$50M renovation underway at Showboat Atlantic City

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Showboat Resort Atlantic City owner Bart Blatstein announced Jan. 24 that the final phase of remodeling for the hotel’s 800 rooms, suites, lobby and other common areas is underway.

The $50 million project will include a full overhaul of Showboat’s room inventory, with upgrades such as modernizing furnishings to emulate the beachfront location and state-of-the-art key lock technology enabled by guests’ personal phones.

The lobby and other common areas will feature a theme centered around what Showboat says is Atlantic City’s greatest asset — the beach.

According to Blatstein, the renovation will be complete in time for the grand opening this summer of another exciting project, the $100 million Island Waterpark that is currently under construction next to Showboat.  The indoor and outdoor attraction – which will feature water slides, ziplines, a treehouse, a lazy river, wave pool and a nightclub – was described by Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. as a “gamechanger” during his recent State of the City speech.

“The Showboat is the only true family-friendly, year-round resort in Atlantic City and these major investments demonstrate our ongoing commitment to elevate guests’ experiences,” said Blatstein, who is also CEO of Tower Investments Inc. “The room and other property enhancements will ensure the stay experience aligns with our extraordinary entertainment offerings that we have developed in recent years.”

These projects mark the latest investments made by Blatstein, who bought Showboat in July 2016.

In 2021, he launched Lucky Snake at the resort, New Jersey’s largest arcade. The destination includes multiple entertainment concepts under one roof, such as a massive arcade, sports bar, indoor venues for live entertainment, improved convention and meeting spaces, and an indoor go-kart race track that was added last summer.

The investments also continue a trend across Atlantic City of betting on redevelopment, especially in non-gaming amenities and attractions, which NJBIZ has extensively covered.

Blatstein says these enhancements demonstrate Tower’s commitment to Showboat — the largest non-casino hotel in New Jersey and the Atlantic City market.

“Open now for our seventh summer, we know how much our guests enjoy staying with us at Showboat and look forward to elevating that experience even more with these renovations,” said Blatstein. “At Tower, we’ve always believed in Atlantic City and can’t wait to open our waterpark! New offerings like the Lucky Snake and the incredible events we offer will just keep making this celebrated city even better and more attractive to guests.”