Commitment and collaboration from many areas were needed to make Atlantic City’s new mega-resort a reality.
Revel has over two acres of outdoor space
Some adversity is inevitable when dealing with a property designed to encompass 20 acres and 6.3 million square feet, but the obstacles and flat-out disasters the Revel project encountered almost from its outset transcended any of the usual snarls and snags.
Through it all, the spotlight was continuously shone on Kevin DeSanctis, and if the state trooper-turned-gaming executive ever got panicky about Revel’s fate, or questioned whether ground should have been broken in the first place, he never showed it.
In a calm and sort of stoic manner, DeSanctis always appeared under control and projected a positive outlook that somehow Atlantic City’s $2.4 billion mega-resort would find the resources, forge ahead, and come to fruition.
That happened on April 2 (see photo gallery from opening day). Revel opened a sizeable part of its entire operation to the public Monday, and while the CEO was again cautious to lay claim that it would be running at peak efficiency by Memorial Day weekend — several weeks ago stating that a property that size could take time to iron out any wrinkles — the state’s second tallest building is slated to be fully functional by May 25.
This all came about not just through the determination of any one person, but through dozens of small partnerships working together.
Revel first became a concept in 2006, employing roughly 10 architectural design and development partners under construction manager Tishman Corporation just to make the massive physical plant a possibility. Beyond that were several other associations in gaming, nightlife, dining, entertainment and retail, among them Angel Management Group, LDV Hospitality, Scéno Plus, Garces Restaurant Group, Michel Richard and others.
Coordinating crews on any construction site is common, but Revel went above and beyond the norm in assembling its dining, entertainment and hospitality package. That, says DeSanctis, has been in keeping with Revel’s business model since the outset.
“Our business model basically states that we curate experiences, we don’t create them, because we don’t think we’re particularly good at operating nightclubs, we don’t think we’re particularly good at operating restaurants, so we wanted to go out and find the people who were best at that,” he tells Atlantic City Weekly.
“Who are the folks out there who could really do a great job for us based upon the types of offerings we wanted to have here? And we went out and we researched that. From a nightlife and day-life perspective, Angel Management was the group we felt best aligned with our goals and our culture and our brand. And when we looked at the restaurant product, we did the same thing with all of our chefs and restaurateurs.”
The Las Vegas-based Angel Management Group brought to Revel The Social, a two-level entertainment complex in the middle of the gaming floor, the four-level HQ Nightclub, and a day-life concept called HQ Beach Club that was inspired by the ample success of Wet Republic at Vegas’ MGM Grand.
“I believe most CEOs might ask themselves: ‘Is this something we could do ourselves?’ If that answer is no, it’s something that Kevin would diligently find the right partners for, however far he had to travel to bring them to his project,” says Angel Management CEO Neill Moffitt (read in-depth interview with Moffitt here).
“The one thing that Kevin is very passionate about is delivering a category-A product with category-A operators, and his lack of ego allows him to reach out to others to make sure the customer experience is to a level of complete excellence.
“And he hasn’t dropped the ball in any areas. Some people don’t see it that way. It’s more a matter of not losing any of the economics with some, but Kevin is more interested in the success of customer experience in that market, which typifies his vision of where he wants to go with the property and their ability to succeed.
“Look at it this way,” adds Moffitt. “When people were making PCs, they didn’t own Intel [but] Intel made the best processor. So the majority of the PCs in the world were build with the best processor, which was Intel. Think of that business model. Where would we have been without Intel? That typifies Kevin — he wants the best operators, or the best pieces of the jigsaw, to make his overall product better than anybody else’s. And that, I think, is a person who lacks ego but is driven by the success of the product he’s trying to deliver.”
Even though Atlantic City gaming revenues were still on the rise in 2006 when the Revel concept was in its infancy, and there was still no major threat of gambling competition in other states or an economy in decline, Revel was somewhat prophetic in its approach to A.C. even then. Much of what it focused on was the entire destination package — “a cruise ship that never moved” is how it was once described — and along with amped-up nightlife options and headline acts, it conceived of such amenities as the Sky Garden and indoor/outdoor pool, a state-of-the-art spa and wellness center, and dining options second to none. It also became the first casino-resort in A.C. to willfully go completely smoke-free.
