Tropicana Casino Resort Atlantic City
Encyclopedia
The Tropicana Casino & Resort Atlantic City is a luxury hotel
, casino
, and spa
resort located on Brighton Avenue and the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey
. It is owned by Tropicana Entertainment
and is one of the largest hotels in New Jersey
with just over 2,000 rooms. Tropicana has over 3,000 slot machines and 135 table games and also features The Quarter, a shopping mall located in the complex.
purchased the former Ambassador Hotel building for $20 million, planning to renovate the property and convert it into a 546-room hotel and 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) casino with amenities including a 1,200 seat theater and a 1,000 seat ballroom.
Executives at Ramada were forced to alter their plans when their design was denied by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission
and Governor Brendan Byrne
, as both did not want casino operators doing "patch and paint" jobs, instead they preferred the companies building new properties from the ground up. Ramada was ordered to demolish the former hotel and start from the ground up, but the company threatened to appeal the decision in court and an agreement to only use the steel framework of the Ambassador was reached.
In order to take advantage of Ramada's recent purchase of the original Tropicana Resort & Casino
on the Las Vegas Strip
, company officials decided to call their new property the "Tropicana Atlantic City", due to the Tropicana name already being a well-known name in the casino industry. Tropicana Atlantic City officially opened on November 23, 1981 with 521 guest rooms and a large casino. Shortly after opening an indoor amusement area called Tivoli Pier was built and within a year the name of the resort was changed to "TropWorld Casino and Entertainment Resort".
In 1989, Ramada hotels split their gaming properties into the Aztar Corporation, and the new division focused much of its projects on the Atlantic City property, which lead to the eventual sale of the Las Vegas Tropicana. Aztar constructed a new 604-room hotel tower as well as renovations to the existing rooms and casino space in 1995 and 1996. Tivoli Pier was closed during the casino expansions to make way for a new poker
, keno
and horse racing
simulcast
area. With the closing of the amusement area, the resort was renamed back to "Tropicana Casino & Resort Atlantic City".
Aztar then followed this expansion with another one in 2003 and 2004 that added a 502-room tower, a 2,400 space parking garage, 22000 square feet (2,043.9 m²) of meeting and convention space, and The Quarter at Tropicana
, a shopping mall designed in an old Havana theme. The goal of this project was to turn the Tropicana into an integrated casino resort reminiscent of the megaresorts built in Las Vegas during the 1990s, and also to compete with the Borgata
, another Las Vegas megaresort-style casino opened in the city in 2003.
In May 2005 the Aztar Corporation was acquired by Columbia Sussex
for $2.75 billion. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission granted Columbia Sussex an Interim Authorization to operate the resort on November 3, 2006. The acquisition concluded in January 2007 with the Aztar properties being merged into Columbia Sussex's gaming subsidiary, which was renamed Tropicana Entertainment LLC. In the first four months after the acquisition, Columbia Sussex reduced the number of employees at the Tropicana by 15 percent.
On November 20, 2007 the New Jersey Casino Control Commission initiated hearings for the renewal of the casino license of Tropicana and whether its parent companies, Adamar of New Jersey and Columbia Sussex, were suitable to hold a casino license. On December 12, 2007, the Casino Control Commission denied the application of renewal for Tropicana. The commission cited the management's "abysmal" regulatory compliance as well as a "lack of business ability... financial responsibility... and a lack of good character, honesty, and integrity." The property was immediately placed under the control of a trustee, former New Jersey State Supreme Court Justice Gary Stein
, until it could be sold. This was only the second time in twenty-nine years that the commission denied a license renewal. Lawyers were expected to appeal.
The bankruptcy sale of the Tropicana Casino and Resort to a group of creditors led by Carl Icahn
was approved by a bankruptcy court on June 12, 2009. The acquisition exchanged $200 million of the property's mortgage for equity. On August 26, 2009, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission approved Tropicana Entertainment as the property's new owner. The Commission stressed that the new owner is not the same company as the former owner, Tropicana Entertainment LLC. The decision enabled the property to operate under the same corporate umbrella as other Tropicana properties in Nevada, Mississippi, Louisiana and Indiana. Tropicana Entertainment Inc. was granted a temporary casino license by the Commission on March 3, 2010. The sale closed on March 8, 2010.
are not listed here).
In addition to the Tropicana lounges, The Quarter
is also home to ten nightclubs.
Theater.
, and the city attempted to acquire adjacent land owned by Joseph Milano at 1 South Brighton Avenue for a surface parking lot using eminent domain
. A lawsuit was filed by Milano and his family in New Jersey Appeals Court (Milano v. Adamar of New Jersey d/b/a TropWorld Casino and Entertainment Resort, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, City of Atlantic City, et at.) to stop the use of eminent domain, a New Jersey appeals court agreed with the Milano family and issued a restraining order preventing TropWorld and the CRDA from proceeding. As of 2011, Joseph Milano and members of his family still live in the building built in 1935 by his father.
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...
