What’s new on the board
It’s as if all of the players on the Monopoly board decided to add (and renovate) hotels at the same time in the beachfront tourist destination that served as the model for the place names in the marathon game. From Caesars Entertainment’s $400 million investment in their three properties to MGM Resorts’ transformation of the Beach Club into MGM Tower at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, to a local renaissance happening in the Orange Loop, I made my first trip to the East Coast boardwalk and found fresh new ways to meet that might surprise even those who consider themselves regulars.
Smart Tip: After Labor Day, the tourists leave, the weather is beautiful and rooms open up for guests to enjoy “local summer.”
Stay & Meet
After introducing wellness to meeting planners at Caesars Entertainment properties in Las Vegas last year, the company is officially expanding its wellness menu of healthy menus, speakers and activations to Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Atlantic City and Tropicana Atlantic City. I stayed in the new Nobu Suites at Caesars and enjoyed some quiet time in the new spa and rooftop pool cabanas along with a catered sunrise yoga and breakfast on the beach. From the moment I stepped into the new arrival experience to that last sweet bite at Nobu restaurant, it was nourishing, calming and upscale.
Over at Harrah’s Atlantic City, the final touches are being put on what will be an 8 MW solar installation to power the largest meeting space between Boston and Baltimore—two 50,000-square-foot pillarless ballrooms. The addition is in keeping with the shift to renewables happening in the city as a whole. Atlantic City Convention Center is home to the largest single roof-mounted solar array in the United States and the city is a “green spot” home to a coastal wind farm and marina thermal power.
Also in the Marina District, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Atlantic City recently completed a $55 million renovation that turned the Beach Club into MGM Tower in Atlantic City’s Marina District. In addition to more than 700 renovated rooms and a full-service spa, additional and upgraded group spaces include a theater and nightclub.
The emphasis at the 43-story oasis is on luxury with suites that include hot tubs and gyms. The same company that builds out seasonal displays at Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden in Las Vegas creates whimsical lobby treatments at this popular Atlantic City destination.
Do
Got a group looking for more action than a ballroom can offer? Last year, Showboat Hotel Atlantic City opened Island Water Park, a beachfront, enclosed playground with 11 slides, a lazy river, a swim-up bar, a retractable roof, and a wall that opens up for concerts on the sand. The property already ditched its casino for a massive arcade that includes roller skating, bowling, miniature golf and a go-cart speedway.
Eat
The Orange Loop is a redevelopment area blocks from the beach named after the ochre-colored spaces on the Monopoly board. It is filled with local artisans and unique spaces, including Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall and Bar 32 chocolate artisans. Also nearby are one-of-a-kind restaurants, bars, live music, coffee, yoga, cigars and lots of public art. These authentic, artisan spaces and their passionate founders love hosting groups to share the fruits of the abundant local farming, brewing and culinary scene.
This article appears in the September/October 2024 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
