On Margaritaville, Resorts and The Sense Of Destination

 middleclassbuzz posted on Thursday, 23rd August 2012 - 4:04 pm

I also wondered why the beaches aren't trumpeted/utilized more. On the one hand, I like that the casinos sort of disappear behind the boardwalk, leaving a "normal" East Coast beach on the other side. The gambling is there if you want it, but it is never in your face the way it is when you are walking the Strip. On the other hand, it does seem like the casinos forget what an asset they have in their front yards. I could see AC easily being marketed as a great beach resort destination with entertainment options that are unparalleled on the eastern seaboard; instead, it seems like the casinos are content to market their offerings as a poor man's Las Vegas. Lots of missed opportunities.

 weatherman2111 posted on Friday, 24th August 2012 - 2:06 am

East Coast beches are kind of a "family" thing, and AC doesn't do family very well. Sure there's tons of condos and suck filled with vacationers, but that's not what the casinos look for, and most of the current casino crowd isn't there to swim in greenish, though actually really clean overall, water.

Cesars has gambling just off the boardwalk, as does Resorts. As the building's stand you can't see the boardwalk and beach very well. but it wouldn't take too much to change that other than caring.

 StudiodeKadent posted on Friday, 24th August 2012 - 11:03 am

I think that we need to establish a difference between "broad market" and "family."

"Broad Market" = "Something for every demographic"
"Family" = Something appropriate for the family demographic"

Casino Resorts may not be Family, but they CAN be Broad Market.

Look at Mandalay Bay or Mirage in Vegas. They're both casinos, and both have high-end dining and gambling as well as some more mid-market gambling and dining. But they also have things for the kiddies too (Wave Pool/Lazy River at Mandalay, Secret Garden at Mirage).

Atlantic City's beaches will broaden the city's appeal, even if they may not make the city "family demographic" they will make it "broad market" assuming it is correctly marketed.

I mean, look at the success of dayclubs/"beach clubs" in Vegas. You can do that in AC more easily than most because there is a real beach.

 weatherman2111 posted on Friday, 24th August 2012 - 10:47 pm

true...until some drunk gets washed out by a riptide. Also, I believe the actual beach is all city property, so so you really can't get a bar that close to the waves. At least, I've never seen anyone try.

Unfortunately I don't think any for the beachfront Ac resorts have the acrage to pull off a Mandalay or something like that. What I think at leats one of them should do is build a full scale indoor waterpark. Those places are a license to print your own money. At least Steel Pier is finally getting some love. That will help somewhat.

 stevecovington posted on Monday, 10th September 2012 - 8:25 am

I would think that the AC casinos would utilize the boardwalk more as well. My "fantasy" Las Vegas-type city would be a West Coast version of AC but on a Vegas scale. Basically the best properties in Vegas on a boadwalk overlooking northern San Diego. If only I had a time machine, I'd go back 100 years and make that happen. lol.

 bat55w posted on Saturday, 22nd September 2012 - 9:44 pm

Just a note about beaches in NJ. Almost every NJ beach town requires that you buy beach tags to be on the beach. Atlantic City is one of the few places you can walk on the beach without paying for tags. Also, with the casino's there, parking is plentiful. I think this attracts alot of day trippers in the summer to this part of the NJ shoreline.