Address 1 Borgata Way No. of rooms 2,002 | Theme Tuscany, Modernism | |
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Location Atlantic City, NJ 08401-194 Opening date July 2, 2003; 13 years ago (July 2, 2003) Total gaming space 161,000 sq ft (15,000 m) | ||
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is a hotel, casino, and spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. It is owned and operated by 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.
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History
Borgata was part of a major project in Atlantic City nicknamed "The Tunnel Project", started around 1999. When Steve Wynn planned the Le Jardin 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 Le Jardin was cancelled, finally opening in 2001.
Borgata opened on July 2, 2003 at 11:45pm, as a joint venture between MGM Mirage and Boyd Gaming. 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. The firms Marnell Corrao Associates of Las Vegas and Philadelphia’s Bower Lewis and Thrower Architects (BLT) worked on the project.
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.
In early 2010, it was reported that MGM Mirage might sell its ownership share in Borgata. 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. 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 would sell its 50% ownership interest in the Borgata.
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.
MGM agreed in May 2016 to purchase Boyd's 50 percent stake in the Borgata for $900 million in cash and assumed debt. MGM would then sell the property to its affiliated real estate investment trust for $1.18 billion and lease it back. The sale to MGM Resorts was completed in August 2016.
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. The Borgata also has the only racebook in Atlantic City.
Borgata has extensive online gambling operations.
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 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 music and comedy acts. Capacity 1,000. It converts to the Borgata Theater, a 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:
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.
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.
In popular culture
Several scenes in the 2010 film The Bounty Hunter were filmed on the premises of the Borgata, as were the casino scenes in the The Sopranos episode "Chasing It" (2007). The hotel and the club mur.mur. were also featured in the 21st season of The Real World where the roommates from Brooklyn took a road trip 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 thrice times on the TruTV series Impractical Jokers, appearing on the season 3 episodes, "Look Out Below", "The Great Escape", and "Fe-Mail".