Showboat Hotel to reopen today, developer says

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The Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City is reopening Friday afternoon, according to developer Bart Blatstein, who said Thursday that the former casino will now be the largest noncasino hotel in the city.A news release from Blatstein’s company, Philadelphia-based Tower Investments, said the first phase of the reopening will feature 852 oceanfront rooms and suites.

“This is an exciting time for us — Tower Investment embraced this opportunity and hit the ground running to make the opening of this hotel happen in time for the prime summer tourist season,” Blatstein, Tower’s CEO and president, said in a prepared statement. “We are extremely proud of this hotel, the fact we are open for guests now, and that we are creating hundreds of jobs in Atlantic City, all while delivering an unforgettable experience for our guests at this iconic destination.”

The property, at 801 Boardwalk, will also offer a full-service bar, a coffeehouse and a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and more, Tower said.

“We know that this hotel, with its completely refreshed look and new direction, will attract new guests to this wonderful city,” Blatstein said. “My confidence and belief in the future of Atlantic City has never been stronger. We continue to see exciting momentum and my experience in this city will certainly play a critical role as we restore the Showboat Hotel to what it truly deserves for the future.”

An entity known as ACSB Hospitality will serve as the manager of the property, the release said.

Blatstein acquired the property in January for $23 million, after a saga in which it was sold by Caesars Entertainment to Stockton University, only to have the deal break down when Trump Entertainment protest the transaction, based on a decades-old agreement.

“There has been great interest in this hotel for meetings and other large events, and we know that bringing this hotel back to life will have great positive impact on the surrounding areas and other attractions in the city,” said Blatstein, who is also developing the Atlantic City retail area known as The Playground at Caesars.