5 posts tagged “resort”

In the new Atlantic City, no longer is it sufficient to have merely a yen to roll some dice, eat some good grub and watch a name singer warble a dozen tunes. If Caesars vice president of marketing Erin Hansen has her way, visitors to Atlantic City will have a "lifestyle," too.
"Tony Bennett has played here a long time and he will continue to come, which is wonderful," said Hansen. "But we want to attract people who never came to Atlantic City, people who never thought to come to Caesars before. We're looking for new things all the time."

So Caesars created its Lifestyle Series, entertainment with a twist, especially during the warmer months. It begins on Sunday with a visit from Mario Batali, one of four TV chef types who will come to Caesars Circus Maximus Theater through October.

Batali will be in the refurbished 1,600-seat theater at 1 p.m. on Sunday, basically doing his TV gig. He will prepare several dishes on stage for the better part of an hour, taking questions from the audience, both about the food and his own nonfood life, as he rambles around the kitchen set.

"These people aren't just chefs any more," said Hansen. "They are celebrities, and people seem to be interested in what they have to say. They are good at telling stories, and whether it is about cooking techniques or their personal lives, it is something people want now."

While the Batali stage show is $25, there is also what Hansen called a "VIP Opportunity" to eat what Batali cooks. Caesars is closing its Mia restaurant at 4 p.m. for Batali to prepare and cook a four-course meal - or, more precisely, to cook a bit in the center of the restaurant while the Mia staff prepares the meal for about 100 ticket buyers. He will sign books and chat one-on-one during the dinner, which will cost $150 for one and $250 for a couple.

Caesars will have three other celebrity chefs doing similar shows and dinners over the next several months: Paula Deen on July 27, Tom Colicchio on Sept. 7 and Anthony Bourdain on Oct. 12. Buy tickets for the whole series and you'll get a discount - $80 for all four chefs.

In between all this food, the Lifestyle Series will also have somewhat homey chats with Carol Burnett and author Jackie Collins.

Burnett's "Laughter and Reflection" (9 p.m., June 21) will not be a traditional stand-up comedy show, said Hansen, "but an up close and personal." Burnett will show clips from her old TV shows and chat about them, answering audience questions as she goes, but mostly looking back on her career and the friends she has met along the way.

"Dine and Dish," the Collins show (noon, June 14), will be a lunch with Collins, as she talks to about 200 people in a Caesars ballroom about the writing process. Collins will stop and chat with every table, autographing books and giving writing tips.

"With the success of the shops at the Piers and restaurants like Mia, the profile of the Caesars customer has broadened," said Hansen. "We're looking to provide them different things to keep them coming." *

Caesars Atlantic City, 2100 Pacific Ave., "Up Close and Personal Caesars Chef Series," $25 (all four, $80), VIP Interactive Experience, $150 a person, $250 a couple, 1-800-736-1420 or ticketmaster.com, for groups of 10 or more, call 609-340-2802, www.harrahs.com.

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Everyone has their their own little Do's and Don'ts when it comes to packing and traveling.  We are A&C Transport, car service and airport transportation, have compiled the ones we most often hear expressed.  Some might seem good, some bad, but there's always a chance to learn something new.  When it comes to traveling it's best to learn something new before you ever leave home.

Don't pack your entire beauty routine
If you use eight different products to tame your wild curls or have an elaborate face-washing regimen down to a science, let loose a bit when you travel instead of carrying an army of beauty products with you across the globe. Trust us — you won't look like a cave woman in your vacation pictures if you use a shampoo/conditioner combo for a few nights. If you're adventurous enough to leave home and explore an exotic destination, we bet you can also handle leaving behind a few hair products.

Top tips:

If you are staying at a major chain hotel that will offer complimentary toiletries — use them! Don't bring your own 24-ounce shampoo and conditioner bottles to the hotel and then stuff the hotel ones in your suitcase to take home. If you don't use them on the road, you'll probably never use them at home.
There are lots of products that have multiple uses. Opt for a shampoo/conditioner combo. Find a moisturizer with SPF. Let your moisturizing body wash double as a shaving cream. Share your shampoo, soap or toothpaste with your traveling partner.
Lose the bulky containers. Instead, try zip-top bags. We stuff everything we can into them, including hair products, lotions, cotton balls and even sunscreen. (If you're paranoid that a bag will puncture and deposit its messy contents onto your black silk dress, put all of your liquid-filled baggies in a large plastic grocery bag -- and be sure not to pack it next to any fishing rods or freshly sharpened pencils.)
Don't pack your jewelry and valuables
Rule of thumb — if you can't imagine living without your grandmother's wedding ring or your expensive Movado watch, it's best not to cart it overseas, where tourists are common targets for thieves and luggage often gets lost in transit. You may think you look like an icon of style, but to criminals and con-artists you appear as an icon of opportunity. It's also wise not to look like a million bucks if you're trying to bargain with the locals, and sparkly jewelry may set you apart from the natives when you're trying to fit in.

