Atlantic City's Revel Resort Makes Its Debut
By Veronica Dudo
Atlantic City's highly anticipated mega-resort, Revel opens its doors to the public Monday April 2, allowing patrons the opportunity to explore the newest addition to the gaming capitol of the East Coast. The 6.3-million-square-foot beachfront complex begins an eight week preview leading up to the casino-hotel's grand opening over Memorial Day Weekend.
Situated at the South Inlet, this trendy casino-hotel's ceiling to floor windows throughout the property present gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean and the city. Many believe the sleek, sea-blue colored structure serves as a taste of what the future holds for the sea-side gaming resort (See Photos).
Standing 47 stories tall, the chic new addition to the city's skyline embraces its natural surroundings—the ocean, the beach and the world-famous Boardwalk.
In December 2006, officials from Tishman Construction initially met with Revel Chief Executive Officer Kevin DeSantics about the project. Since then, the road has not been easy for Revel to become a reality; battling many issues including a financial crisis, delays, funding problems and a devastating fatal plane crash. However, DeSantics was determined to turn tragedy into triumph. After overcoming many obstacles, the project that seemed to some impossible is now one of the most talked about destinations in the Northeast and has become a catalyst for future development in the area.
In an effort to inspire and entertain guests, the property features two nightclubs, over a dozen restaurants, a lavish spa, retail space, two theaters, a dayclub, 10 pools and over 1,800 rooms and suites. Revel is also the city's first entirely smoke-free casino.
"I think the biggest thing that sets this apart is the opportunity the design team had here and the owners had here to embrace the outside—that's certainly a big deal," explained Ed Cettina, the Chief Operating Officer for Tishman Construction Corporation in New Jersey.
Visually stunning, Revel combines a contemporary look with classic accents. Valerie Pageau is the Artistic Director and Designer of the Montreal-based firm Sceno Plus who designed a majority of the property. With their innovative ideas and out-of-the-box thinking, Sceno Plus created an exclusively luxurious experience for all visitors.
"It's not just about ok, lets aesthetically create something amazing with the latest finishing—it was really about creating the best experience for the gamers, the best experience also for the non-gamers to make everybody feel comfortable," she explained.
Revel Levels
Revelry
With multiple entertainment levels, Revel guests can experience a plethora of activities. At 61 feet above sea level, Revelry is named for its energetic and vibrant atmosphere. This space encompasses the restaurants, shops, nightclubs, dayclub, casino and The Social, an intimate performance space, with 700 seats, a lounge and three bars.
The heart of the complex is the 130,000 square foot gaming area designed with distinctive layouts which accentuate the theatrical lighting, art pieces and dynamic interior design concepts. The casino floor boasts 2,439 slot machines, 97 table games and 16 electronic table games.
The Mezz
At 87 feet above sea level, this tier includes the theater, Ovation Hall; The Think Tank, a 160,000 square foot indoor and outdoor meeting space and a state of the art Poker Room with 37 tables overlooking the casino floor. Sceno Plus also designed Ovation Hall, Revel's 4,500 seat theater that welcomes Grammy Award winner Beyonce over Memorial Day weekend.
Resort
Starting at 114 feet above sea level the Resort encompasses 1,898 rooms and suites—each with an ocean view. Exhale, the 31,000 square-foot spa is also on this level with numerous fitness and wellbeing programs planned for guests.
"The kinds of people that enjoy our programs are people that seek out the best fitness experiences, the best spa experiences, the best healing experiences and they want the best, most highly trained—highly qualified technicians and associates," said Annbeth Eschbach, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Exhale.
The spa has 32 therapy rooms, heated mineral pools, a salt grotto, hammam, zen lounges, a mind-body studio for Core Fusion or yoga and a fully equipped gym featuring SurfSET classes.
"Our retreats are usually about three day programs," explains Debbie Markowitz, the Chief Marketing Officer at Exhale, "It might be something that mixes core fusion and surfing, so we'll do a workout in the morning and then partner with the guys running the surf school out on the beach and it will be a three day program so you'll definitely see some transformational results by the end of it," she said.
The Lobby
Totaling almost two acres of outdoor space and sitting at 114 feet above sea level, this tier is anchored by the SkyGarden, an oasis of native pine trees near the outdoor fireplace along with the Pool Play Zone which features the InOut Pool. This pool begins indoors and continues outside. Also on this level are the cabanas which offer bottle service, signature cocktails and tasty treats. Another area is O2, a space with six living rooms, and several bars including a pool bar and bistro.
Restaurants And Dining
Jose Garces will be opening the restaurant, Amada: Authentic Spanish Tapas at Revel along with Village Whiskey, an American tavern with more than a dozen wine and spirits; and Distrito Cantina: Fresh Food Fast, a Mexican take-out window inspired by the popular Guapos Taco Truck in Philadelphia.
Raised in Germany and Belgium, Robert Wiedmaier opens Mussel Bar at Revel drawing on his Belgium roots with Flemish fare and Belgian specialty beers.
Azure by Allegretti is a signature restaurant that will offer the flavors of the French and Italian Rivieras. With an emphasis on seafood, Alain Allegretti will utilize ingredients sourced from local waters and farms.
Marc Forgione, the 2010 winner of the Food Network's "Next Iron Chef" will open the steakhouse, American Cut.
World renowned restaurateur Michel Richard will have The Breakfast Room, O Bistro and Wine Bar featuring small plates with a French flair as well as Central Michel Richard which will offer American cuisine with a French accent. Lugo by LVD Hospitality at Revel will offer an energetic brasserie with modern Italian classics.
The sophisticated glitz and glamour of this beachfront mega resort is redefining the Jersey Shore. With support from government on both the local and state level, Revel is committed to truly making the property a world-class destination. This ultimate cutting edge entertainment experience brings a new wave of excitement to Atlantic City.
Veronica Dudo is an award-winning journalist covering everything from breaking news to red carpet celebrity interviews. Follow her on Twitter @VeronicaDudo and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Veronica-Dudo/193258274047563
