NJ Travel Guide

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What Is This At Trump Taj Mahal?

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1000 Boardwalk [map], Atlantic City, NJ, United States, 08401
May 8, 2013 at 9:16 AM | by | Comments (0)

We like to keep it fun but informative here at HotelChatter so our series, What is This?, is devoted to odd-looking items in hotels that upon first glance look as if they serve only a decorative purpose. But everything happens for a reason, right? And we're here to tell you what these things really do.

Most things in Atlantic City hotels you can pretty much take at face value. Casino floor. Slot machine. Starbucks. Jimmy Buffett-inspired beach bar.

But we had to stop and do a double take while wandering around the lobby at Trump Taj Mahal the other day. At the bottom of the escalators, right next to the Baccarat Pit, we spotted what appeared to be a giant children's playpen—then we remembered where we were, and dismissed that thought. Bright, shiny beach balls scattered around a life-size tic-tac-toe board.

But who was playing? Were we allowed to jump in? What the heck was this thing anyway?

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Margaritaville Atlantic City Is Happening In 3 Weeks

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1133 Boardwalk [map], Atlantic City, NJ, United States, 08401
May 7, 2013 at 9:01 AM | by | Comments (0)

Don't pretend you haven't been counting down the days to the opening of Jimmy Buffett's new Margaritaville Casino in Atlantic City. From your cubicle at work, you've fantasized about biting into a "Cheeseburger in Paradise" on the boardwalk, or playing blackjack on one of the brand new Margaritaville-themed casino tables.

Well, the wait is almost over.

Just over a month since Buffett announced plans to team up with Wyndham on a new St Thomas resort, things are gearing up in Atlantic City for a grand opening on Memorial Day weekend. The new venue will sit inside the 942-room Resorts Casino, and its entrance will be marked by a sculpture of a giant blender. (Yes, you read that right.)

Meanwhile, outside, its oceanfront Landshark Bar, will be Atlantic City's first-ever year-round full-service bar and restaurant on the sand side of the Boardwalk.

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Go Borgata, It's Your Birthday! They're Doling Out Deals Like It's Your Birthday

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1 Borgata Way [map], Atlantic City, NJ, United States, 08401
May 2, 2013 at 9:02 AM | by | Comments (0)

As we all know, Atlantic City has never had trouble finding a reason to throw a party (last year, it was the opening of Revel, which was celebrated over multiple weekends).

Now, it's The Borgata's turn to crank up the volume, as the casino hotel's big 10th anniversary is fast approaching, and you can bet (heh) they're going out of their way to let you know about it.

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Is Borgata's New E-Casino Program Just For Couch Potatoes?

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: One Borgata Way [map], Atlantic City, NJ, United States, 08401
February 12, 2013 at 5:23 PM | by | Comments (0)

You know those times when you're all cozy in your Atlantic City hotel room, reading magazines in the bathtub, and you kinda feel like heading downstairs to blow a few hundred on the slots but then again, you'd have to, like, get up and put clothes on? Yeah, such a drag.

Luckily, The Borgata is fixing all that with a new E-casino program, making it the first US hotel to allow guests to gamble over their TV sets, using just a remote control. Kind of like ordering room service, except instead of someone coming to serve you delicious food, you're just clicking a button until all your money's gone. Sounds fun, huh?

One recent guest told the NY Daily News:

"I like the ambience of being down here on the casino floor. I like the noise of the machines. In my room, I'd find it depressing, to be honest."

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Bettor Believe It! Atlantic City Casinos and Hotels Are Open Again

November 6, 2012 at 9:19 AM | by | Comments (0)

Last we heard, Atlantic City had completely shut down in preparation for the storm, ordering casinos to terminate gambling and hotel guests to be evacuated. That was last Sunday.

Over a week later, much of the Jersey Shore has been devastated, and the Atlantic City boardwalk has all but disappeared, but casinos and hotels are starting to open up once more.

For starters, Revel re-opened on Saturday at noon, with the following words:

"Revel sustained minimal damage and although our team is fully ready, we have elected to reopen tomorrow to allow for residents to return to their homes. We are grateful to our staff for their continued support"

The 740-room Golden Nugget, which recently completed a major $150 million renovation in April, was the first casino to re-open after the storm. In fact, owners were so anxious to get gamblers back in the building that the doors were flung open within hours of Governor Chris Christie's official go-ahead on Friday.

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Over Before It Began: Hard Rock Atlantic City Not Happening

September 17, 2012 at 12:28 PM | by | Comments (0)

After much back-and-forth, it looks like plans for Hard Rock Atlantic City have finally been put to rest. Developers of the casino hotel, the first phase of which was scheduled to open in 2015, apparently backed out of the deal on Wednesday, after they'd already been given a generous six-month extension by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission to get their act together.

Which, as we can see, they failed to do.

What a bummer! When we first heard about these plans in 2010, we were actually pretty excited—especially given the fact that Revel was being billed as Atlantic City's "last casino" for a while. We'd kinda hoped that Hard Rock would become the boardwalk's miracle hotel, proving everyone else wrong. Instead, we just get another empty, unused lot.

