The New Boardwalk Empire

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The New Boardwalk Empire

The year’s hottest new casino resort, a $2.4 billion development with 1,800 rooms and a 150,000-square-foot casino, is nowhere near the Vegas strip—it’s almost 3,000 miles away, in fact. At 47 stories and 6.3 million square feet overall, the Revel resort opens Memorial Day 2012 on a prime swath of beach, poised to transform the AC boardwalk from gritty to glossy. And bookings start…now.

Over the past decade, AC has quietly been building out its luxury cred, with the opening of the Borgata and Water Club and an influx of upscale shops and restaurants. Revel just may be the tipping point. Consider: There will be 14 restaurants on the property, with chefs such as Marc Forgione, of Tribeca’s Restaurant Marc Forgione, and Alain Allegretti, of La Promende des Anglais; a 32,000-square-foot Exhale spa with 32 therapy rooms; a SkyGarden with two acres of green space; two performance venues; a burlesque nightclub that’s poised to be the new Beacher’s Madhouse; a four-story nightclub; and (count ’em) 10 swimming pools.

Each room at Revel will have a view of the sand and surf below, but for true high-rolling types, consider the resort’s two Sky Suites. The 3,500-square-foot lofts have floor-to-ceiling windows, two bedrooms, a media area, a spa treatment room, around-the-clock butler service, and enough room for a catered party for up to 80 friends. (From $7,500 per night.)

The hotel is now taking reservations, and tickets for Beyoncé’s three concerts on opening weekend go on sale April 6 at 10 a.m.