Sands Atlantic City
Encyclopedia
The Sands Casino Hotel was a casino
and hotel
that operated from August 31, 1980 until November 11, 2006 in Atlantic City, New Jersey
. It was formerly known as the Brighton Hotel & Casino. It consisted of a 21-story hotel tower with 532 rooms and a 5-story podium
housing the 57045 ft (17,387.3 m) casino and various other amenities. It was adjacent to Claridge Atlantic City and its parking garage was adjacent to the Madison Hotel.
At its peak, the Sands headlined top entertainers, such as Frank Sinatra
, Sammy Davis Jr., Cher
, Bob Dylan
, Robin Williams
, Whitney Houston
& Eddie Murphy
, among others.
The casino was built by Greate Bay Casino Corporation, controlled by two local businessmen. However, the casino was sold shortly after its opening to a joint venture between Inns of America (owned by the Pratt brothers) and Burton and Richard Koffman. Inns of America also bought the Sands Hotel
in Las Vegas, and renamed the Atlantic City property to cash in on Sands "Rat Pack
" reputation.
However, it was soon eclipsed by newer casinos and, at the time of its closing, had become the smallest of Atlantic City's 12 casinos. In 1998, the Sands filed for bankruptcy
. Two years later Carl Icahn
purchased a controlling interest. Icahn sold the property
to Pinnacle Atlantic City
in 2006.
. It was accompanied by a fireworks show and numerous parties along the boardwalk. This was the last casino in North America to bear the famous Sands moniker until the new Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem opened on May 22, 2009. Coincidentally, Sands Atlantic City was demolished less than 24 hours after the death of the last surviving member of the Rat Pack
, comedian Joey Bishop
.
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
and hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
that operated from August 31, 1980 until November 11, 2006 in Atlantic City, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. It was formerly known as the Brighton Hotel & Casino. It consisted of a 21-story hotel tower with 532 rooms and a 5-story podium
Podium
A podium is a platform that is used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. It derives from the Greek πόδι In architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podia can also be used to raise people, for instance the conductor of an orchestra stands on a podium as do many...
housing the 57045 ft (17,387.3 m) casino and various other amenities. It was adjacent to Claridge Atlantic City and its parking garage was adjacent to the Madison Hotel.
At its peak, the Sands headlined top entertainers, such as Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Sammy Davis Jr., Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
, Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
& Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
, among others.
The casino was built by Greate Bay Casino Corporation, controlled by two local businessmen. However, the casino was sold shortly after its opening to a joint venture between Inns of America (owned by the Pratt brothers) and Burton and Richard Koffman. Inns of America also bought the Sands Hotel
Sands Hotel
The Sands Hotel was a historic Las Vegas Strip hotel/casino that operated from December 15, 1952 to June 30, 1996. Designed by architect Wayne McAllister, the Sands was the seventh resort that opened on the Strip....
in Las Vegas, and renamed the Atlantic City property to cash in on Sands "Rat Pack
Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean...
" reputation.
However, it was soon eclipsed by newer casinos and, at the time of its closing, had become the smallest of Atlantic City's 12 casinos. In 1998, the Sands filed for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. Two years later Carl Icahn
Carl Icahn
Carl Celian Icahn is an American business magnate and investor.-Biography:Icahn was raised in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York City, where he attended Far Rockaway High School. His father was a cantor, his mother was a schoolteacher...
purchased a controlling interest. Icahn sold the property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
to Pinnacle Atlantic City
Pinnacle Atlantic City
Pinnacle Atlantic City was a holding company for a planned resort which was to be located on the former Sands Atlantic City. The property was purchased from investor Carl Icahn. After the property was bought, Pinnacle gave 60 days' notice to employees of the casino...
in 2006.
Building demolition
The building was imploded at 9:37 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October 18, 2007; the first-ever casino-hotel implosion on the East CoastEast Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
. It was accompanied by a fireworks show and numerous parties along the boardwalk. This was the last casino in North America to bear the famous Sands moniker until the new Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem opened on May 22, 2009. Coincidentally, Sands Atlantic City was demolished less than 24 hours after the death of the last surviving member of the Rat Pack
Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean...
, comedian Joey Bishop
Joey Bishop
Joey Bishop was an American entertainer who was perhaps best known for being a member of the "Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Dean Martin...
.