Tag: New Jersey Hotels
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Revel's Financing Approved as Summer Approaches the Jersey Shore
Last time we checked in with Revel, they were in the process of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Last week, a court judge approved a $250 million financing plan that will allow the hotel and casino to continue its operations, including employee wages, sustaining loyalty programs, and paying its bills.
That’s good news for visitors this summer, who, in theory, shouldn’t see any operational changes if they look to help Revel make a comeback. That said, Revel laid off 83 workers last Wednesday from a variety of positions, so it remains to be seen whether those cuts will have any noticeable effect on the consumer (they still have 3,217 employees, so we’re guessing they’ll be all right).
According to the Associated Press, Revel is also rumored to be considering whether to drop its non-smoking policy, which is thought by many, including HC, to be one of the reasons for the casino’s poor performance. It is one of the few Atlantic City venues to have such a regulation.
Hotel Woes / Hotel News / New Jersey Hotels / Atlantic City Hotels / Revel Resorts / → All Tags
[UPDATE] AC's Revel *Plans To File For Bankruptcy
[UPDATE: We received an email from Revel's public relations firm who has asked us to reword our story to indicate that the hotel "plans to file a consensual prepackaged chapter 11." ] Things just keep getting worse for the Revel in Atlantic City. On Tuesday, the most expensive casino ever built in New Jersey announced that it will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
While it is a shame to see, we suppose it doesn't really come as a surprise as Revel's performance has not only been under tight scrutiny since its opening last spring, it has also been pretty poor, consistently at the bottom of the rankings when it comes to gambling revenue in Atlantic City. A lot of that disappointment and inability to attract a wide variety of clientele has been blamed on the hotel's non-smoking policy and high-priced restaurants.
Apparently, the house doesn't always win.
Casino Hotels / Hurricane Sandy / Atlantic City Hotels / Revel Resorts / Borgata / New Jersey Hotels / → All Tags
Bettor Believe It! Atlantic City Casinos and Hotels Are Open Again
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.
Hurricane Sandy / Hotel News / Manhattan Hotels / New Jersey Hotels / Saturday Night Live / Hotel Fees / Room Service / → All Tags
FEMA Offers Hotel Rooms, But No Room Service, To Sandy Victims
As was the case in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, disaster victims in New York and New Jersey are now being promised temporary government-paid hotel stays, if their housing situation (or lack thereof) warrants it. Though, don't go thinking these folks are headed for The Plaza or anything. At this point, all they care about is a dry, warm bed and a toilet that flushes.
Here's how it works: FEMA agrees to foot the bill for pre-arranged hotel stays that have been assigned to victims by a third party contractor (whose name is Corporate Lodging Consultants, in case you were wondering). The cost of the rooms is set at a fixed rate--the same rate paid for all federal employees who stay in hotels while on business.
The trouble is, even with that cushy government discount, rooms in NYC are still kinda pricey. Like $295/night pricey.
Which is why FEMA is now stipulating that, while eligible victims will indeed receive hotel rooms, the government won't pick up any room service or telephone charges.
Football Hotels / NFL Hotels / Hurricane Sandy / New Jersey Hotels / → All Tags
Even The Pittsburgh Steelers Can't Get a Room For Sunday's Game
Things are tough all over! Some hotels and travel apps are whining about our reports that their Hurricane Sandy fees aren't unfair at all, and now it looks like the Pittsburgh Steelers are in trouble! They'll have to march right back home after their game against the New York Giants at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. scheduled for 4:25pm on Sunday.
Why? There’s simply no room at the inn. Any inn,(not even the no-tell motels?), to take on the 53-man football team.
The Steelers' regular hotel in Jersey City is without power for their booking tomorrow night and they can't find alternate lodging. This will force the team to fly the great distance to Newark (an hour) on the day of the game (the NFL requires visiting teams to arrive at least one day before kickoff) and return to Pittsburgh that same day. But again, take note of the game time: 4:25 p.m. So, we’re not talking a break-of-dawn flight, here, buddies. Perspective!
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A New Hotel Will Open In Jersey City, Inside A Run-Down Old Bank from the '20's
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?'
Hotel News / Hotel Openings / Element Hotels / Starwood Hotels / New Jersey Hotels / → All Tags
Another Element Will Balance Out The New Jersey Hotel Scene in 2014
The only news we hear from New Jersey these days is Atlantic City buzz. Or, more specifically, buzz about Revel and snippets on how other AC hotels are dealing with the new competition.