, casino
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 spa
Destination spa
A destination spa is a short term residential/lodging facility with the primary purpose of providing individual services for spa-goers to develop healthy habits. Historically many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or sources of mineral waters...
resort located on Brighton Avenue and the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
. It is owned by Tropicana Entertainment
Tropicana Entertainment
Tropicana Entertainment Inc, is a privately owned but publicly reporting corporation located in Las Vegas, Nevada, that owns or operates 9 casinos and resorts in the United States....
and is one of the largest hotels in 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...
with just over 2,000 rooms. Tropicana has over 3,000 slot machines and 135 table games and also features The Quarter, a shopping mall located in the complex.
History
In 1978, RamadaRamada
Ramada is a hotel chain owned and operated by Wyndham Worldwide.- History :The lodging chain was founded in 1953 by longtime Chicago restaurateur Marion W...
purchased the former Ambassador Hotel building for $20 million, planning to renovate the property and convert it into a 546-room hotel and 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) casino with amenities including a 1,200 seat theater and a 1,000 seat ballroom.
Executives at Ramada were forced to alter their plans when their design was denied by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission
New Jersey Casino Control Commission
The Casino Control Commission is a New Jersey state governmental agency that was founded in 1977 as the state's gaming control board, responsible for administering the Casino Control Act and its regulations to assure public trust and confidence in the credibility and integrity of the casino...
and Governor Brendan Byrne
Brendan Byrne
Brendan Thomas Byrne is an American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey, who served as the 47th Governor of New Jersey, from 1974 to 1982.-Early life and education:...
, as both did not want casino operators doing "patch and paint" jobs, instead they preferred the companies building new properties from the ground up. Ramada was ordered to demolish the former hotel and start from the ground up, but the company threatened to appeal the decision in court and an agreement to only use the steel framework of the Ambassador was reached.
In order to take advantage of Ramada's recent purchase of the original Tropicana Resort & Casino
Tropicana Resort & Casino
Tropicana Las Vegas is located on the Las Vegas Strip, in the township of Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel and Resort Inc. and operated by Alex Yemenidjian's Armenco Holdings. It offers 1,658 rooms and is attached to a casino...
on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
, company officials decided to call their new property the "Tropicana Atlantic City", due to the Tropicana name already being a well-known name in the casino industry. Tropicana Atlantic City officially opened on November 23, 1981 with 521 guest rooms and a large casino. Shortly after opening an indoor amusement area called Tivoli Pier was built and within a year the name of the resort was changed to "TropWorld Casino and Entertainment Resort".
In 1989, Ramada hotels split their gaming properties into the Aztar Corporation, and the new division focused much of its projects on the Atlantic City property, which lead to the eventual sale of the Las Vegas Tropicana. Aztar constructed a new 604-room hotel tower as well as renovations to the existing rooms and casino space in 1995 and 1996. Tivoli Pier was closed during the casino expansions to make way for a new poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
, keno
Keno
Keno is a lottery or bingo gambling game often played at modern casinos, and is also offered as a game in some state lotteries. A traditional live casino keno game uses a circular glass enclosure called a "bubble" containing 80 balls which determine the ball draw result. Each ball is imprinted...
and horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
area. With the closing of the amusement area, the resort was renamed back to "Tropicana Casino & Resort Atlantic City".
The Quarter at Tropicana
The Quarter at Tropicana is an Old Havana-themed enclosed shopping mall located at the Tropicana Casino Resort Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It contains over 40 stores, nine restaurants, eleven nightclubs, and a spa.-History:...
, a shopping mall designed in an old Havana theme. The goal of this project was to turn the Tropicana into an integrated casino resort reminiscent of the megaresorts built in Las Vegas during the 1990s, and also to compete with the Borgata
Borgata
The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa is a luxury hotel, casino, and spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by Marina District Development, a joint venture between Boyd Gaming and a divesture trust established by MGM Resorts International...
, another Las Vegas megaresort-style casino opened in the city in 2003.
In May 2005 the Aztar Corporation was acquired by Columbia Sussex
Columbia Sussex
Columbia Sussex is a private hospitality company based in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. The company, owned by the Yung family, owns and operates hotels in various parts of the United States. , the company operated 73 hotels under 13 different brands. The current president is William J...
for $2.75 billion. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission granted Columbia Sussex an Interim Authorization to operate the resort on November 3, 2006. The acquisition concluded in January 2007 with the Aztar properties being merged into Columbia Sussex's gaming subsidiary, which was renamed Tropicana Entertainment LLC. In the first four months after the acquisition, Columbia Sussex reduced the number of employees at the Tropicana by 15 percent.
