The Jesse Hotel & Bar reopened a 1907 downtown Reno building (previously the Royal Hotel, then the Reno Jazz Club and the Lincoln Lounge) as a six-room independent boutique hotel in June 2019. Owner Piper Stremmel restored the space with Rushton-Smith and added Estella, a Mexico City-inspired restaurant, on the ground floor.
The essentials
Group Independent
Opening June 2019
Rooms & suites 6 rooms
Segment Boutique
Designer Rushton-Smith
Entry rate From $150 Learn more → The place 306 E. 4th Street in downtown Reno, a block long known for its early-20th-century commercial buildings rather than the casino strip along the river.
The concept The building dates to 1907, when Italian immigrant John Corsiglia built the Royal Hotel here to a design by local architects Woodard & Comstock, with 14 guest rooms over a ground-floor bar. It passed through several names and owners over the following decades before becoming the Reno Jazz Club around 2001 and then the Lincoln Lounge from 2007 to 2018. Independent owner Piper Stremmel bought and restored the building, working with Rushton-Smith on the renovation, and reopened it in June 2019 as The Jesse Hotel & Bar with just six rooms (Parke, Laughlin, Quinby, Bell, Renault and Hadley) kept small and individually finished rather than expanded to a standard hotel room count.
Dining & wellness Estella, a taco and mezcal restaurant drawing on Mexico City flavors under chef Harrison Cooper, opened downstairs the following month; the hotel's own full-service bar serves coffee from early morning and cocktails from local bartenders Ilona Smith and Nicole Barker into the evening, with an indoor and patio lounge. Guests have access to Italian bicycles, and pet-friendly rooms are available.
Our take A small, owner-led restoration rather than a branded rollout: six rooms is a deliberately modest scale, and the building's run from 1907 hotel to jazz club to dive bar before this restoration gives it more genuine backstory than most boutique openings claim.
Google guest reviews 4.6/5 · 415 reviews
I stayed at The Jesse for four days, which gave me the chance to experience the hotel, restaurant, and coffee shop from a lot of different perspectives. My first impression was that The Jesse has a distinctly European aesthetic—from the design and atmosphere to the hospitality and even the menus in both the restaurant and coffee shop. It's a unique experience for Reno and a refreshing change from the ordinary.
The rooms were spotless, and the entire hotel always smelled fresh and inviting. Every staff member we encountered was genuinely warm, welcoming, and attentive. Even when other guests were around, the property felt peaceful and uncrowded, almost like we had the place to ourselves.
The courtyard patio is beautiful, with lush plants and plenty of comfortable seating to relax and enjoy the space. And don't skip the gyros—they're excellent.
A couple of things to know before you arrive: the check-in process can be a little confusing, and communication with the hotel isn't quite as seamless as it is at larger properties. That said, everything is so convenient and well laid out that we rarely needed any assistance during our stay. Also, the staircase leading to the guest rooms is old and a bit creaky, but rather than taking away from the experience, it adds to the charm, history, and character of the building.
If you're looking for a charming, clean, thoughtfully designed boutique hotel with exceptional hospitality and a unique European-inspired feel in Reno, The Jesse is absolutely worth staying at.
We had a wonderful stay at the Jesse Hotel & Bar in Reno.
The team made a great first impression at check-in. The Jesse uses a modern QR-based access system, but because I booked through a third-party site, the reservation information wasn’t transmitted correctly and I couldn’t access our suite through the QR process. Rather than making it a hassle, the staff jumped into action, quickly verified the reservation, and got everything sorted out. What could have been an inconvenience became a great example of customer service.
The hotel itself is remarkable. Housed in a historic building more than a century old, the Jesse strikes an impressive balance between contemporary design and the character of its original architecture. Thoughtful modern touches blend seamlessly with period details and infrastructure. Our suite featured soaring ceilings, beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows, and restored original wood floors that gave the space both warmth and authenticity. It felt stylish and current without losing the sense of history that makes the building special.
The only member of our party with a complaint was my miniature poodle, Hillary. While she enjoyed the hotel, the historic staircase leading to the third floor was decidedly not to her liking. She spent several minutes studying the situation, weighing her options, and negotiating with gravity before ultimately accepting defeat and allowing herself to be carried. Her sister, Milla, viewed this as a personal victory.
For the humans, however, the stairs were a small tradeoff for a unique and memorable stay. We’d happily return and highly recommend the Jesse to anyone looking for a boutique hotel experience that combines great service, thoughtful design, and a genuine sense of place in Reno.
I recently stayed at The Jesse in Reno and absolutely loved the experience. Stylish, relaxed, creative, and full of personality without trying too hard. The design strikes that perfect balance between boutique cool and genuinely comfortable.
The location was fantastic for exploring downtown Reno, and the atmosphere felt warm, welcoming, and effortlessly authentic. Every detail felt thoughtful, from the aesthetic to the overall vibe of the property.
What really stood out most was the staff. Friendly, approachable, and genuinely attentive in a way that made the stay feel personal rather than transactional.
If you’re looking for something different from the typical casino hotel experience in Reno, The Jesse is a hidden gem and well worth the stay.
I absolutely love this hotel. I love that it’s beautiful and also pet friendly! I love the ambience and the staff are great! My dog Lili and I enjoyed a Smashburger and pizza in the restaurant when we arrived. We had a lovely visit, as we always do. We enjoyed a lovely croissant the next morning for breakfast.
Love this boutique hotel in downtown Reno - with a hip, clean vibe. No elevator - so if you can’t handle steps with luggage to upper floors, this spot isn’t for you. Some rooms are near the bus station (ear plugs provided) and above the restaurant patio next door. That means often a vibrant scene outside. Bar staff checks you in. Gated parking lot and key entry in the evening. Check out this painting we had commissioned from a photo taken in one of the rooms.
Jett Highton Candee · 4/5 See more reviews → 