Top tips:

If you must bring your fancy jewelry, keep it in the hotel safe except for special occasions such as dinner in a nice restaurant — and be sure it's covered by appropriate insurance. Most homeowners' policies will not cover jewelry if it's lost or stolen while traveling, so you may need to purchase a separate policy.
Pack any valuables you buy while on your trip (and any of your own that you decide to bring) in your carry-on. Checked bags can sometimes disappear into the black hole of lost airline luggage.
Don't pack more than one guidebook
Some of us are practically addicted to these little gems of information, but we don't need to remind you how heavy a stack of books can be. One good, comprehensive guidebook should do the trick.

Top tips:

If you are convinced that each of your 11 guidebooks offers unique and vital information about your destination, cart them to your office or the library and photocopy your favorite sections.
Lonely Planet recently introduced mix-and-match guidebook chapters that can be downloaded a la carte on its Web site — so you only have to pay for (and pack!) the sections you need.
Research the location of an Internet cafe or two at your destination before you leave. If you are afraid of not having access to travel information during your trip, you can always find it on the Web.

Don't pack more clothes than you need
We know ... this one's a no-brainer. But deciding which clothes to bring is sometimes one of the most difficult parts of packing. Clothes tend to make up the bulk of most travelers' suitcases — and reducing the number of outfits you bring can lighten your load significantly. No one wants to run out of clean underwear in the middle of the Brazilian rain forest, but we think that travelers can find a comfortable balance between wearing the same stinky jeans and T-shirt the whole trip and changing their outfit three times each day like a celebrity.

Top tips:

If you're going on, say, a seven-day trip, spend a week before you leave keeping track of everything you wear. Make a list, or if you learn better with visual aids, keep these items together in a laundry basket. Then figure out which items you can do without.
Bring clothes in neutral colors that you can mix and match, and only pack shoes that can be worn with multiple outfits.
Check the weather at your destination before you leave and pack accordingly. If the weather deviates significantly from the forecast, you can always buy a sweater or rain poncho and keep it as a souvenir.
Many travel supply companies sell small packets of laundry detergent (you can also find these at a laundromat). It only takes a few minutes to wash your clothes in your hotel sink and hang them on a hanger to dry. When you wake up the next morning ... freshly washed clothes!

Don't pack unnecessary gadgets
This section applies to you if you have ever packed items such as nightlights, shoe horns, portable DVD players, book lights, coffee makers, fire-safety smoke hoods, hotel-door alarm systems, toothbrush sanitizers or electronic language translators, never to actually use them on your trip. The definition of "necessary" varies from one traveler to the next, so it's important to ask yourself if you will really need your ocean-sound machine to get to sleep each night before you stuff it in your bursting suitcase.

Top tips:

If you are a travel gadget addict, pick one or two that you just have to have and save the others for a future trip.
Keep in mind that some gadgets may call for more room in your luggage than you'd expect; to keep them running, you may need to pack things like spare batteries, chargers, or electrical adapters and converters (for overseas travel).

Don't pack things you can buy there
Yes, things you can buy at home are often more expensive overseas. This is especially the case in Europe, so a traveler who's flying across the pond may want to pack extra everything in the interest of saving money. But again — think of the luggage weight fees. Simple items that you may need but can probably live without, like aspirin, nail polish remover, extra razors or additional reading material for the plane ride back, can usually be purchased at drug and convenience stores in many destinations.

Top tips:

Remember that if you decide to buy a lot of your items abroad, you will have to create room in your suitcase to cart them back home. Buy sample-sized items if you can to save space and money.
Instead of bringing a virtual library of reading material with you, buy magazines and newspapers at the airport. Picking out what you want to read will give you something to do as you wait, and you can recycle the items so you don't have to lug them back with you.