On November 20, 2007 the New Jersey Casino Control Commission initiated hearings for the renewal of the casino license of Tropicana and whether its parent companies, Adamar of New Jersey and Columbia Sussex, were suitable to hold a casino license. On December 12, 2007, the Casino Control Commission denied the application of renewal for Tropicana. The commission cited the management's "abysmal" regulatory compliance as well as a "lack of business ability... financial responsibility... and a lack of good character, honesty, and integrity." The property was immediately placed under the control of a trustee, former New Jersey State Supreme Court Justice Gary Stein
Gary Stein (New Jersey Supreme Court Justice)
Gary S. Stein is a United States attorney and former Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, He served on New Jersey's Supreme Court for 17 years where he wrote over 365 published opinions. From 1982 until 1985 he served as the Director of the New Jersey Governor’s Office of Policy and...
, until it could be sold. This was only the second time in twenty-nine years that the commission denied a license renewal. Lawyers were expected to appeal.
The bankruptcy sale of the Tropicana Casino and Resort to a group of creditors led by 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...
was approved by a bankruptcy court on June 12, 2009. The acquisition exchanged $200 million of the property's mortgage for equity. On August 26, 2009, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission approved Tropicana Entertainment as the property's new owner. The Commission stressed that the new owner is not the same company as the former owner, Tropicana Entertainment LLC. The decision enabled the property to operate under the same corporate umbrella as other Tropicana properties in Nevada, Mississippi, Louisiana and Indiana. Tropicana Entertainment Inc. was granted a temporary casino license by the Commission on March 3, 2010. The sale closed on March 8, 2010.
Gaming
Tropicana has three floors of gaming with slots, tables, a poker room, and an Asian Gaming Pit. The casino features about 3,000 slots, including progressive machines and video poker. Tropicana's table games include nearly 135 Poker, Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette games. Tropicana also hosts daily Poker Tournaments.Diamond Club
The Diamond Club is the casino comp card for Tropicana Atlantic City. It has 3 levels: Diamond, V.I.P. Member, and Trillions Club. The details of the Trillions Club are only given to members who qualify. In August 2009, Tropicana debuted a new players’ card, the IN Card, for younger guests featuring benefits based on nightlife rewards. Both cards are free to obtain by visiting the Diamond Club inside the resort.Dining
The Tropicana features eleven restaurants, mostly located in a small area of stores near the Boardwalk named "The Marketplace" (Restaurants in The QuarterThe Quarter at Tropicana
The Quarter at Tropicana is an Old Havana-themed enclosed shopping mall located at the Tropicana Casino Resort Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It contains over 40 stores, nine restaurants, eleven nightclubs, and a spa.-History:...
are not listed here).
Fine Dining
- Diamond Jim's
- FIN - A Seafood Experience
- Golden Dynasty
- Il Verdi
- Wellington's Seafood and Steakhouse
Casual Dining
- A Dam Good Deli
- Boardwalk Favorites
- Corky's Ribs & Barbeque
- Create-A-Cone
- Fiesta Buffet
- HootersHootersHooters is the trade name of two privately held American restaurant chains: Hooters of America, Incorporated, based in Atlanta, Georgia, and Hooters, Incorporated, based in Clearwater, Florida...
- Seaside Cafe
- Noodle Bar
Entertainment
Tropicana contains a 2,000 seat showroom which hosts regular headliner acts and revue shows.Nightclubs
The Tropicana features 3 nightclubs: Rumba Lounge, Tango's Lounge and Alto Vino Wine Bar at Top of The Trop.In addition to the Tropicana lounges, The Quarter
The Quarter at Tropicana
The Quarter at Tropicana is an Old Havana-themed enclosed shopping mall located at the Tropicana Casino Resort Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It contains over 40 stores, nine restaurants, eleven nightclubs, and a spa.-History:...
is also home to ten nightclubs.
Spa & Salon
The Tropicana Salon is features hairstyling for men and women, makeup, manicures and pedicures. Tropicana also features a Health Club with work-out equipment, saunas and jacuzzis. There is also and indoor pool open year round, and an outdoor pool and beach cabana service open seasonally with entertainment, a bar, and light fare served poolside.The Quarter
The Quarter at Tropicana is a dining, shopping and entertainment complex inside the Tropicana. The Quarter features nine restaurants, twenty shops, ten bars and lounges, a spa and the city's only movie theater, an IMAXIMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
Theater.
Controversy
A major controversy involving expansion of the resort occurred in 1995 when the Tropicana (then known as TropWorld), the Casino Reinvestment Development AuthorityCasino Reinvestment Development Authority
The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority or CRDA is a New Jersey state governmental agency that was founded in 1984 and is responsible for directing the spending of casino reinvestment funds in public and private projects to benefit Atlantic City and other areas of the state...
, and the city attempted to acquire adjacent land owned by Joseph Milano at 1 South Brighton Avenue for a surface parking lot using eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
. A lawsuit was filed by Milano and his family in New Jersey Appeals Court (Milano v. Adamar of New Jersey d/b/a TropWorld Casino and Entertainment Resort, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, City of Atlantic City, et at.) to stop the use of eminent domain, a New Jersey appeals court agreed with the Milano family and issued a restraining order preventing TropWorld and the CRDA from proceeding. As of 2011, Joseph Milano and members of his family still live in the building built in 1935 by his father.