The Borgata
| Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Borgata and The Water Club | |
| Address |
1 Borgata Way Atlantic City, NJ 08401-1946 |
| Opening date | July 2, 2003 |
| Theme | Tuscany, Modernism |
| Number of rooms | 2,802 (including 800 in The Water Club |
| Total gaming space | 161,000 sq ft (15,000 m2) |
| Permanent shows | Borgata Comedy Club |
| Signature attractions | Borgata Poker Room |
| Notable restaurants |
Bobby Flay Steak Izakaya Mixx Old Homestead Steakhouse |
| Casino type | Land-based |
| Owner | Marina District Development, LLC. |
| Previous names | None |
| Renovated in | 2005, 2007, 2011 |
| Website | www.theborgata.com |
The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa is a hotel, casino, and spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by Marina District Development, a joint venture between Boyd Gaming and a MGM Resorts International. The casino hotel features 2,002 rooms and is the largest hotel in New Jersey.
Borgata opened in July 2003 and is the top-grossing casino in Atlantic City.
History
Borgata was part of a major project in Atlantic City nicknamed "The Tunnel Project", started around 1999. When Steve Wynn had planned the new Mirage Resort in Atlantic City, he wanted to connect a $330 million 2.5-mile (4.0 km) tunnel from the Atlantic City Expressway to the new resort, later named the Atlantic City-Brigantine Connector, which would funnel incoming traffic off the Atlantic City Expressway into the city's marina district.
This caused major controversy, as it would cut through a residential neighborhood and competitor Donald Trump sued Wynn for it saying that it was a "driveway" to his casino.
The Tunnel Project did go on, even after Wynn's Mirage was cancelled, finally opening in 2001. Borgata opened on July 2, 2003 at 11:45pm. The main tower is the third tallest building in Atlantic City and is visible from many miles away due to its facade of reflective gold glass.
In late 2005 and early 2006, Borgata underwent a $200 million casino and retail expansion and the new wing opened in June 2006. As part of the expansion, Borgata installed a poker room, the largest in Atlantic City. In June 2008, Borgata opened its second hotel, The Water Club.[1]
In early 2010, it was reported that MGM Mirage may sell its ownership share in Borgata.[2] On March 12, 2010, MGM Mirage announced it would sell its stake in Borgata and stop doing business as a gaming licensee in New Jersey.[3] On March 17, 2010, MGM Mirage announced that the New Jersey Casino Control Commission (CCC) approved the settlement agreement between the Company and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) under which the Company will sell its 50% ownership interest in Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and related leased land in Atlantic City.[4]
In September 2014, the CCC reversed its earlier decision and allowed MGM back into the state, after finding that Pansy Ho's role in MGM Macau had been reduced.[5]
Gaming
The 161,000-square-foot (15,000 m2) casino floor offers about 4,000 slot machines, 180 table games and 50 poker tables. Borgata’s poker program features daily tournaments and high-stake tournaments in conjunction with the World Poker Tour. For weekly events, buy-ins range from $30 to $1,000 but the hotel also hosts other major events throughout the year.[6] The Borgata also has the only racebook in Atlantic City.
Dining
Fine dining
The property offers five fine dining restaurants. There are four original properties and one expansion location, Old Homestead, having its original location in New York City. Two of the fine dining restaurants bear the names of their celebrity restaurateurs; Bobby Flay Steak and Wolfgang Puck American Grille. The property's Italian restaurant is chef Stephen Kalt's Fornelletto. Also part of the fine dining offerings, a Japanese cuisine restaurant, and Izakaya, billed as a "Modern Japanese Pub".
Casual dining
Borgata offers six casual dining options on the casino level, a lower level food court with seven eateries, and one option in the Water Club lobby. Many of these locations offer extended hours to cater to patrons of the casino, which operates 24/7. These locations do not take reservations.
The Metropolitan is a contemporary, waitress service, American restaurant themed as a European Bistro which also offers an Oyster Bar and Gelato bar. Borgata Buffet, a typical casino buffet, offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a Sunday brunch. Bread+Butter is a counter service sandwich and beverage restaurant. N.O.W. or "Noodles of the World" is a waiter service Asian Fusion restaurant. Roma is an Italian cuisine cafe offering counter service. Gypsy Bar, mainly a tequila bar, offers limited food selection. In the lobby of the companion hotel, The Water Club, the Sunroom is a tapas and appetizer restaurant.
A lower level food court called The Cafeteria offers fast food style offerings with walk up counter service. The area includes Tony Luke's, Fatburger, Lettuce Head, Ben & Jerry's, Villa Pizza, Panda Express, and a Hibachi-San. Although the seating area is available 24/7, only Fatburger is open 24/7, the other restaurants have various hours.
Entertainment
Borgata Festival Park: A seasonal outdoor venue featuring two stages. The grounds are 40,000 sqft on the northern part of the property. Along with being a concert venue, it also serves as an EDM day club and special events during the day. Capacity 4,500.
Borgata Event Center: The main music venue for the resort. This intimate venue contains 30-foot ceilings, giving the space extraordinary acoutics and optimal sightlines. Seating varies from reserved to general admission. Capacity 3,200. All music acts are promoted via Live Nation Philadelphia.
