it's mostly lower body because you think you're using your arms the whole time but it's your legs. the indoor is little scarier if you do fall from the top you could injure yourself. which i have done hobbling around the office which was cute. but no we encourage our employees to take advantage of it too. we'll have competitions with departments and have fun with it. and encourage the fitness activity. one of the things you've done that's compen extraordinary is your nightclub cargo and your partnership with the local pbs station. it's going phenomenally.

this is my biggest part of the project really. we're at the precipice of being really, really great. i think people are starting to figure out how great this product is. we do hospitality like nobody else does. with artists being on the road all the time. we want to have them have that experience when they're over to us. if they're compubl and taken care of that is reflective in the performance and that spreads to the fans and so we have this organic great experience with the mousic, and to your point to the pbs.

type of program. and so we taped our first season. we did 11 episodes and it was really well received by the communities. it's been picked up in the san burn dino market. we're filming season two. and our calendar has exploded. it's totally full. >> what's interesting about the old reno did the old herrera. not only were they playing in the showrooms but they were on the gaming room and having fun. very nice to have you on the program and meet you. it's fascinating how you got here. congratulations on the success and continued good luck.

newsmakers" after this time-out. and back on "nevada newsmakers" we have a great pundit panel as well. sam kumar past chairman of the washoe county republicans. orrin johnson and the publicler of orrin johnson.com. >> and so it was interesting to interesting to interview john kasich. can but my first question to him about yucky mountain because they have four nuclear power plants in ohio. if i'm president it's coming to nevada. does that spell the end for kasich in nevada. does the public more than the political class care about this question.

i haven't heard much about it. >> it's kind of interesting how it's spread out. you have people who're supporting and opposing within each party. so it's a fairly interesting dynamic. >> i agree with what he says. there are those who're strongly supporting or strongly against but years ago there were some polls taken and it seems like the middle ground is to have it. we'll see how that has an effect. ty cobb and randy wilson. yucky mountain to have it used for other uses. >> the problem for nuclear generally we have this weird fear of technology. you have environmentalist we've got to get away from fossil

don't want to do that. it's a weird unnecessary fear and actually hold us back from environmental progress. it's frustrating. yucky mountain is not going to make-or-break him. if he can get past his low poll number. he was very refreshing. very entertaining as a politician, and somebody who is certainly an inside player when inside players are not most popular with the populace because he was chairman of the budget committee in the house, and i think he was on military affairs so i mean he has a lot of experience plus being a governor. i think the challenge you have that lean of moderates is pretty crowded. we have jeb, marco there.

to me they need to determine which one is going to be the lead horse. he's all doing very well in new hampshire. kay kasich does not have a footprint beyond that. he's not going to gain much traction. was it the second debate he showed with a sueicide vest on. he is not relating to the republican base and not in this environment certainly like you said he's technically an insider and his views are reflective of that. >> i'm not sure what the republican bases these days. everyone is trying to define republicans only this or only that. taxes for example. for a lot of people who're not republican.

most conservative around. i don't know that republicans really have something that everyone can wrap their arms around. i think they've gone a way what republicanism is and it's less government. that we can all agree on. and government closer to the people. that to me what republicanism is not all of these other topics. the problem at least some of that portion is very effective government. and so there's a portion that's just kind of this frustrated and acting out that isn't building their own vision. that's donald trump. he has sound bytes. none of this stuff adds to governing strategy.

was a successful two term governor and had experience effectively governing that large state. but also and this is something that donald trump shares he was a great public speaker. he had been working for ge going around the country and honing his message and writing most of his speeches himself. he had a great public personal nah. and that's what trump has both as a businessman and with his television show. thousands of people are coming out not just to see donald trump the politician. they want to see the show. >> that's right. >> look at the media he has received. he hasn't spent much money. he has been overshadowing and everything. he is must see tv. you're right you can make a case he's not deep enough. this is an absolute revolt

i think that the republican party still stands for those principles but it's never a straight line. there are detours along the way. are we ready for a reality tv president or a re-ality tv candidate for president. we essentially had one. that's the problem we've had is that kind of shallowness. reagan thought deeply about stuff. >> we didn't know that until years after he was president. to confirm it was actually him and not his cabinet of advisors that were driving the train.

we'll be right back. aseds always you can watch

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