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MGM Mirage Inc. plans to build a mega-casino resort worth up to $5 billion that will dwarf anything Atlantic City has seen before, the company said Wednesday.

The move is part of an ongoing gamble by casino operators to polish Atlantic City's image and attract upscale customers who want to do more than just bet money.

The project, which will be called MGM Grand Atlantic City, will cost between $4.5 billion and $5 billion, not including the land value and associated expenses, the company said in a statement.

It will be built on a 72-acre site at Renaissance Pointe that MGM owns, next to the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, which the company co-owns with Boyd Gaming Corp.

"We ... hope to re-energize the city's resort offerings and attract a new market of affluent East Coast customers," said Terry Lanni, MGM's chairman and CEO of the casino operator. "We believe the success at Borgata demonstrates the eagerness for further evolution of the nation's second-largest gaming market."

The project will consist of three hotel towers with more than 3,000 rooms and suites.

It will feature the largest casino floor in Atlantic City, with 5,000 slot machines, 200 table games and a large poker room, a 1,500-seat theater, as well as restaurants, nightclubs, a spa, 500,000 square feet of retail space, and a convention center.

The city's 11 casinos have invested billions of dollars to attract more upscale visitors who are drawn by entertainment, dining and shopping options, as opposed to day-trip gamblers who ride a bus into the city, play for a few hours, then go home.

"It's a very exciting project that is another step in Atlantic City's evolution to a full-scale destination resort, which is critical given the competition we currently face," said Joe Corbo, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey.

Atlantic City's casinos are being hurt this year by slots parlors in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York which are siphoning off gamblers that were once Atlantic City's exclusive customers.

Atlantic City's gambling revenue fell 4 percent from the start of the year through August, compared with the same period last year. It may mark the first annual revenue decline in the city's 29-year history of gambling.

MGM plans to build on about 60 acres of the site, setting 12 aside for future development, which may include a residential component. That is the same model the Borgata used when it opened in 2003. It is currently building a second hotel tower called The Water Club, which is expected to open before next summer.

Ground breaking is expected next year, with an anticipated opening in 2012.

MGM's stock dipped 68 cents to $99.07 in early trading, but the drop follows a recent run-up in the shares from $84 at the beginning of September.

Analysts were pleased with the news.

"It is a bet on what Atlantic City can become, not on what it is right now," said Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Robert LaFleur. "We are long-term believers that the market can transition from a predominantly day tripper market to more of a Las Vegas overnight destination."

Several analysts speculated MGM Mirage might take on a joint venture partner such as Dubai World, which recently announced it would take a 4.9 percent stake in the company and invest billions in joint ventures in MGM Mirage projects on the Las Vegas Strip.

Associated Press Writers Ryan Nakashima in Las Vegas and Michelle Chapman in New York contributed to this report.

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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Water Club, A Signature Hotel By Borgata, a joint venture between Boyd Gaming and MGM MIRAGE , began accepting hotel reservations today. The $400 million boutique-lifestyle hotel, which will open this June, will feature 800 guestrooms and suites. Guests can reserve a variety of rooms or packages at The Water Club by calling (800) 800.8817, or visiting www.thewaterclubatborgata.com for stays, starting July 1st.

"We're excited to announce this key milestone for The Water Club, bringing this unique hotel experience one step closer for guests," says Larry Mullin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. "The debut of The Water Club will allow more guests than ever before to experience Borgata through a distinctly cosmopolitan hotel experience."

The debut of The Water Club will complete Borgata's $600 million master plan development and bring the total investment into the resort destination to $1.7 billion.

About The Water Club

On schedule for a June 2008 opening, The Water Club, a Signature Hotel by Borgata, will introduce a unique brand of hospitality to Atlantic City, combining elements of Borgata, while delivering a personality of its own. The $400 million hotel will feature 800 guestrooms and suites; Immersion, a two-story spa located on the 32nd Floor; 18,000 square feet of meeting space; three Residences modeled after chic, urban lofts; five heated indoor and outdoor pools; and six retail shops. Located adjacent to Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, The Water Club will be just steps away from Borgata's world-class entertainment, shopping, dining, nightlife, and gaming options.