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Make It A Labor (Day Weekend) Of Love With Cee Lo Green And The Eagles In Atlantic City

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 500 Boardwalk [map], Atlantic City, NJ, United States
August 27, 2012 at 10:33 AM | by | Comments (0)

While hotels in Atlantic City usually tend to hover around a reasonable $110 or $130 a night, rates have shot through the roof for the upcoming holiday weekend. In the days leading up to Labor Day, AC properties are asking for up to $500-$600 a night, and many of them are already sold out.

Including Revel, which has two special guests headlining at the resort this weekend: Cee Lo Green and The Eagles. Each of them will be putting on concerts—Cee Lo at The Social on Friday and Saturday nights, and The Eagels at Ovation Hall on Saturday and Sunday nights—to amp up the Labor Day festivities, which include fireworks on the beach, casino giveaways, BBQ parties, a White Party, and burlesque at the Royal Jelly nightclub.

But for those who just want the concert tickets without having to worry about secretly crashing in Revel's lobby, here are a few other hotels that still have availability.

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Just in Time for National Tequila Day, a Margaritaville Casino is Coming to Atlantic City

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1133 Boardwalk [map], Atlantic City, NJ, United States, 08401
July 24, 2012 at 5:29 PM | by | Comments (0)

In case you didn't know it today is National Tequila Day and what better way to celebrate than by pouring yourself a margarita or rather, learning about the new Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville Casino coming to the 942-room Resorts Casino Hotel on the Atlantic City boardwalk.

The Margaritaville complex will feature a casino, restaurant, Five O'clock Somewhere Bar, retail stores, LandShark Bar and Grill, a year-round beach bar complex, and their first ever coffee shop. And should you find yourself on the boardwalk wondering where Margaritaville is, it won't be hard to find as the Resorts boardwalk facade will be re-branded by Margaritaville.

Way back when in 2008 there was talk of turning the Trump Marina hotel into a Margaritaville. That never happened and the property turned into the Golden Nugget instead.

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Revel HQ Teases Us With Another Preview On July 6

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 500 Boardwalk [map], Atlantic City, NJ, United States, 08401
June 29, 2012 at 9:17 AM | by | Comments (0)

After missing out on all the fun over Memorial Day Weekend, Revel HQ, the four-level nightclub venue inside Revel, is finally ready to make its debut. Kind of.

The nightclub's official opening date isn't until September, but it is hosting another "preview" weekend on July 6 (yes, another—the first preview was held on June 14, and Revel even posted photos on its website for your browsing pleasure). The club will open to offer revel-ers a taste of the bottle service, the bass-thumping DJs, the suspended stage, and all the rest of it.

Oh, and incidentally, this preview happens to coincide with a two-night run at Ovation Hall by a little known rapper called Kanye West. Ever heard of him?

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A New Hotel Will Open In Jersey City, Inside A Run-Down Old Bank from the '20's

Where: One Exchange Place [map], Jersey City, NJ, United States, 07302
June 19, 2012 at 11:07 AM | by | Comments (0)

Atlantic City usually gets all the love when it comes to hotels in New Jersey (though occasionally we've seen some action down in Hoboken too). Now, the Hudson Reporter has tipped us off to a new "upscale" hotel that will be housed inside an old bank from the 1920s in Jersey City, about twenty minutes from lower Manhattan.

Though, as nice as the place looks on the outside, there is apparently plenty of work to be done before it begins to remotely resemble anything upscale. All businesses were ordered to vacate the building last year when it was declared hazardous and unsafe—the only remaining current tenants include a Subway and a Dunkin' Donuts on the ground floor.

Uh, can you say 'fixer-upper?'

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Hopefully, Beyonce Didn't Leave Revel Without Trying Out the Taco Truck

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 500 Boardwalk, Revel Beach [map], Atlantic City, NJ, United States, 08401
June 1, 2012 at 10:39 AM | by | Comments (0)

Beyonce did the folks at Revel Atlantic City a biiig favor last weekend by choosing the resort as the setting for her first post-baby performance. Thanks to her, Revel was able to capture a whole new audience that likely wouldn't have taken the time otherwise—like Michelle Obama and the girls, who were reportedly in attendance at the show.

A friend of ours who was lucky enough to score tickets said that while the singer indeed put on a stellar performance, another major highlight of the weekend actually took place outside Ovation Hall. Specifically, during a post-concert dinner at the Distrito Cantina food truck, which serves up freshly-prepared Mexican fast food. And according to our friend, the tacos alone were worth the trip.

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Revel's HQ Nightclub Will Not Make The Big Opening Weekend

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 500 Boardwalk [map], Atlantic City, NJ, United States, 08401
May 7, 2012 at 12:40 PM | by | Comments (0)

While Revel Atlantic City is just weeks away from its sold-out Grand Opening weekend (featuring Beyonce*) it looks like not everything will be up and running as initially promised.

When the hotel soft-opened on April 2, only a handful of restaurants and public areas were open. But the rest of the resort was set to be revealed over Memorial Day Weekend. Except according to @NYNightlife, Revel's massive four-level nightclub HQ Nightclub along with the HQ Beach Club is not going to make the MemWeekend party. Instead a July opening is looking more likely.

We got in touch with a rep for Angel Management Group, who is operating HQ, and she confirmed the club's opening delay.

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