Borgata Hotel & Casino Review (Atlantic City, NJ)
Boyd Gaming and MGM/Mirage joined together to establish the Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa
in Atlantic City. The joint venture is without a doubt the classiest destination in Atlantic City for
gambling and entertainment. Classic Italian design and blown glass crystal chandeliers line the
casino floor and over 2,000 rooms in the 40 story high Hotel are all designed for comfort and relaxation.
The Borgata appeals to the high-end gambler. Most table games I saw had $50 and higher minimums.
The Borgata is located at the far end of AC away from the ocean,
near Harrah's and the Trump Marina. Adjacent property being developed by the group will feature The Water Club, an
exclusive hotel that will feature 800 rooms, meeting places, 18 heated indoor and outdoor pools and a two-story Spa
in the sky. The Borgata is synonymous with luxury and the Water Club will add much to that lifestyle.
Currently, Borgata has the largest poker room in Atlantic City, with 85 tables, it also hosts the high stakes
World Poker Tour televised on the Travel Channel.
I played blackjack at a $25 table for about an hour and a half. The minimum, however, was rarely the bet by most
at the table. In fact, I was the only player who consistently bet that amount. My style of play is not always what
others at the table preferred and these high stakes tables I seemed to be a bother to the other players.
It is now and always has been my feeling that all the rules on blackjack were designed, and written, by the
casino industry, therefore when I have a 12 or higher, I rarely
take a card, regardless of what the dealer is showing. More often than not, I piss off someone at the table because
they feel I should have taken a card, but I hate to be out of the game before I see all of the dealer’s cards, and
most people that do, bust more than often.
Unlike many of the people that gamble in casinos, I play for enjoyment, I do not expect to get rich, or pay the rent,
and if I lose, it is never more than the amount I set aside for my fun time. Many years ago, I learned that you could
not consistently beat the house, so my goal is always to go and have an enjoyable experience, so I care little about
pissing off the other people at my table.
After the time spent at the table, I walked about the spacious casino and found many different types of
slots; this is where my weakness is. The Borgata makes it very
easy to get comfortable at any of their more than 4,000 slots, as the chairs are clearly designed to keep you in them,
complete with footrests and plush, soft seating.
Slots are where the money is for a casino and the Borgata knows this. They have a rewards program similar to most
casinos today; they shower you with drinks and good service everywhere on the casino floor. There are flashing lights,
sounds and many people that keep feeding the machines. It is important to give yourself limits and stop when you reach
them, especially at the Borgata in Atlantic City.
If it is live entertainment you are seeking, the Borgata draws top shelf acts such as Aerosmith, Mandy Moore,
Chaka Khan, Kelly Clarkson, the Foo Fighters and many more. ‘D’ list comedian Kathy Griffin highlights the comedy arena.
With over 160,000 square feet of casino floor space, you would think it is easy to be lost or turned around; navigating
the casino floor is easy, however, as it is spacious and well lit.
For dinner I went to Bobby Flay Steak, the concierge told me that the best steak was to be had here. As I was a
little ahead of my game, I felt that today I could afford to treat myself. I started with some Oysters on the shell,
which at $17 was a bit high, but they were fresh and served chilled to perfection. For my entrée, I decided on the
Kobe beef strip and lobster tail. For those of you that have never tried Kobe beef, if you are a steak lover as I
am, this is a superb choice. Having a strip steak, grilled exactly as I requested, that can be cut with only a fork,
and full of flavor was worth the price. The lobster tail was larger than I would have imagined and the cost for this
was only $125. Some may think that spending over $140 on dinner for one is extreme, but I had their money at this time
and in my mind it did not cost me anything.
After my personal feast, I went back to the casino floor willing to give
blackjack another hour of my time. I could no
longer find any $25 tables and the casino had many more people as the night crowd was now here. It seemed that most of
the nighttime visitors were there to socialize and get down on the tables with some heavy money, suddenly I found myself
priced out of the table game market.
Not wanting to leave just yet, I found a slot area that was active and sounds of the machines paying off drew me in
this direction. I slipped in a $100 bill into a $0.50 machine and it ate it up in 15 minutes, much faster than the
time it took for me to have dinner. The thrill was now gone. With a full belly, and half-empty pockets, I decided
to stop for the day.
If you want to experience how the upper crust in our society lives, you must go to the Borgata.
If you want to go to gamble, there are many other casinos in Atlantic City that offer better payouts on slots and
less expensive buy-ins at table games.
Reviewed by Bob Hartman, writer for Casino Gambling Web a gambling news and review website.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
One Borgata Way
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Phone: 1.866.MY BORGATA