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- Hotel, Casino and
Spa The Borgata
Hotel Casino and Spa, 2003
PAGE SPONSOR
The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa is a luxury 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 divesture trust established by MGM Resorts International. The $1.1 billion casino hotel features 2,002 rooms and is the largest hotel in New Jersey.
The Borgata opened in July 2003 as a Las Vegas-style mega-resort and is the top grossing casino in Atlantic City.
The 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 middle class 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. The 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, the Borgata underwent a $200 million casino and retail expansion and the new wing opened in June 2006. As part of the expansion, the Borgata installed a poker room, the largest in Atlantic City. In June 2008, the Borgata opened its upscale hotel, The Water Club.
In early 2010, it was reported that MGM Mirage was to sell its ownership share in the Borgata. On March 12, 2010, MGM Mirage announced it would sell its stake in the Borgata and stop doing business as a gaming licensee in New Jersey. 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 the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and related leased land in Atlantic City. Boyd Gaming has right of first refusal, but Boyd is also engaged in its own high profile bid to purchase Station Casinos, and may not be able to raise the capital to make two large purchases at the same time.
The 161,000 square feet (15,000 m2) casino floor offers about 4,000 slot machines and 200 table games. Borgata’s poker program features daily tournaments and high stake tournaments in conjunction with the World Poker Tour. The poker room at the Borgata is the largest poker room on the East Coast and features the highest stake games.
The property offers six fine dining restaurants. There are five 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, Izakaya, billed as a "Modern Japanese Pub", and chef Michael Mina's SeaBlue, a seafood restaurant.
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.
The Borgata Event Center has 2,400 seats and hosts larger concerts and events.
The Music Box, a 1,000 seat theater, hosts smaller events and is home to the Borgata Comedy Club.
The clubs at Borgata are:
- The Gypsy Bar, a rock and tequila bar;
- Long Bar, a narrow bar with long bar top;
- B Bar, an ultra lounge on the casino floor;
- MIXX, a New York City style nightclub;
- mur.mur, an intimate nightclub with celebrity guest DJs.
The Borgata contains 11 specialty shops in a small shopping center named The Borgata Shops.
The Main Tower is a 400 ft. tall glass structure containing 2,000 guest rooms. The rooms feature HDTVs, floor - to - ceiling windows, and large bathrooms with granite countertops.
"The Water Club" is a boutique hotel connected to the Borgata that opened in June 2008, adding 800 additional guest rooms to the complex.
In 2005, the 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.
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.