The Water Club at Borgata, Hotel Casino and Spa Atlantic City, NJ, USA

The Water Club at Borgata is set to be one of the newest and most luxurious hotels in Atlantic City, New Jersey, US. Atlantic City has always had the reputation of being the gambling capital of the East Coast. However, as in Las Vegas, hotel and casino owners in Atlantic City have come to realise that the average gambler is a now little more sophisticated, creating a need for more luxurious facilities.

The Water Club at Borgata will be situated in a prime East Coast location 120 miles south of New York City and 60 miles east of Philadelphia. The Water Club is 20 minutes from the Atlantic City International Airport and easily accessible by aeroplane, train, bus and car.

With a location at Renaissance Pointe in the Marina District, adjacent to Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, The Water Club is a five-minute drive from the boardwalk, beaches and rail stations in Atlantic City.

Larry Mullin, president and chief operating officer for Borgata, said: "Shortly after we opened Borgata we announced our plans for The Water Club, recognising the high consumer demand for a second hotel under the Borgata brand of hospitality… Upon its opening in early 2008, The Water Club will continue Borgata's efforts in redefining Atlantic City as a travel destination by introducing a new, uncharted hotel experience to the market."

HOTEL

The 43-storey, $400m, upmarket boutique Water Club is being developed by a joint venture of Boyd Gaming Corporation and MGM Mirage as an annex to the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. The construction started in 2006 and the hotel is on schedule to be completed by 2008.

The opening of The Water Club at Borgata will mark the completion of a $600m (making total investment to date $1.7bn) masterplan development and will form an exclusive extension to the sophisticated, international style that already defines the Borgata.

The Water Club will have 800 upgraded rooms and suites, seven pool environments, three residences inspired by chic city lofts, a two-storey 36,000ft² 'spa in the sky', 18,000ft² of meeting space, six designer retail shops including men's and women's clothing, lingerie, shoes and jewellery boutiques, and will offer direct access to and from the Borgata's established amenities and casino.

ACCOMMODATION AND FACILITIES

There will be 800 finely-appointed guest rooms and suites, offering five tiers of accommodation. All Club Rooms at The Water Club will offer entertainment facilities including Sony 40in LCD Flat Panel TV and iHome Stereo System with iPod docking station.

The room's comfort will also benefit from 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, His and Hers bathrobes and slippers, large bathrooms with granite countertops, glass-enclosed Italian marble showers (large enough for two, with rain dome showerheads), fully enclosed, separate WC, aromatherapy bath products, signature Water Club beds custom-designed by Sealy, a mini-bar, wireless high-speed internet access and IP phone and television.

AMENITIES

The Water Club will feature state-of-the-art amenities. There will be a comfortable lobby lounge called the 'Sunroom'. The spa-in-the-sky (Immersion) will be located on the 32nd floor. It will be 36,000ft² with 16 'experience' rooms, a state-of-the-art fitness centre and a 25-yard Infinity-edge lap pool with sky views overlooking the ocean. There will be five heated pools, two indoor pools and two outdoor Jacuzzi pools.

The Water Club business centre will boast 18,000ft² of meeting space with: two glass-enclosed boardrooms, three additional boardrooms, eight meeting rooms and state-of-the-art media technology and advanced computer electronic systems.

CONTRACTORS

Bower Lewis Thrower/Cope Linder Associates are the design architects for the project. Laurence Lee & Associates are the principal interior designers. Yates-Tishman Joint Venture (Yates Construction Company and Tishman Construction Corporation of New Jersey) are the construction managers. The Waterclub 'topped off' in July 2007.

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

At The Water Club the element of water will introduce the notion of vitality and set the overall aesthetic tone. The superbly integrated design materials fuse clean, elegant lines with soothing water features.

Limestone columns, Italian blown-glass chandeliers and plush handmade rugs that are punctuated by rich, splashes of colour are interwoven with several cascading water features around the property.

The hotel's lobby lounge, the Sunroom, will offer a central view of one of two outdoor heated pools, which was inspired by the design and experience of the Miami South Beach.

The Brazilian Ipé wooden deck will feature sand and cabanas, overlooking a 400-jet Infinity-edge Jacuzzi pool. The hotel's two indoor pools will be set amid lush live landscaping, large bamboo stalks and natural light, evoking the feeling of an outdoor setting.

THE BORGATA

The 35-storey Borgata is a joint venture of Boyd Gaming Corporation and MGM Mirage. The resort casino spa features 2,000 guest rooms and suites, 161,000ft² of gaming, 200 gaming tables, 4,100 slot machines, 12 destination restaurants, 12 retail boutiques, a 54,000ft² European style health spa, 70,000ft² of event space and parking for 7,100 cars.

The architects for the Borgata were BLT/CLA Joint Venture Architects (BLT Architects with Cope Linder Associates). The gardens, pool area and relaxation areas were designed by Lifescapes International Inc. The front entrance of the Borgata was designed and installed by EPCO Architectural hardware.

The Borgata required a 1,209-space parking facility dedicated solely for the Borgata employees. The six-storey, four-bay parking structure uses a double threaded helix to handle the high peak hour volumes demanded at employee shift changes. Walker Parking Consultants teamed with Baumgardner Construction Company and High Concrete Structures Inc to design and build this parking facility in only 12 months.

The Borgata first opened in July 2003 but has been extended since that time.