"The Blog for all your Travel Needs!

Atlantic City Turns up the Heat

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Atlantic City is taking a sexy spin in their casinos with more servers in scanty outfits and titillating attractions.

As Wayne Parry of the Courier Post, N.J. reports: "Miss America and her tiara are gone, replaced by lingerie-wearing blackjack dealers, beverage servers in bustiers or fishnets, a million-dollar steakhouse/gentlemen's club and soon a 'Naked Circus.'

"Three casinos have bikini beach bars on the sand. Outside the gambling halls, there are a half-dozen strip clubs and a sex swingers/voyeurs club ... Even the famous New York strip club Scores wants to open a branch in a casino."

The emphasis on sex is a way to stand out on the increasingly crowded casino landscape.

"In our industry -- the casino and entertainment and hospitality business -- you want to provide things that are pleasing and exciting and fun," Dennis Gomes, co-owner of Resorts Hotel Casino told the Courier-Post. "One of the things that most people find pleasing, exciting and fun is sex."

 

Resorts here caused a stir by introducing skimpy flapper dresses for female staff, which led to lawsuits from older employees who say they were fired because they didn't look good enough in the outfits.

There will also be a "party pit" gaming area introduced soon at the Tropicana, where dealers will raise the excitement factor of gaming, as they do at some Vegas casinos. That's due at the Tropicana for Fourth of July, along with a "Naked Circus," an adults-only show where performers will don only pasties and g-strings.

"We've always looked to promote Atlantic City as a sensual destination, and we started to push the envelope a little more," Jeff Vasser, executive director of the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the Courier-Post. "But you have to balance it. At the end of the day, we are still a community that existed long before it was a casino town. We could never get away with "What Happens Here, Stays Here.'

Would the sex-factor bring you to Atlantic City for your US holiday?

Atlantic City waitresses sue major hotel

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Middle-aged waitresses are suing the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, alleging that they were let go because they didn't look as good as younger colleagues in new skimpy costumes.

The discrimination suit alleges Resorts new owner, Dennis Gomes, created a "sham evaluation process" in which cocktail servers auditioned in new outfits in a Roaring '20s theme and were judged on their appearance by a modeling agency representing the casino.

Resorts Casino defended its practice, stating that the new costumes are a "critical aspect" in rebranding the hotel into a Roaring '20s theme. "All cocktail servers were given individual consideration and the selection process was conducted in a fair and objective manner," said the hotel, in a statement. "We empathise with the cocktail servers who lost their jobs and gave them hiring preference in other open positions at Resorts. Some took advantage of this offer and some did not."

Seven former cocktail servers are listed as plaintiffs. Fifteen women were let go after the modeling agency's evaluation.

"As far as I'm concerned, a man or woman can do that job at any age as long as they have a good personality, a good memory and good balance," Kevin Costello, a New Jersey attorney representing the plaintiffs, told the paper.

The plaintiffs are seeking to be reinstated with full pay and unspecified damages.

What do you think, was it discrimination?

Atlanta the world's busiest airport

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International is the world's busiest airport with Beijing's Capital International a close second.EnlargeClose

Beijing surpassed London's Heathrow Airport in passenger traffic last year, becoming the second busiest airport in the world, according to a preliminary report released yesterday by Airports Council International.

Heathrow’s figures were affected last year by snow storms, a volcanic eruption in Iceland, and strikes by airline workers that led to massive cancellations of flights.

Beijing's ascent highlights the rise of the Asia Pacific region which is on the cusp of becoming the biggest air travel market in the world, mostly because of China's increasing economic dominance.

"Given China's massive population base, a population that is increasingly able to travel by air, and China's role in global commerce and tourism ... China will be the primary driver behind much of the region's growth," says Henry Harteveldt, airline analyst with Forrester Research. "Given the current situation in Japan, it's possible that China's growth and dominance may become even more pronounced, as travel within, from and to Japan will undoubtedly soften to some extent near-term."

But Atlanta, a hub for Delta and low-cost carrier AirTran, held on to the top spot.

"Atlanta has the benefit of having a very strong global carrier, as well as a strong low-fare airline," says Deborah McElroy, executive vice president for policy and external affairs for Airports Council International, North America. "That blend allowed the airport to be able to better withstand some of the challenges of the economic recession. Having the two hubs with a varied traffic mix was one of the reasons they were able to retain that top spot."

The report was based on the responses from more than 900 airports globally and the final survey will be released later this year.

What's the busiest airport you've ever been in?

Step back in time with a trip to Atlantic City

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Atlantic City is embracing the Roaring ‘20s, with flapper costumes, swing dance contests and whiskey-soaked cocktails, after the recent popularity of HBO show Boardwalk Empire set in Atlantic City during the bygone era.

The city is cashing in on the buzz surrounding the TV show with casinos dressing workers in period costumes, teaching jazz and swing tunes to entertainers and sponsoring dance contests like the Lindy, the Charleston and the Shimmy.

Resorts Casino Hotel, whose hotel was built in the 1920s, re-branded itself in a Roaring '20s theme. Caesars and Bally's Atlantic City held '20s-themed events, and their parent company is considering sponsoring a Boardwalk Empire tour of Atlantic City, featuring the real-life spots where political and rackets boss Enoch "Nucky" Johnson held court and partook liberally of the shore town's vices — most of which he controlled, as well.

"If you came to Atlantic City back then, it was non-stop partying and entertainment and fun," said Dennis Gomes, the new co-owner of Resorts, who hit on the Roaring '20s theme last summer, before the purchase even became final. "It was a major party environment, a backlash against Victorian conservatism. It was a fun time."

"Things were rockin' down here," said Don Marrandino, eastern regional president of Caesars Entertainment, which owns Caesars, Bally's and two other Atlantic City casinos. "We need to get that back."

On Saturday night, Bally's held a swing dance contest as part of the Roaring '20s craze, where the contestants had to wear '20s-era outfits. 

"The music and the fashion of that era was the ultimate," said one of the contestants, David Lochner of suburban Philadelphia. "Clothes looked much better. People got all dressed up." 

His partner, Sascha Newberg, said the dancing of that era required much more involvement than it does today.

"You meet so many different people, and everyone has their job and their role, with all the moves," she said. "Instead of just sitting in a bar smoking, you have a real social interaction. A lot of people know nothing about this kind of music or dancing. It's like looking at a rotary phone and hearing it ring."

On New Year's Eve, Resorts dressed six of its cocktail servers in flapper costumes, with black sequined headbands and feathers tucked inside, strands of pearls cascading down one side. A strolling violinist in a zoot suit greets arriving gamblers in the lobby, a singing bartender is memorizing all the top hits of the '20s. Most of the casinos workers will don those costumes for good when Resorts has its grand re-opening around Memorial Day weekend.

When Boardwalk Empire debuted in September, Caesars erected a giant billboard with the show's logo in its lobby, and it quickly became one of the most photographed spots in Atlantic City.

Bally's painted murals of '20s-era bathing beauties on its Boardwalk facade, and started a self-guided walking tour of Boardwalk Empire related spots. And casinos throughout the city offered food, drink and hotel promotions geared to the series, like hotel rooms for $19.20 a night, dinner and buffet specials for the same price, whiskey-based drinks straight from the show, and even old-fashioned straight-razor shaves in a barber shop chair, just like those Nucky Johnson used to enjoy.

"People dig knowing where all those characters went and what they did," Marrandino said. "This thing is hot right now."

Vegas move over, Atlantic City looks like the new American holiday destination for fun, fashion and ferocious hangovers!