“When I look at Atlantic City, maybe I just see something different,” says DeSanctis. “What I see, when you go out on our Sky Garden or you go out on our deck, that’s sort of the Atlantic City that I think about. We have this incredible geographic location. We have 47 million people within a six-hour drive of this place, and when we think about options from a resort perspective in the Northeast, there really aren’t any.
“I just look at Atlantic City as having an incredible amount of potential. We’ve never really achieved that potential, and part of it was due to a lack of capital investment in the town. When you look at the capital investment that’s been made in this town over, say, the last 10 or 15 years I think we pale in comparison to some other places, and I think the reason is because we didn’t need it. But now things have changed a little bit and I think, with our location, and with our critical mass of dining and entertainment — and I’m talking as a city — I think that Revel adds another element to that.
“Almost anywhere in the world, if you have a beachfront location you have a great place to start,” adds DeSanctis. “I don’t know of anybody who doesn’t love to visit the ocean, so all we did was position ourselves to take advantage of [a] great location and lots of stuff to do. It’s really not much more complicated than that. ... Is [Revel] a game changer? I don’t really think it’s a game changer; I think we’re playing a different game.”
The target audience Revel seeks, says DeSanctis, is primarily those who may have ruled out ever visiting Atlantic City in the past.
“Our goal was basically not to compete in the market place for the existing customers, because if all we do is steal market share from everybody else then that probably hasn’t been a great result for everybody. But if we can sort of introduce Atlantic City to folks who otherwise would not have come here, then I think we’ve done a good thing. And if people want to call that a game changer, I’m OK with that.”
See photo gallery from opening day at Revel.
Revel Overview
Revel encompasses 6.3 million square feet on 20 acres of oceanfront property. It includes 1,898 guest rooms and suites, all with ocean views. It debuted 500 rooms during its April 2 soft opening, and will be fully functional — including all rooms and suites, 14 restaurants, 55,000 square feet of retail shops (The Row), 130,000 square feet of gaming floor and a 32,000 square-foot spa — by its premiere opening date of May 25. It also includes three nightclubs (the two-level Social, the four-level HQ Nightclub, and Ivan Kane’s Royal Jelly Burlesque Nightclub), a day-life venue (the 45,000 square-foot HQ Beach Club), 10 pools, Ovation Hall (with seating for up to 5,500), 160,000 feet of meeting/conference room space, and multiple entertainment levels including two acres of outdoor space highlighted by the Sky Garden and the In-Out Pool. The entire property is smoke-free.
Rooms and Suites
Guest-room designs features tone-on-tone shades of grey with polished dark walnut woods. Guest-room amenities include a 46-inch flat screen TV and entertainment system, a full mini-bar, an office space with desk, and an in-room seven-inch Android tablet to control temperature, window shades and room lighting. Guests can also access a digital hotel directory and Internet browser, touch-key room entry and in-room dining from the tablet.
Guests room options include: Ocean Room — Revel’s standard hotel room offers a selection of king or queen beds. Rates start at $239. Ocean Suite — Revel’s junior suite offers a selection of king or queen beds and an in-room lounge area with a sofa and coffee table. Rates start at $359. View Suite — Revel’s one-bedroom suite offers a selection of king or queen beds and a separate living room with lounge area. Rates start at $479.
Meetings and Events
The Think Tank is Revel’s 160,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space. It includes 90,000 square feet of outdoor event and function space, a 70,000 square-foot Event Center with ballroom/banquet seating up to 1,800, and conference-room seating ranging from 300 to 609 seats.
