It’s happening at Atlantic City Hotels and Casinos

Atlantic city seems to be tending to go smoke free. This is one of those tricky issues that noone really knows what the right thing to do is. So, two years ago, the state of New Jersey banned smoking at all public buildings except casinos. Casinos were left out because of the obvious threat to reducing the appeal of Atlantic City to a large segment of tourists. Surveys and studies confirmed the fear that smoking restructions could seriously affect the Atlantic CIty economy. Well, the casinos’ luck might be running out.

USA Today reported today that State officials are set to vote on whether to make smoking illegal at all casinos except at designated smoking areas. Read the full story here.

Now, I am not a smoker myself and this would be favorable to me. However, here’s a really tough choice for the officials. What’s more important, a marginal health risk or the risk of serious economic slowdown?

Several other gaming jurisidictions have banned smoking recently in the last year or two including the Black Hawk mountain casinos near Denver, Colorado. These casinos have reported an estimated 3-4% drop in revenues JUST from this ban alone. That’s several billions in lost revenue. Several millions in lost tax money for the State. Several thousand jobs lost, since layoffs are happening in all casino companies today.

On the other hand, the health risks from smoking are becoming more and more clear and scientifically proven. But is it the state’s business to curb people’s freedom of entertainment? Will this result in actual reduction in the injuries from tobacco or will it actually increase tobacco consumption since people do like to do forbidden things - like in the case of marijuana? Time will tell again, but if you have any thoughts on this issue, please comment and share with us.

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I’ve always thought that shows are the best value for money at Las Vegas and Atlantic City. For the price of an average dinner or two hands of blackjack at the Taj, you get entertained by some of the best talent around the world. Shows are always on the top of my list when I visit Atlantic City so I thought I would list some of my favorites.

Atlantic city has always acted as a magnet to attract the crowd owing to its top grade shows. There really aren’t that many places south of New York City that have as much variety in its show offerings as Atlantic City does. The big city events not only electrify the minds of the tourists but the participants of the events are also equally exhilarated by the grandiose of the events. As a home to all great shows, the Atlantic city hosts a variety of events suitable for all age groups. Shows are conducted on all days around the year and at all the time. Big or small, the Atlantic city shows accommodate all budget ranges. In fact, I’ve noticed that shows here are perhaps more affordable than at New York Broadway and Las Vegas. I’ve mentioned the prices of all the shows mentioned further down in this article to give you an idea.

One of the recent adds to the line up of top Atlantic city’s glamour places is the 10 Til Night Club. It is located right in the prime Atlantic City tourist area and is open on all hours of all the days with special music on Saturdays. This night club provides a relaxed ambience and amazing ocean views for just $10 admission fee which is inclusive of the special Saturday music event. Another night club to watch out for is the Blue Martini which is specialises in live entertainment offered on Fridays and Saturdays. Blue Martini offers tourists what few other places in Atlantic City or any other place for that matter can boast of – a large line-up of top-shelf liquors and more than 100 variations of martinis. The bar with a built-in frosted ice rail is the highlight of this night club.

Who doesn’t like to laugh? Especially on vacations, it is always good to take a break from the strain and watch a comedy show. Most of them have an admission fee of $20 per head or lesser. The Borgotta comedy club features cutting edge talent and would be our pick among the comedy clubs at Atlantic City Hotels. Booking is done at least 1 hour prior to the show. The comedy stop café and cabaret is also right up there at the top. The ticket fee per head is $15 and for every couple of tickets, a free popcorn bag is offered too. The show times are at 10 pm from Sunday through Thursday, 9.00 and 11.15 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Are you the crazy one in your family? The Savage Men male revue is one of the characterised ongoing shows for certified party animals who indulge in tasty cocktails and club worship. It is located in the house of blues. This is open on all hours of the day with special working hours on Saturdays from 8.00 pm to 11.00 pm.

When it comes to longevity, nobody comes close to The 42nd Street. It is the second longest running American musical in Broad way history. 42nd street is the recipient the prestigious Tony award for Best Musical. 42nd street is open to all with a fee of $25 per head.

Instead of glamour, now, if you are my type and are looking for a break from all the noise from the slot machines and the crowds, the Treasures From The Collection: Museum of American Glass might be the answer to your prayers. Their collection has been growing steadily and is now at  more than 15,000 pieces. The admission fee ranges from $10 for adults to $9 for senior citizens and free entry to all the children under five.

If those weren’t enough choices for you, let me list my next two favorites. The Frank, Dean and Sammy – Rat Pack Tribute show and the Steve Tyrel entertainment shows at $25 and $30 respectively are pretty good value for money and will do well for a relaxing nostalgic evening. If you are looking for live concerts, the Emily Jean and Screamers and Good Charlotte are in concert at present. Ticket prices are around $30.

So the next time your are in Atlantic City, now you know where to go!

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Recently, Atlantic City once again has been able to become one of those luxurious cities that everyone wants to visit. Despite general economic slowdown at the city, the number of luxury and upscale outlets have been on the rise. For many people, when they think of luxury and wealth, Atlantic City usually does not come to mind; however, with recent additions in the past few years, Atlantic City has been able to get back on the luxury path.