Depeche Mode performed at the concert hall three times: the first and the second were on December 3, 2005 and May 20, 2006 during their Touring the Angel. The third one was on August 1, 2009 during their Tour of the Universe, in front of a crowd of 2,500 people. The 2006 and 2009 shows were recorded for the group's live albums projects Recording the Angel and Recording the Universe, respectively.
The venue can be converted into the Borgata Ballroom. A special events center for formal dinners, receptions, training or business presentations. Capacity 3,200 (theatre), 1,700 (banquet).
Borgata Music Box: A versatile venue used for msuic and comedy acts. Capacity 1,000. It converts to the Borgata Theater, Private venue designed for meetings and presentations. The theater is designed for cyrstal clear sound. Capacity 1,000. In 2013, comedian Lewis Black performed his ninth stand-up comedy special at the Borgata.
Nightclubs
The clubs at Borgata are: mur.mur: An intimate nightclub designed for parties and cocktails receptions. The club features state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems. Capacity 600.
Gypsy Bar: A private music venue with a causal bar setting. Capacity 150.
- Long Bar, a narrow bar with long bar top
- B Bar, an ultra-lounge on the casino floor
- MIXX, a nightclub
Spa
Borgata's spa, named Spa Toccare, is a 54,000-square-foot (5,000 m2) spa with a salon, a barbershop, a fitness center, and an indoor pool.
Retail
Borgata contains 11 specialty shops in a small shopping center named Borgata Shops.
Hotel towers
Main tower
The Main Tower at Borgata stands 431 ft. tall and contains 2,000 guest rooms and suites. It was opened in conjunction with Borgata in 2003. Suites include the Fiore Suite with 52” Television, the Opus Suite which is 1,000 square feet including a natural wood foyer, and the Piatto Suite with multi-media entertainment center and 1,500 square feet. The rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows, HDTVs, and large bathrooms with granite countertops.
The Water Club
"The Water Club" is a 43-story, $400 million boutique hotel connected to Borgata. It features 800 guestrooms and suites; Immersion, a two-story spa on the 32nd floor, 18,000 square feet of meeting and event space, three Residences, five heated pools - indoor and outdoor - and boutique retail shops including Hugo Boss, Just Cavalli and Fixation. All rooms feature ocean views.
Controversy
In 2005, Borgata issued a policy that it would fire any cocktail server who gained more than 7% of their body weight and did not lose it within 90 days.[7] In 2013, Superior Court Judge Nelson Johnson dismissed a suit by 22 cocktail servers who claimed Borgata created a culture of humiliation and harassment with its dress code.[8] In September 2015, the New Jersey Appellate Division handed down a split decision that upheld Borgata's ability to enforce its dress code policy while also allowing half of the servers to return to Superior Court and pursue claims over how the dress code policy is enforced.[9]
On November 14, 2007, authorities charged twenty-three people in connection with an illegal sports gambling ring that was allegedly run out of the Borgata's poker room. Six of the twenty-three were Borgata employees, and four of the others were known mob associates.[10]
In popular culture
Several scenes in the 2010 film The Bounty Hunter were filmed on the premises of the Borgata,[11] as were the casino scenes in the The Sopranos episode "Chasing It" (2007). The hotel and the club mur.mur. was also featured in the 21st season of the Real World where the roommates from Brooklyn took a roadtrip to Atlantic City. In 2010, The Real Housewives of New Jersey's season 2 reunion was held there and in 2012, the season 4 reunion as well.
The Borgata has been featured 3 times on the TruTV series Impractical Jokers, appearing on the season 3 episodes, "Look Out Below", "The Great Escape" and "Fe-Mail"
See also
External links
Coordinates: 39°22′39″N 74°26′06″W / 39.37749°N 74.43510°W
References
- ↑ Sloan, Gene (2006-07-07). "Atlantic City is building a Las Vegas image". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
- ↑ "MGM may exit Atlantic City".
- ↑ "MGM Mirage to sell Atlantic City casino stake", The Associated Press, March 12, 2010.
- ↑ "Settlement Agreement Approved in New Jersey MGM MIRAGE to Sell Interest in Borgata Hotel & Casino"
- ↑ Parry, Wayne (September 10, 2014). "New Jersey lets MGM keep half of Borgata casino". Las Vegas Sun. AP. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
- ↑ http://www.allinmag.com/poker/inside-poker/the-action/nov-18-2015-borgata-hotel-casino-spa-fan-favorite-among-east-coast-poker-rooms
- ↑ Associated Press (2005-02-17). "N.J. casino to fire weightier waitstaff". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
- ↑ Bodgan, Jennifer (2013-07-25). "'Borgata Babes' lose suit over weight bias". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
- ↑ Bodgan, Jennifer (2015-09-18). "Appeals judges uphold Borgata weight rules in 'babes' suit". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
- ↑ Chen, David (2007-11-14). "23 Are Charged With Illegal Sports Betting at Borgata Casino in Atlantic City". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- ↑ "Gerard Butler Inspires OMG Press Release of the Week". Zagat. March 11, 2010.
| Preceded by Trump Taj Mahal |
Tallest Building in Atlantic City 2003—2008 431 ft |
Succeeded by The Water Club |
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