Dining Options
(read related article: Revel - Spanning the Culinary Gamut)
Revel will feature 14 restaurants overseen by award-winning chefs and concepts from New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. They currently include three restaurants from chef Jose Garces — Amada, an Andalusian tapas bar; Village Whiskey, serving spirits and crafted cocktails with American dishes; and Distrito Cantina, a margarita bar with modern Mexican food served take-out window style. Three restaurants from chef Michel Richard — Central Michel Richard, a modern bistro featuring American cuisine with a French accent; O Bistro and Wine Bar, a 25-seat circular bar serving small plates as well as main and signature dishes; and O Bistro Dining Room, offering a seated à la carte menu and grab-and-go options. American Cut from chef Marc Forgione, a modern American steakhouse. The Mussel Bar from chef Robert Wiedmaier, a gastro-pub with inspiration from an old-world Belgian roadhouse. Azure by Allegretti from chef Alain Allegretti, an “approachable and energetic seafood restaurant.” Lugo Caffe by LDV Hospitality, which “exudes the charms of an Italian café,” and One, a high-energy American-cuisine restaurant with a rock ‘n’ roll vibe.
As the weather starts to warm up, so will the lineup for weekly entertainment nightlife at Revel’s award-winning The Social this spring.
On Wednesday, March 13, it was announced that Revel CEO Kevin DeSanctis had been replaced by interim CEO Jeffrey Hartmann.
Pending approval by New Jersey casino regulators, the Meruelo Group of Downey, California, will purchase Trump Plaza for $20 million, and plans to close the deal by the end of May.
"I’m very rarely in the studio, only when I have tracks I feel need special attention, but usually I’m on the tour bus with a laptop and headphones. "
Joe Perry: “I would have been fine doing the project [without Tyler]. It would have been quite exciting, but we never got that far and we’re still Aerosmith, which is where I would rather be.”
With a stellar lineup slated for this weekend, Nov. 9-11, the club, in collaboration with associates Angel Management Group, the EMM Group and Revel, will be utilizing the performances from all three nights, and the revenue they generate, as an opportunity to reach out to a local community in dire need.
Revel, the glittering jewel at the north end of the Atlantic City Boardwalk, has had a rough beginning on the gaming side of the ledger since it opened in late spring. However, on the entertainment side, it has delivered positive vibrations and national headlines.
From the city's 150th birthday celebration, casino changes and evolution within Atlantic City and, casino shows, then and now.
Atlantic City’s newest casino may have ranked eighth out of the 12 in terms of gaming revenue in May and June, but gaming was from the start only part of the total package the property proposed to bring to an Atlantic City entertainment environment yearning to become more diversified.
Emporium was created exclusively for Revel, and is a 10,000-square-foot “shop-in-shop” concept that showcases a a carefully curated mix of contemporary and luxury brands.
Amazingly, Atlantic City’s golden age of dining just keeps getting better.
“The club is built vertically, which, from all my years of experience and all the nightclubs I’ve viewed globally, I’ve never seen such a vertical build. "
Revel has released a behind-the-scenes video on the making of Beyonce's "Back to Business" show, which will be the singer's first performance since giving birth in early January.
Between Friday and Monday, Atlantic City will experience the single biggest weekend of entertainment the town has ever seen, and with the most demographically diverse collection of artists, too. Few cities anywhere can match the quality, quantity and calibre of shows this weekend, if ever.
“We’re just pleased that people have responded to what we do,” Carney says. “It’s a lot different than when we started out.”
On this evening, Azure offered East Coast varietal Wellfleet and another from Washington state. The Wellfleet’s were dense, meaty and creamy while their Pacific relatives, smaller but deeply cupped in shells, offered a smooth, salty hint of their briny home.
With all the complexities of opening a brand new destination resort in Atlantic City, the executives at Revel already had a lot on their plate. However, those same executives decided to put some great food on the plates of visitors, by presenting the inaugural Taste of Revel, presented by Food & Wine and created in partnership with Travel + Leisure. This three-day epicurean extravaganza from May 18-20, will feature exclusive experiences developed specifically for the 6.3-million-square-foot beachfront destination.
The catalyst behind Revel’s ambitious nightlife and entertainment options is the Las Vegas-based Angel Management Group (AMG), which brings three unique nightlife concepts to the property and southern New Jersey.
Mitch Gorshin’s arrival in Atlantic City nearly two years ago could probably be summed up with the most quoted line from author Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
To usher in the historic first day for Revel, the property has booked the band The Raveonettes to perform a free show at 9pm at The Social, located near Revel's imaginative casino floor.
Just as Atlantic City Weekly columnist David Spatz suggested back in February, Maroon 5 has been booked to perform at Revel’s Ovation Hall on Friday, May 18, 8pm.