One of the biggest additions to Atlantic City is the Borgata Hotel, or should it be called the Borgata Hotel, Casino, Spa, Shopping Center, Restaurant, Bar and Club! Whichever way you look at it, the Borgata Hotel has risen to the status of one of the biggest luxury attractions in Atlantic City. The Borgoaa Hotel was built in 2003 and is the most recent hotel addition to Atlantic City. In fact, it is the first in thirteen years. The hotel provides 2,000 rooms and was specifically designed to become a rival of the popular hotels in cities such as Las Vegas and NYC. The hotel has a casino, thirteen restaurants, an event center, a club, a bar, a spa, and eleven stores to purchase clothing and accessories. The Borgata Hotel also plans to add a water club. The Borgata has definitely brought luxury back to a city that seemed to be growing duller and duller with the passage of time.

Another hotel that has brought renown and popularity to Atlantic City among the luxury-travelers is the Trump Taj Mahal. It offers all kinds of suites such as penthouse suites and lanai suites that are sure to fit even the most luxurious people. The Taj Mahal has restaurants, a casino, and a spa. The luxury spa at the Taj Mahal is one of the best around, a close rival to the Bally’s spa. The spa at the hotel offers seaweed wraps, deep tissue massages, aromatherapy, and other types of health and fitness services.

The one other hotel that comes to mind when thinking luxury at Atlantic City is the Bally’s hotel. Bally’s is a four-star hotel that towers over the Boardwalk. The hotel has a casino, a spa, 1240 rooms, an indoor pool and Jacuzzi, VIP indoor parking, VIP valet service, upscale places to shop, a large 18-hole golf course, an aerobic studio, sixteen restaurants, four of them which focus on the culture and cuisine of the American West, while the other twelve are gourmet restaurants. Bally’s also offers live entertainment venues as well as poker tournaments. That’s a lot, even by casino standards!

With the rise of luxury in Atlantic City, it is sure to be able to cast off its shell of dullness that had started to form over the last decade. This new surge will hopefully help the city move past the recent nationwide economic slowdown. Traditionally, Atlantic City has always lagged behind its closest cousins Las Vegas and New York City. Hotels like the Borgata and the Taj Mahal are closing this gap and providing a much-needed new look to the City. Check them out on your next trip!

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The resurrection of Atlantic City by the inception of casino gambling twenty years ago was a slow process, and with increasing competition, there is growing uncertainty as to whether the city’s future will be one of continued growth, stagnation, or a return to the decay and decline that made Atlantic City turn to gaming in the first place. Recent casino and urban development has pumped billions of dollars into New Jersey’s economy, generating in new tax revenue and creating more jobs than the city had residents. However, the casino industry has not restored Atlantic City to its former position as playground of the world or the major hospitality center of the United States as was anticipated in the Casino Control Act. Let’s go through some of the reasons and the facts that might help us understand this trend and whether it is a short-term glitch or a long-term phenomenon.

The more typical experience is that of Atlantic City which has not reaped great benefits from its casinos, despite their contributing nearly seventy percent of the tax levy. The Atlantic City casinos collectively employ more than forty thousand people, wages are relatively low; study found that a third of the hotel jobs in the city paid very less.

Atlantic City Hotels and Casinos have provided the needed resources for the redevelopment of the city. They have created thousands of moderate income jobs in a year round environment, catering to millions of tourists per year. Of course, the state of New Jersey has received substantial tax benefits as a result of casino revenues. The revenue from entertainment and gambling related taxes at Atlantic City is second only to Las Vegas in the United States. With such a seemingly positive cashflow, how can the economy not do well?

There are several reasons that we think could be causing this. Political errors and the overall economic slowdown are perhaps the biggest ones. Because of disputes between Atlantic City, Atlantic County, and the state of New Jersey, the failing infrastructure and the social degeneration of the community continued up until five years ago. Under the New Jersey Casino control act, two percent of the gross revenue from casino operations was to be provided to the state of New Jersey for redevelopment projects within Atlantic City. Under the act, these funds were earmarked for urban redevelopment. The state believed that it did not need to use these funds in Atlantic City, assuming that the total investment in Atlantic City by hotels and entertainment facilities would be sufficient to stimulate growth within the community. The infrastructure and the need for city housing would be accelerated by the development of the casino industry itself. This assumption, combined with the overall nation-wide economic slowdown may have been one of the primary reasons for the current slowdown at Atlantic City.

It is interesting that, in sharp contract, other states and local governments have not hesitated to spend millions in efforts to attract new jobs into their economies. The state of New York authorized sic new tribal casinos and slot machine gaming at eight race tracks. This was motivated in no small measure by the need to close the gap against large impending state deficits, relating both to the economic slowdown and to the anticipated economic consequences of the terrorist actions and the subsequent war on terrorism. This sort of further reinforces that casino development can still be a very favorable thing for the State and its economy if done well.

More than 500 casino employees have been laid off in the past three months alone in Atlantic City and other leading gaming jurisdictions. The peripheral businesses for the casinos – hotels, atlantic city shows, Etc. are slowing down the fastest and even gaming revenues are showing signs of decline. Will Atlantic City survive this scare and come out ahead in the long run or is this the beginning of a new troubling era for it? Time will tell.

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