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Another AC Hotel-Casino Put On Hold

Another hotel-casino development in Atlantic City bites the dust. The $1 billion "boutique" casino, hotel and resort due to be built on the Southern tip of the AC Boardwalk by Curtis Bashaw was supposed to bring style and class back to Atlantic City, much like Bashaw's other AC property The Chelsea.

Unlike The Chelsea, this project was supposed to be huuuge. It was rumored to have two hotel towers with a total of 2,000 hotel rooms, a 6-story condo tower, extensive banquet facilities, retail, a theater and of course, a casino floor which the Chelsea does not have.

Unfortunately, it joins the other huge developments in Atlantic City by MGM Mirage & Pinnacle Gaming which are caught up in this whole credit/financing debacle and won't see any light at the end of the tunnel until 2009 or 2010.

Not all faith in Atlantic City is lost though. Bashaw was quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer saying that if the planned Revel Casino Resort opens on time in 2010, it could push other developers to get crackin' again.

"If they get finished with Revel, it's going to be a second Borgata and make the others anxious to get going."

Do we hear Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" playing in the background?

[Image Credit: Observer.com]

AC Hotels / Hotel Nightlife / Hotel Bars / Stephen Starr / Hotel Video Tours / Curtis Bashaw / → All Tags

Inside the Chelsea Atlantic City's Dining and Nightlife Scene

Teplitzky's General Manager, Michael Goins describing The Chelsea's Dining Options

Normally when we do a hotel review, our thoughts about the restaurant and nightlife is combined into the main review - but for The Chelsea in Atlantic City which has not one, but two Stephen Starr dining spots, and a nightlife spot hosted by Paul Sevigny and Matthew Abramcyk it deserves its own post.

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Curtis Bashaw / AC Hotels / → All Tags

The Chelsea AC "Isn't Just a Hotel With a Restaurant"

Curtis Bashaw describing guest reactions to The Chelsea

We had an opportunity during our stay at The Chelsea this weekend to catch up with Curtis Bashaw, the developer of The Chelsea and he gave us a tour of hotel including the as-yet unfinished portions of the hotel like Lite rooms, the Crystal Room, and the Sea Spa.

Since we had Curtis' undivided attention for a short while, we asked him a few questions that were on our mind:

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Hotel Openings / Atlantic City Hotels / Hotel Hype / Hotel Delays / Curtis Bashaw / Stephen Starr / Jason Pomeranc / Hotel News / → All Tags

More Boutique Hotel Delays :: Atlantic City's Chelsea Hotel Not Quite There

Curtis Bashaw on the roof of The Chelsea

Right now we were expecting to be packed and ready to go to the opening party for The Chelsea tomorrow in Atlantic City, but unfortunately we have to sleep in our own beds instead.

While guests have been able to sleep at The Chelsea, they won't be able to use the pool or partake in the nightlife and Stephen Starr dining that The 5th Floor is set to offer. As for the spa, well that probably will not open until November. Thompson LES, you are not alone! The Chelsea AC is here for you.

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AC's Chelsea Teases Us With Ribbon Cutting But At Least It's Partially Open

Last Friday The Chelsea, which is calling itself Atlantic City's first non-casino boutique hotel in decades had their ribbon cutting announcing their Grand Opening.. buuuuttt -- the real opening won't be until August 1st.

Huh?

Yep.. Guests have been staying at The Chelsea since the beginning of July, and the Chelsea's website has been taking reservations since then - but not all the rooms are finished, and none of the amenities are opening until August 1st.

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AC Hotels / Curtis Bashaw / Hotel Construction / Hotel Hype / Hotel Openings / → All Tags

Construction Update: The Chelsea Atlantic City

"The Chelsea" sign is still under construction

Last week we had an opportunity to get a construction tour of The Chelsea, the first non-gambling boutique hotel in Atlantic City, and even though it's not opening until August, we were quite impressed with what we saw.

Our tour guide was Curtis Bashaw, CEO of Cape Advisors which owns The Chelsea and also owns and operates a number of hotels in Cape May, NJ.

The Chelsea is made up of the former Holiday Inn and Howard Johnson hotels located right on the ocean just south of the Tropicana casino. The Holiday Inn building will be the main Chelsea property while the HoJo building will house the Chelsea Lite rooms.

And to say that Bashaw and co. have gutted the property and started over is almost an understatement. Yet, they still have managed to keep some of the original parts of the hotels---such as the tile in the bathrooms, and some room furniture from the former Howard Johnson. Don't worry, they've replaced the mattresses!

Keep reading for more on The Chelsea's construction update including pictures!

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Party Dispatch / Hotel News / Hotel Parties / Hotel Restaurants / Stephen Starr / Curtis Bashaw / Colleen Bashaw / Hotel Hype / AC Hotels / → All Tags

Party Dispatch :: The Chelsea Atlantic City's Preview Party

Stephen Starr, Colleen Bashaw, and Curtis Bashaw.

On Tuesday night, we checked out the Preview Party at the Beatrice Inn for The Chelsea Atlantic City which is still on schedule for a mid-July opening.

Our favorite Philadelphia Restaurateur (and soon to be Hotelier) Stephen Starr was there along with Curtis Bashaw and his sister Colleen Bashaw who designed the interior of the Chelsea, as well as a number of Curtis' other hotel projects in Cape May.

While we were a little disappointed that there were no pictures of the interior, or a presentation about the hotel, drinks were free, hors d'Oeuvres were excellent and the opportunity to actually get into the Beatrice Inn without having to pay off a bouncer made up for it.

And yes, we sat on the couch where Lindsey Lohan probably made out with 684,384 guys (in one night) last week and felt a little bit of the celeb vibe.

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