Akron, Ohio rockers The Black Keys have been booked for Revel.
Wiedmaier’s room won’t be the only place to grab a steak at Revel. Chef Marc Forgione, one of Revel’s two TV Food Network “Iron Chefs” (Philly-based Jose Garces is the other) will be opening American Cut, which he described as his spin on a “classic steakhouse.”
"It was a little bit of a culture shock coming from Las Vegas, as you can imagine. But then when I actually spent some time [in Atlantic City] and spent some time in competitors' casinos, I was pleasantly surprised and I feel that, you know, being involved in Revel is a very exciting piece of history for Atlantic City and I think will change how people look and perceive the market."
Monday, April 2, was announced as the starting date of an eight-week preview to Atlantic City’s forthcoming $2.4-billion beachfront destination, Revel
Revel continues to back up its claim that the property will be a mega-casino complex with the announcement that Food Network Iron Chef Jose Garces, acclaimed chef and owner of eight restaurants in Philadelphia, and four more in Chicago and Scottsdale, Ariz. is set to open the doors to three highly anticipated restaurants at Revel.
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1. Sunnyday said... on Apr 4, 2012 at 08:15PM
“New but not necessarily impressive or attractive inside. Nice that it's smoke free but way too many bars and most of the restaurants aren't open yet. Too much walking required to get from one section of the building to the other -- place literally sprawls.
I watched the people who were there today -- very few people who remotely appeared to be people who would be regular players -- mostly tourists wandering around. The only people playing were middleaged and the word is out that the place really only wants the young professionals -- ya know -- the people who can only show up on weekends unfortunately the place is open 7 days a week, not 2. Lack of graded casino cards isn't smart either. No incentive for anyone to be loyal if "everyone is equal" -- I like to know what I will get for what I spend and right now, the Revel doesn't define that for the customer. I hope it succeeds for the sake of the employees but I think it's going to be a struggle.”
2. Anonymous said... on Apr 4, 2012 at 11:10PM
“it's a preview ... give it time to breathe new life .... into the city”
3. Anonymous said... on Apr 5, 2012 at 09:14AM
“I agree Sunnyday! right on point! Entering and exiting is problem too. Boardwalk entrance is going to an escalator to get where you want. We know what happened to Atlantis, Clraidge, Sands and even Trump Plaza with multi level and off the boardwalk casinos. They didn't succeed. Borgata you and you valet and everything is right there!”
4. Anonymous said... on Apr 5, 2012 at 07:12PM
“I think that not catering to the slot people that pay most of the expences for any casino may cause a let down for all concerned. Slot players are the backbone of this industry. Without us there is no casino. One big splash from one of the whales inside there could be disastorious for the employees counting on next weeks paycheck. Be smart and grandest reward your loyal slot players.”
5. nancy said... on Apr 8, 2012 at 02:01AM
“My family and friends and I thought Revel was beautiful, inside & out. Smokefree is how it should be in every casino; but if this is the only Resort/Casino that will be smokefree, we will visit here. The restaurants will all be open by memorial day. It is a refreshing change to the old school thinking.”
6. Anonymous said... on Apr 9, 2012 at 09:39AM
“I dont see it lasting...yes it will be busy at first and it will make all the reporters say "AC Gambling revenue is up!"
I dont think that it is a game-changer in the city as the Borgata was. Its just the newest. The biggest problem with it is that it is on the boardwalk and you will get all the boardwalk people in the building. The Borgata was more secluded and you had to see it out. i think that made their clientele a bit more refined and classy. Walking through Revel last night was a bunch of older folks who most likely walked over from their free room at resorts. there were also a bunch of homeless looking guys walking around.
Prices in the bars are even higher than most casinos. A beer and a mixed drink at Royal Jelly was $20 (not including tip). I guess we were paying extra for the booty shaking??
Time will tell i suppose but bottom line is that I am not blown away by it. It has a CT casino feel to it. Maybe i need to see the rooms and the other offerings first??? MEH”
7. Michael said... on Apr 9, 2012 at 10:30AM
“What a great place, I can't stand the poor attitudes of people that write in. No one can stand the Caesars tiered system of treating customers.