But Starwood is reminding us today that New Jersey is also a perfectly nice place to stay when you're looking for a quiet, efficient, clean hotel near Manhattan but not actually located in the belly of the beast. Element, which already has a hotel in Ewing, near Princeton, has announced it will open a second NJ hotel in the suburb of Harrison, which lies between Jersey City and Newark—a less than 30 minute train ride to central Manhattan.
Hotel Renovations / Casino Hotels / Atlantic City Hotels / New Jersey Hotels / Hotel News / Hotel Rivalry / → All Tags
Eyeing The New Kid On the Block, The Borgata Springs For a $50 Million Makeover
The old look
It can be tough for a hotel to stay relevant and fresh when newer, perkier whipper-snappers are popping up all over the place. And the game is especially cutthroat in a jam-packed place like Atlantic City, where Revel, the first new casino to open in nine years, will understandably be hogging the spotlight for many months to come.
Though not if The Borgata has anything to say about it. The resort, which opened nine years ago, has been constantly refreshing itself with new expansions and wings and even a new upscale hotel offshoot, The Water Club.
Now, the 1,556-room resort is in the midst of a $50 million renovation of its guest rooms, set to be finished by July. Which should allow some time for Revel's initial fanfare to subside, but not much; not much.
Hotel Restaurants / Atlantic City Hotels / New Jersey Hotels / Casino Hotels / Revel Resorts / Hotel News / → All Tags
There's More At Revel To Get Excited About Than Just the Food
...actually, we take that back. We're pretty darn excited about the food here.
With just two months to go, the folks at Revel are working overtime to make sure everything is in place for a smooth soft opening next month. Construction briefly stalled in 2009 due to the economy, which in a way lends even more excitement now to the opening of Revel's 1,800 rooms, "theater-inspired" casino, two-acre outdoor SkyGarden, pool, spa, two nightclubs and over a dozen restaurants.
And though not all of the restaurant spaces have been finished yet, we were lucky enough to sample a few dishes from the resort's championing chefs—including Iron Chef winner Jose Garces, who will be opening not one but three restaurants inside the sprawling oceanfront resort. Oh, and his burgers? Awesome. After biting into one, we literally had to stand there motionless (with about seventy other diners swarming around us) until every last morsel had been devoured. And we don't even usually eat meat.
Hotel Weddings / Marriott Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / New Jersey Hotels / Cake Boss / Hotel Cake / Hotel Dessert / → All Tags
Marriott Knows The Way To Your Heart...Is Through Your Stomach
Valentine's Day is still five months away, but Marriott is clearly in the mood for love. Yesterday, the company announced two new promotions—"More Love In The World" and "Cake From Buddy"—that not only let couples indulge in a little suite-snuggling, but also ply them with cake! Buddy "Cake Boss" Valastro will welcome guest couples to his New Jersey facilities to discuss their dream wedding cake; and then, he'll bake it for them.
Can't make it to Jersey? That's OK, Valastro is open to video conferencing too. The point is, Marriott seems to be really enjoying playing Cupid.
In order to choose from the 24 custom cake designs, all you have to do is book your wedding or another "qualifying event" at a Marriott in the tri-state area between now and February 29. What qualifies as an event on par with a wedding? Well, hopefully, dessert.
New Jersey Hotels / W Hotels / Andre Balazs / Airport Hotels / → All Tags
Meet The New Jersey Olympic Wrestler Who Might Partner With Andre Balazs
New Jersey is certainly keeping up with the out-of-Manhattan hotel trend, and that's in addition to the glamorific Bungalow Hotel that opened back in 2009. Not to mention the ever-buzzier W Hoboken. But that's not even the point. At the center of this all is a single man by the name of David Barry, president of Hoboken-based real estate development company Ironstate Developments (which worked on both of those properties.) And boy does he set his sights high!
In addition to two upcoming New Jersey projects, Barry is in the midst of a W Marrakech (as in, North Africa), and, most interestingly, a joint venture with Andre Balazs on a Terminal 5 hotel at JFK airport.
Celebrity Scoop / W Hotel / New Jersey Hotels / P. Diddy / Siwiss Beatz / Audrina / → All Tags
Could the W Hoboken Be the Next Hot Celebrity Hotel Hangout?
We usually wouldn't think of Hoboken, N.J., as a hot spot. But the W Hoboken celebrated the second anniversary this week of its Chandelier Room bar, and a number of celebs came out for it. And we don't just mean the Real Housewives of New Jersey, though they were in attendance, too.
In fact, the lineup was pretty impressive, with reality-TV stars, hip-hop impresarios and sports figures making an appearance. Plus, Diddy and Swizz Beats got everyone bumping by providing the entertainment.
