Making Smaller Better

Sure, there are huge megaresorts on the horizon for Atlantic City, but the city’s smallest casinos still have much to offer

By Frank Legato

Much of the hoopla surrounding Atlantic City’s so-called "second wave" of construction (already underway in the Marina district) has centered on the gargantuan size of the resorts that are to be built.

Pundits have been saying for years that mile-long, Vegas-style megaresorts are just what this town needs—essential for being a "destination resort."

But where does that leave the smallest casinos in town? Many think they will have to struggle to survive in the new Atlantic City. I don’t happen to share this opinion.

The reason is that the city’s smallest casinos generally have done fantastic jobs in marketing, maintaining and improving their properties—and in giving customers reasons to keep coming back.

Take a look at the five smallest casinos in town and you’ll see what I mean:

THE CLARIDGE

The area off the Boardwalk known as Brighton Park is home to the city’s two smallest casinos. Of the two, the Claridge always seems to get the rap for being inadequate. But take a closer look. This is a hotel that was built when Herbert Hoover was president—yet instead of permitting it to decay, its owners have constantly worked to preserve its condition. As a result, entering the hotel is like entering a time warp—the decor, lighting and furnishings are from a bygone era, but everything still looks new. The Claridge also has a pair of high-end restaurants that are among the best in the city, which follow this same classic decor magnificently.

The Claridge is the only casino in town to maintain more than a token few Jacks or Better video poker machines with the 9/6 pay table (99.54 percent payback) in the quarter denomination. In fact, they keep scores of them up and running. The casino offers the late surrender option in blackjack, and usually keeps $5 minimums available on some of the tables.

Our "Mystery Tourist" had some problems with the service at the Claridge, but pound for pound, the place does a lot with what it has.

THE SANDS

With money finally available to management thanks to a Chapter 11 reorganization, the Sands has embarked on a major effort to improve itself.

A complete renovation of the hotel and casino has begun, but more importantly, the slot department is on a mission to offer nothing but the newest slot machines. The Sands is now invariably the first place you see many of the newest machines, and the look of the slot floor is a little different with each visit. The newly named Sands Card is the key to one of the most innovative slot clubs around, with state-of-the-art equipment that lets you comp yourself or receive cashback awards without leaving your slot machine.

RESORTS

The city’s first casino is also in the middle of a renovation project that is changing the look of the entire property. On the slot floor, this involves a continuous upgrade of machines, replacing the old with the new. The Star Card slot club program has always been great, not only cashback-wise (it pays a dollar a point in cashback once a member earns 10 points in a day), but promotion-wise.

The latest Star Card promotion coincides with the renovation and remodeling of the property. Like many of Resorts’ recent promos, there are two ways to win in the contest. The first is a "Match and Win" game. Every day, Star Card members can pick up a "puzzle piece" at the Celebrity Marketing Center. Each piece states the name of an area of Resorts being revamped. Every hour from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., one of the puzzle pieces is displayed on monitors throughout the casino. Players who have a matching puzzle piece get a free spin on the "Construction Wheel," for a guaranteed prize ranging from a t-shirt to $500 in cash. The other portion of the contest is "Collect & Win." If you collect all ten puzzle pieces, you get $1,000 worth of free slot play in the casino’s new high roller area.

In all, it’s a clever way to alert people that Resorts is changing, and a good way to make sure everyone knows how it is changing.

THE HILTON

This property has long been one of the gems of Atlantic City, and like the other small casinos, the Hilton has preserved the best of its physical design—an elegant decor originally created when the property opened as the Golden Nugget.

Formerly, the Hilton’s VIP slot club was known for innovative promotions. Nowadays, it’s known for its triple-cashback program, which I highlighted last month in this space. A triple cash award, with no minimum or limits, is available immediately as same-day cash, while the normal cashback amount is placed in a "Vacation Club" account, where it accumulates until June, when the member can go and withdraw the entire lump of cash. Then, cashback goes into a "Holiday Club" account until next December.

TRUMP MARINA

As I’ve said before, no place in Atlantic City has a better entertainment program than Trump Marina. The casino hotel itself has always maintained high quality, but for the past year, a program of hip entertainment geared toward the Baby Boomer-and-younger crowd has made the Marina one of the most fun places in town to stay or to visit.

These are the small casinos, the ones many say will have a hard time surviving the next decade. However, each of these casinos has taken action to prove those people wrong, by distinguishing itself as unique in the marketplace.

The casino hotels that will survive Atlantic City during the next decade won’t necessarily be the largest. The survivors will be the ones that continually give people reasons to come back.