24 Hours in Atlantic City

Sometimes, a mini-vacation on the weekend is a great way to recharge from that grueling workweek. When we heard of a new luxury resort opening in Atlantic City this summer that promised to be on the same level as those  in Las Vegas, my friends and I were eager to check it out. It was a mere 2 hour drive from NYC, so it was totally doable for a one night getaway. Now I must warn you, Atlantic City is not my type of place to begin with. I do not enjoy gambling. Indoor smoking is legal and the food scene is virtually nonexistent. The crowds AC tends to draw is extremely tan, loud and obnoxious people, which has been my experience the last time I was there for a bachelorette party. I figured 24 hours in a beautiful hotel with my husband and our friends would be fun no matter what, so off to AC we went.

From the moment we arrived at Revel, I was impressed. Everything was shiny and new, the rooms had gorgeous ocean views, and the entire hotel, including the casino was nonsmoking. My initial excitement quickly faded after we settled in at the pool (their beach is still currently under construction) and I could not get a waitress to bring me a cocktail if my life depended on it. After a good two hours and some complaining, we finally got our drinks, which were disappointing. The food that came afterwards was pretty subpar as well. Many other people felt the same way, since I would frequently see various members of the hotel staff being berated by hotel guests throughout the weekend. Since time with good friends is never wasted, I would say I enjoyed my weekend overall, but this hotel experience was far from what I expected. I realize this place is new but even when taking that into account, the service was pretty horrific. If you must travel to Atlantic City, I would recommend checking out The Water Club instead, which is a smaller hotel within the confines of the Borgata.

The beach, under construction