Opening of Revel in Atlantic City signals new round of casino wars -
When Beyoncé took the stage in Atlantic City over the Memorial Day weekend, the newest chapter in the troubled resort town’s casino wars exploded into the open.
Each of the Grammy-winning singer’s shimmies and shakes at the shiny new Revel resort and entertainment complex was a shot across the bow of the Borgata, which until now has been THE hotspot for the young and fabulous.
The decade-old Borgata isn’t taking the challenge lying down, tempting tourists with room renovations and its own alluring entertainment lineup.
The question for many: Is this town big enough for two casinos targeting the same monied demographic?
Atlantic City is banking on the answer being “Yes.”
Landing Beyoncé for the Revel’s official opening last weekend was a key move in the rebranding of the entire strip.
The Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority launched its new “DO AC” campaign in mid-April.
“We’re still trying to fight that perception that there’s nothing to do but gaming, and frankly most of our growth over the past 10 years has been in the nongaming sector,” says Jeffrey Vasser, president of the Visitors Authority.
Beyoncé’s shows are the biggest sign that Atlantic City is attempting a major rebound.
Weezer played at the Borgata Friday, and coming up this summer are Sting, DJ Samantha Ronson, Rev Run & DJ Ruckus, Train and comedians Tracy Morgan and Aziz Ansari. The Revel counts Kid Rock, Nickelback, Def Leppard and Seal among its performers this season.
“Look at the entertainment that’s coming in to Atlantic City,” Vasser says. “Ten years ago it was Don Rickles, Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones.
“And Borgata came in and really went after in a big way, that 20-, 30-year-old primarily out of New York and Philadelphia with some disposable income. That helped make Atlantic City cool again.”
Still, Atlantic City’s casino revenues have fallen from a high of $5.2 billion in 2006, to $3.3 billion last year.
Vasser attributes that loss to both the economy, and casinos and betting parlors opening in recent years in Pennsylvania, Yonkers and Queens.
“I’ve been saying for the past eight years that if somebody simply wants to pull a lever on a slot machine, they’re not going to have to go very far from home,” he says. “That day is here now. We need to give people a compelling reason to come to Atlantic City because it’s no longer about our slot machines and table games.
“We need to really come after the visitor market with retail, dining, entertainment, the golf, the spas, the beach, that’s what’s going to differentiate it.”
There’s no obligation for a hotel guest to go to the casino, unlike any property in Atlantic City or Las Vegas,” said Revel’s executive architect, Michael Prifti. “The hotel elevators do not descend to the casino floor. You get out at the lobby and there’s a café, bar, the pool’s there, the spa, cabana access.”
Revel plays up its position on the shore.
“You can get to the public beach, the private beach,” Prifti says. “You can get to all of the amenity spaces without ever having to go to the floor where the casino is located. So we’re really about the multiple-night stay for people who want a really fabulous Jersey Shore resort experience.”
There are also fire pits, an indoor/outdoor bar built like a doughnut hole to block out wind and cold, and SkyGarden, nearly two acres of green space.
An indoor/outdoor heated pool boasts a motion-detector portal. “So that if you swim up to the glass that divides the indoor portion from the outdoor portion, the glass doors open up, you swim forth,” Prifti explains. “And if you went there on a bitterly cold January night, you could swim out in 85 degree water and look up at the nighttime sky and really have an experience of a lifetime.”
Revel’s spa, Bask, is a 32,000-square-foot sanctuary that includes a 3,000-square-foot coed bathhouse and 32 therapy rooms offering everything from facials to acupuncture.
Ovation Hall, the venue where Beyoncé blew away audiences — including First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters — has unobstructed views from all 5,500 of its seats. It packs a state-of-the-art sound system, and more impressive, was designed by the firm that does Cirque du Soleil.
Not to be outdone, the Borgata is in the middle of a $50 million room redesign that will refresh all 1,566 of its standard rooms by July.
“We have a new 46-inch LED television that was the newest on the market that we wanted to add to the rooms,” says Joe Lupo, vice president of operations for the Borgata, which opened in 2003. “The Borgata has always appealed to a younger demographic here than the rest of the city. I think the new design is a little bit more contemporary than the old design which was more residential.”
The poker room at the Borgata was treated to a $1 million facelift, finished in January.
“With Revel coming, I think we will definitely be targeted due to the fact that they have been so focused on nongaming amenities, which we have the biggest share of,” says Lupo. “So I’m sure we’ll be their biggest competitor.”
Atlantic City casino revenues
2006: $5.2 billion
2011: $3.3 billion
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TALE OF THE TAPE
REVEL
Opened: Memorial Day Weekend, 2012
Number of rooms: 1,898
Starting standard room rate: $239
Quirks: Ivan Kane’s Royal Jelly Burlesque Nightclub sets choreographed burlesque performances to live bands.
Food: Azure by Allegretti, Amada, Village Whiskey, Distrito Cantina
Upcoming Performers: Kid Rock, Nickelback, Def Leppard and Seal
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BORGATA
Opened: July, 2003
Number of rooms: 2,000, plus 800 more at its sister tower, The Water Club
Starting standard room rate: $149
Quirks: Rooms at The Water Club come with “The Passion Kit,” which includes condoms and other intimate products for $18.
Food: Fatburger, Bobby Flay Steak, Wolfgang Puck American Grille, Izakaya
Upcoming Performers: Sting, DJ Samantha Ronson, Rev Run & DJ Ruckus, Train, Tracy Morgan and Aziz Ansari
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/opening-revel-atlantic-city-signals-casino-wars-article-1.1087
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