Sands Atlantic City
| Sands Casino Hotel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Picture of the former Sands Casino/Hotel | |
| Address | S Indiana Avenue & Brighton Park
Atlantic City, NJ 08401 |
| Opening date | August 31, 1980 |
| Closing date | November 11, 2006 |
| Theme | Vegas-Style |
| No. of rooms | 532 |
| Signature attractions | Copa Room |
| Casino type | Land |
| Owner | Pinnacle Atlantic City |
| Previous names | Brighton Hotel & Casino |
The Sands Casino Hotel was a casino and hotel that operated from August 31, 1980 until November 11, 2006 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was formerly known as the Brighton Hotel & Casino. It consisted of a 21-story hotel tower with 532 rooms and a 5-story podium housing the 57,045 ft (17,387 m) casino and various other amenities. It was adjacent to Claridge Atlantic City and its parking garage was adjacent to the Madison Hotel.
At its peak, the Sands headlined top entertainers, such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Cher, Liza Minnelli, Bob Dylan, Robin Williams, Whitney Houston & Eddie Murphy, among others.
The casino was built by Greate Bay Casino Corporation, controlled by two local businessmen. Shortly after its opening, it was sold to a joint venture between Inns of America (owned by the Pratt brothers) and Burton and Richard Koffman. Inns of America also bought the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, and renamed the Atlantic City property to cash in on the "Rat Pack" reputation of Sands.
However, Sands was soon eclipsed by newer Atlantic City casinos and, at the time of its closing, had become the smallest of the city's 12 casinos. In 1998, the Sands filed for bankruptcy. Two years later, Carl Icahn purchased a controlling interest.[1] Icahn sold the property to Pinnacle Atlantic City in 2006.
Building demolition
The building was imploded at 9:37 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October 18, 2007;[2] the first-ever casino-hotel implosion on the East Coast. It was accompanied by a fireworks show and numerous parties along the boardwalk. Coincidentally, Sands was demolished less than 24 hours after the death of the last surviving member of the Rat Pack, comedian Joey Bishop.
Sands Atlantic City was the last casino in North America to bear the famous Sands moniker until the new Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem opened on May 22, 2009.
References
Coordinates: 39°21′29″N 74°25′52″W / 39.358°N 74.431°W
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