Thunderbird Resort Club Review – Reno, Nevada (2024)
Want to know what it’s like to stay Thunderbird Resort Club near Reno, Nevada? We’ve got you covered with everything we learned from our week-long stay here!
The Thunderbird Resort Club is part of QM Resorts and is just outside of Reno, Nevada.
We usually only do features for the timeshare resorts we have ownership in, but this was one of the first times we had stayed at another timeshare property through an exchange.
So I figured why not feature it too!
It’s maybe 15 minutes or so from the casinos.
It’s an older property and honestly just looks like townhouses or apartments.
But we ended up being pleasantly surprised with our visit!
You can see a full walk-through of our two bedroom in this video on our YouTube Channel.
👉 Click Here To Book Your Stay At Thunderbird Resort Club Today!
Thunderbird Resort Club Review
This was a unique set up that we haven’t really seen at other timeshare properties, so it was a nice change of pace.
Having the bedrooms upstairs, separating it from the living space was nice.
It actually reminded me of some of the townhouses I lived in growing up.
It definitely has more of an apartment/townhouse feel than a hotel or timeshare feel.
We loved having a full kitchen to be able to cook meals during the day or reheat leftovers.
It’s not the newest or fanciest property, but it’s good for it’s price point and location.
We liked that it was conveniently located to several points of interest we were wanting to visit.
Parking was right in front the unit, which isn’t always the case with timeshares, so that was a nice perk.
Additionally, since it’s away from Downtown Reno, it’s in a pretty quiet area and we didn’t have any issues with noisy neighbors or street noise.
👉 Click Here To Book Your Stay At Thunderbird Resort Club Today!
Using Interval International For Timeshare Exchanges
As part of our Diamond Resorts timeshare, we used to be automatically part of Interval International, which is a timeshare exchange program.
When we joined we were given a complimentary certificate to be able to book a 7 night stay at any available destinations without having to exchange our points to do it.
Our certificate was set to expire soon, so we planned this trip last minute.
Ultimately we still had to pay taxes and resort fees on this stay, so our total cost came out to $340, or $48.57 a night for 7 nights in a 2 bedroom timeshare unit.
Fun Things To Do Near Thunderbird Resort Club
I had been wanting to go to Lake Tahoe all Summer but never found any availability that worked with what we wanted to do.
So we did the next best thing – Reno, Nevada.
I knew that whenever I would eventually go to Tahoe I would want to do stuff in the surrounding area, so instead I did the surrounding area on this trip, so that when I finally go to Tahoe I can stay in Tahoe.
Did that make sense?
We went toward the end of July when there were some wildfires in the area.
It wasn’t when the wildfires were at their worst, it was just a few weeks before then.
✅ Lassen Volcanic National Park Day Trip
We knew we would want to take a day trip out to Lassen Volcanic National Park, but we had to keep an eye on the wildfires and road closures to make it happen.
Surprisingly enough, we drove through smoke most of the way there, but because of the direction of the wind, the park itself was completely clear and we had a perfect day!
✅ The Best Casinos and Restaurants in Reno
On a few of the days we were visiting, the smoke was very heavy in Reno.
Ash was falling from the sky, the sky was orange, and the second you walked outside the smell would just hit you.
Luckily, most of our sightseeing in Reno was just going to the casinos and restaurants, so we spent most of our time indoors.
✅ 1 Hour Distillery Tour and Tasting Flight Experience in Reno
This tour is very popular in Reno.
Ferino Distillery has been named one of the Top 10 distilleries in the US, so you know your tour and tasting flight will be so good!
👉 Click Here To Book Your 1 Hour Distillery Tour and Tasting Flight Today!
✅ Virginia City Day Trip
The nearby old Western mining town of Virginia City had clear skies when we visited, so the wind must have changed direction on that particular day.
This historically preserved town is so cool.
There are some great antique malls and a variety of fun activities for everybody.
Know Before You Go
At the time of our visit, many areas of Thunderbird Resort Club were under construction due to a lobby fire sometime in 2020.
We had to check-in somewhere else on the property that was converted into a makeshift lobby, the pool and laundry was closed, and a handful of other amenities were also unavailable at the time.
I would imagine that this is probably why it is available through the exchange for so cheap!
Ultimately it had all the things we personally needed, so we didn’t care and it didn’t impact our trip at all.
One sort of weird feature of this resort is that your check-in is done virtually.
When you go in to their makeshift lobby, there is no one at the desk.
There’s just a tv screen. You press a button and wait for someone to come on.
Then they walk you through the check-in process remotely.
Having worked front desk before I would imagine they experience their fair share of issues with this.
But from a management and money perspective I could see how they decided to operate this way.
Resources For Planning Your Trip To Reno
If you need help planning your trip to Reno, check out our Tips For Planning A Trip To Anywhere (A Step-By-Step Guide).
Read our Best Tips For Staying Safe When Traveling During Extreme Weather if you’re traveling during the extreme heat in Summer or the snow in Winter.
Also check out our Best Tips For Staying Well While You Travel if you’re prone to getting colds or have allergies when you travel or have other ailments.
Lastly, if you’re traveling on a budget, read up on our Best Tips For Traveling On A Budget: Your Guide To Planning An Affordable Trip.
Conclusion: Thunderbird Resort Club Review
Overall, Thunderbird Resort Club was a great value to us.
It was in a location that allowed us to work remotely and go out and enjoy the local area during our time off work.
The apartment/townhouse lay out is great and the 2 bedroom unit is plenty of space for groups up to about 6 people.
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