As folks return to the "New Atlantic City" they often ask where they should stay. Rarely do they specify what THEY really like in a hotel room. Is a big bathtub a must? In room coffee-makers? A good firm mattress? A feathery pillow? How about a refrigerator? There are so many things that can make our break a room for individuals that it is impossible to determine the "best" rooms in town, or at least what the "best" room for that person might be. However, it is quite possible to make a list of these important amenities and rate the rooms where we stay.
My long-term goal for the site is to have a grid the details what each class of room offers at each property in town (with the possible exception of the Tropicana, where I don't think any of us would admit to staying). We also have a reasonably large collection of photos of rooms in the Harrah's properties that could be a very useful guide to prospective visitors about what room best suits their needs.
So, what factors do you think people care about when selecting a hotel room? What is important to you?
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Obviously you want a clean room. Beyond that, as you stated, everyone has different needs. Is your room going to be a part of your vacation/gambling "entertainment" or are you just looking for a place to rest your head for a few hours after being up until 6:30 am gambling?
I've stayed at almost every casino hotel in Atlantic City (and a few non-casino hotels) so I've gotten a pretty good idea of how the rooms are. Some are large, some are small, some will have a "view" some wont', most have refrigerators, some have coffee makers (either 4 cup pot or single cup makers), some have large tubs, etc. . . Here are my thoughts:
AC Hilton: Never stayed.
Tropicana: Stayed in a jacuzzi suite for my birthday. This was about 6 years ago and before the Havana Tower was built. The room was smallish. There was a small TV on a stand across from the bed. The jacuzzi was a decent size and it was separated from the bedroom by a wall panel which you could open. Going on a tangent for a bit, the buffet was decent for the price (hot crab legs and carved prime rib) and the gourmet Chinese restaurant was very good. I am not impressed with the casino, which is one of the reasons I don't venture down this far (its location is another reason I do not frequent the Trop).
Trump Plaza: I stayed in an accessible room two years ago. It was decently appointed, but not well set up. There was vacant space by the window and the entryway was crammed, a desk on one side the refrigerator on the adjacent wall. I would certainly like to try other rooms.
Caesars Atlantic City: Ah, where to begin? If you're "lucky" enough, you can get one of the Temple Tower rooms with a view of the lobby and casino, quite exciting, and if you are annoyed when the sun comes between the cracks of your curtains, no worries! Plus the weather inside is usually nice. These rooms are actually a decent size, plenty of wasted space.
I had an Ocean Tower room many years ago, it was a bit larger, as I recall, there was a separate water closet, which is always nice.
The Centurion Towers are the way to go, but they are a bit of a hike from the lobby.
Bally's Atlantic City - Bally's Wild Wild West - Bally's Claridge Casino: I lumped them all together, since in essence, they are one. The old Claridge Tower is the furthest from the lobby and the rooms are probably the worst. The old Dennis Tower rooms are a set up, but not much. The funny thing is the layout of the rooms are such that you could get an incredibly small room or one of the "deluxe" rooms, which has a full sofa and large amounts of wasted space. You really can't beat the Tower Rooms at Bally's, especially the corner King rooms, with the separate oval tub (no jets) and shower. I've seen one of the Garden Tower rooms and it was very nice, large tub and large bathroom. I've heard they are nicer now that they've been remodeled.
Resorts: Never stayed.
Trump's Taj Mahal: Haven't been in one of their rooms in probably over 4 years, and they say they've remodeled them. Back in the day, I stayed in a few of their end hall suites, which were very nice, separate bedroom with living room, dining are, foyer with extra bathroom, and a jacuzzi tub in the bedroom. I've gotten the upgrade just for asking but once the clerk had me sign for a $50 upgrade charge. I've been in another "suite", which had a large wet bar and living room area. Even the "standard" room was fine.
Showboat: The House of Blues suites are quite swanky, someday I'll afford to stay in one! The Bourbon Tower rooms are "newer", flat screen TVs and nice beds. I think the tub was larger in the "New Tower" rooms though. Then there are the "deluxe" rooms in the Orleans Tower.
To be continued. . .