So enjoy a great place to play, enjoy great rooms, great concerts, great food and totally hot women in the clubs.”
8. Anonymous said... on Apr 9, 2012 at 11:26PM
“”
9. Anonymous said... on Apr 9, 2012 at 11:28PM
“I have have toto agree with the commentinterview "only young profrofessionals". They didn't seem to want hire anyone over 35. It seemsdoes like discriminationmind to me...The interview process was a big mess and a joke. I hope anyone over 40 avoids its and let's see how well it does.
”
10. Anonymous said... on Apr 10, 2012 at 10:47PM
“I find it funny that the so called "savvy AC casino go-ers" have not a clue what a preview is all about. In a preview, not all restaurants, nightclubs, rooms etc would be open...hence the PREVIEW. Revel is giving the public a taste of what is to come..give it a rest people!! Everyone is barking mad about not getting 'free this and free that". The card program is giving YOU the consumer the choice what to do with your..I think they are called Resort Dollars. If it is up to you, then choose to comp your stay or comp your dinner. Why continue to complain about Revel being different. Why should you be GIVEN anything until you become a patron of Revel. Room rates are what I expected for a RESORT. It is the Motel 6 for goodness sake. As for the complaints about the size...I was there this past Saturday and found the staff friendly and helpful when navagating around the Revelry and Lobby levels. Revel is OUTSTANDING!!! Lighten up everyone!!!!”
11. Anonymous said... on Apr 10, 2012 at 10:54PM
“I need to comment on a past statement made about Revel not hiring anyone over 35 yrs. There are MANY professional working within Revel that are past 35yrs old. Know your facts before spouting off unfounded gibberish. My sisters are both over 40yrs and quite happy working at Revel. If you did not get hired, there must have been a reason...whatever it may have been, being bitter at Revel is not the way to go. Suck up the rejection and move on. Revel has!!! Sorry to anyone that takes offense to this comment but ignorance is NOT an excuse for spouting off at the mouth at something you know nothing about. Just saying....”
12. Wad said... on Apr 12, 2012 at 03:27PM
“I wanted to be the first person to get laid in one of their rooms. Is it too late to get a room that no one has ever used?”
13. American Gaming Guru said... on Apr 12, 2012 at 06:22PM
“I posted similar to the same in a LV paper:
Parallel this project to the Fontainebleau (Las Vegas). What a difference! Mr DeSanctis kept faith in the viability of his project, followed through with his vision, his promises and eventually saw it to reality...even in the most difficult of times. Good, bad or ugly as Revel may turn out, you have to admire this man's conviction!
On a follow up, I spent the night at the hotel on April 2nd. The rooms are AMAZING! Very similar to the Water Club with a different palette. The resort itself is very different from anything I have seen in AC. I wish them all the best of luck and can only wish that they spur additional development and good will to the city.
”
14. Njpokeracfinest said... on May 2, 2012 at 03:17AM
“Revel poker is dead on arrival! Clueless employees about poker. No action, no place to smoke. Poor lighting, not close to gaming floor. It's a dead room that will be gone by September!”
15. Njpokeracfinest said... on May 2, 2012 at 03:17AM
“Revel poker is dead on arrival! Clueless employees about poker. No action, no place to smoke. Poor lighting, not close to gaming floor. It's a dead room that will be gone by September!”
16. Anonymous said... on May 21, 2012 at 12:32PM
“Went there for The Black Keys show, Worst concert experiance of my life. YOU COULD NOT GET A DRINK WITHOUT A 40min WAIT! Incredible but true, not only inside the venue but outside as well. Piss poor planning! You could not eat anywhere, even the cheap spots required a 40min wait! We had to run over to the Showboat to eat a damned burger! NEVER AGAIN will I go to a show at Revel, or even go if a show is happening there. We planned on gambling after the show but just left and went to Harrahs so the night ended well. As bad as it gets!”
17. Anonymous said... on May 27, 2012 at 04:23AM
“poker rooms are all smokeFREE and should be, as Revels entire property is smokefree. You don't go to a resort to smoke, idiots. Love Revel and poker room is awesome, so is everything else!”