About Borgata

Borgata is a joint venture of Boyd Gaming Corporation and MGM MIRAGE . Located at Renaissance Pointe in Atlantic City, it features 2,000 guest rooms and suites, 161,000 square feet of gaming, 200 gaming tables, 4,100 slot machines, 10 destination restaurants, 12 retail boutiques, a 54,000 square foot spa, 70,000 square feet of event space, and parking for 7,100 cars. For more information on Borgata or to obtain a copy of this press release, please visit www.theborgata.com or use AOL keyword: borgata. Additional news and information on Boyd Gaming can be found at www.boydgaming.com; additional information on MGM MIRAGE can be found at www.mgmmirage.com.

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Six Retail Boutiques Set To Offer Chic Choices for Shoppers

Atlantic City, NJ –The Water Club, A Signature Hotel By Borgata, todayannounced the major brands that will comprise the hotel’s impressive collection of upscale retail stores.  The Shoppes at The Water Club will include signature La Perla, Just Cavalli, Hearts On Fire, Hugo Boss, and Fixation boutiques.

“The Shoppes at The Water Club will complement the cosmopolitan experience the hotel will offer and the luxe lifestyle that defines the property,” says Jordan Covell, Executive Director of Retail for The Water Club. “We are pleased to welcome designer brands such as La Perla and Just Cavalli, who will open their first area boutiques in Atlantic City; the signature Hugo Boss BOSS collection for men; and the very first Hearts On Fire store in North America.  Together, these shoppes will offer guests Fifth Avenue at their fingertips.”

The debut of The Water Club, a joint venture between Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD)  and MGM MIRAGE (NYSE: MGM), will complete Borgata's $600 million master plan development and bring the total investment into the resort destination to $1.7 billion, allowing more guests than ever before to experience the Borgata resort destination.

THE SHOPS

LA PERLA
La Perla, a collection of luxurious intimate apparel, swimwear and ready-to-wear is a natural fit for The Water Club audience.  La Perla is a company built on the deep knowledge of the feminine body, attention to detail and fit of every garment, the fusion of tradition and innovation, Italian identity and quality ethics. The company’s philosophy wants to communicate emotions even before selling the product.  The collections that you will find at La Perla are made with the utmost in luxury and fashion, all while having an incredible fit. 
LaPerla.com

JUST CAVALLI
Just Cavalli at The Water Club joins the brand’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue. Roberto Cavalli’s ready-to-wear collection has a sensual, party infused flair similar to The Water Club, making it a perfect fit. “The Water Club is a great partner for Just Cavalli,” says Enrico Di Muccio, Chief Executive Officer of IT Holding USA. “The Water Club Just Cavalli location will be the first in Atlantic City. It is an untapped market for us but we are confident it will be very successful. With the opening of Borgata, Atlantic City is gaining the energy and vibe of Las Vegas, and the Just Cavalli product excels in this setting. The project combines the right mix of high-end retail and luxe lifestyle.”

HEARTS ON FIRE
Known for creating a new industry standard for diamond cutting perfection, The Hearts On Fire Company is opening its first store in North America at The Water Club.  The Water Club store is operated in partnership with Harvey Rovinsky, owner of Bernie Robbins Fine Jewelers, as part of Hearts On Fire expansion strategy to build a consumer brand experience. Housed in an elegant retail space filled with glass and sparkle, Hearts On Fire will capture the eye of Water Club guests with top-notch selections of diamonds known for their brilliance.  As the fastest growing diamond brand Hearts On Fire continues to redefine the industry through its extraordinary diamonds and unique retail relationships.  Hearts On Fire is carried in 31 countries, including 600 U.S. retail locations, as well as locations throughout the U.K., Asia, and the Caribbean. 
HeartsOnFire.com

BOSS
Just for men, The Water Club's BOSS store will offer BOSS Black with
Elegant business wear, BOSS Orange providing up-to-date casual wear and the BOSS Green collection offering performance sportswear. Those who demand exceptional materials, craftsmanship and exclusivity will appreciate the luxurious tailored fashions of BOSS Selection.
HugoBoss.com.

FIXATION
Exclusive to The Water Club, Fixation offers designer items from the latest Salvatore Ferragamo and Prada styles to high-end handbags and footwear.

CAMEO
Offering up many of life’s simple pleasures, Cameo will offer customers a one-stop shop for all of their basic needs. Filled with a wide variety of specialty products, including a series of signature Water Club gift items, sundries, and more, Cameo will offer the must-have staples a luxury guests needs for an overnight stay.

For more information or to access a sneak peak of the virtual tour of The Water Club, A Signature Hotel By Borgata, please visit thewaterclubatborgata.com.

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