Apparently I cannot edit my previous post. So continuing on. . .
All of the previous casino/hotels are directly on the Boardwalk, which is convenient for visiting them all. Location-wise, the best area is the center Boardwalk, with Trump Plaza, Caesars Atlantic City, and Bally's Wild Wild West-Park Place-Claridge Casino complex all within a short walk of each other (you can actually walk from the Claridge Casino to Caesars indoors).
The next best area is the north Boardwalk, with Resorts, Taj Mahal and Showboat all connected.
The least favorable area is the AC Hilton-Tropicana, at the southern part of the Boardwalk.
In the Marina area you will find the three remaining casinos, The Borgata, Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, and Trump Marina.
Harrah's has several different accomodation levels: Harbour Standard Deluxe Tower, Marina Tower, Bayview Tower and the new Waterfront Tower.
The Harbour Tower seems to be the lowest end, smallish room and bathroom.
The Marina Tower room was a decent size, I recall the bathroom being a bit smallish.
The Bayview Tower rooms were the nicest, quite large and I believe the bathroom was a decent size.
The Waterfront Tower recently opened and they are apparently quite nice.
The Borgata has probably the nicest rooms in Atlantic City. We stayed in the "deluxe" room, which was quite spacious, had plenty of room, large bathroom (separate water closet), but it only had a large shower (no tub). They do put a premium on the prices though.
Trump Marina rooms are a bit smallish, unless you can get upgraded to a suite. The one we received had a separate sitting area and the column that separated the sitting area from the bathroom contained a TV that swiveled. For all the space in the room, they could have made the bathroom larger though.
Gaming is okay in this area, with the Borgata having loads of decent paying video poker. Harrah's has five 9/6 JoB MD machines, while Trump Marina has only one 9/6 quarter machine, which is usually being used or out of service.
The two best buffets in AC are also here with the Borgata and Waterfront Buffet. You'll pay a premium for them, but IMHO, you are getting a pretty good deal, moreso at Harrah's than Borgata, since Harrah's offers crab legs and many other food varieties than the Borgata.
Some non-casino hotels:
Probably the best that is the closest is the Sheraton Atlantic City. Just a few blocks away from Bally's, the rooms are quite nice and well appointed. Of course, they jack up their prices over the weekend like the casinos, but if you are a Starwood member, you could always use points. The Tun Tavern in the hotel is also a nice place to get a bite and a beer.
The Hampton Inn in West Atlantic City (Bayside) is a decent place a few miles away. Even though the Hampton brand is a moderate hotel, they still are able to command prices around $125 on the weekends. Of course, you can always use Hilton Hhonor points if you are a member.
The Red Roof Inn in West Atlantic City is "new" (I think it was a Clarion). We recently stayed there and although the room was spacious and the shower had better water pressure than some of the casino hotels I've stayed at, the walls were paper thin! We heard our loud, drunken neighbors barge into their room at 4:30 am and proceed to carry on a conversation for several minutes until my wife "requested" that they tone it down. Eh, you get what you pay for.
The Quality Inn Suites in Absecon is a few years old and quite nice. We got a nice jacuzzi room for a decent price a few years ago. The indoor pool is terribly small, hardly worth the bother.
A little further out in Galloway is the Seaview Marriott. The prices are still a bit high, since it is a resort/spa, with two 18-hole championship golf courses (they host an LPGA event) and an Elizabeth Arden Red Door spa. It is quality all the way though. A great place to stay if you don't mind the drive (or would prefer golfing instead of gambling, but you could always do both!).
Two other places I've stayed at on trips to Atlantic City are a Comfort Inn in Vineland and a Marriott Residence Inn in Somers Point. We stayed in Vineland because I simply did not realize exactly how far away it was from AC! It was a nice Comfort Inn though. We stayed at the Residence Inn because the original place we were going to stay looked so seedy, we changed our minds and started heading home before finding a place. The Marriott Residence Inn was very nice, as you would expect.
The main problem with not staying at the casino-hotel is, of course, the drive. However, I've known people who've driven further away to sleep after being out gambling until 6:30 or so. . .
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