Colorado developer Bruce Deifik (pictured) says he won’t give anyone the chance to find fault with the former Revel casino property acquired by his AC Ocean Walk LLC for $200 million in early January this year.
Rebranded as the Ocean Resort Casino, the former Revel Casino Hotel Atlantic City was built in 2012 at a cost of $2.4 billion. Two owners and numerous issues later and Deifik, who is also the founder, president and CEO of Denver-headquartered Integrated Properties, Inc, says that he has been thorough in his assessment of Atlantic City’s former Revel casino and is taking care of all of the things that were considered to be problems during the Revel’s less than two-year operation before closing in 2014.
According to a Monday report from the Associated Press news service published by NBC 10 Philadelphia, when the Ocean Resort Casino opens sometime this summer, guests will be permitted to smoke, while other add-ons that were previously missing include a buffet, more kid-friendly amenities such as a large candy store and “Cereal Town,” where little kids and not so little kids can order “every kind of cereal from around the globe’ for dinner, according to Deifik.
Other changes and additions will reportedly include:
• The return of the popular HQ outdoor pool and dance club.
• A reconfiguration of the casino floor to make navigation easier for customers.
• Glass safety panels will be added to either side of the “escalator to heaven” located at the main entrance.
• No longer will a two-night stay be required.
• Stairs welcoming foot traffic will replace a wall which currently prevent easy access from the Boardwalk.
• Topgolf Swing Suite will offer virtual golf as well as a range of interactive multi-sport games.
The news agency also reports that according to Deifik, Mark Wahlberg will be opening a Wahlburgers restaurant at the Boardwalk casino, along with a bar called “Entourage,” as in the HBO comedy-drama Walhberg produced from 2004-2011. Deifik reportedly told the AP that the acclaimed actor will have a large presence at the property.
The new owner said, “The first thing we did is pay very close attention to what people said about this place, positive and negative.
“We will listen; that’s a difference-maker. Treat people with respect. Be glad they’re here, and treat them as family members. The main difference is a completely different attitude concerning service to our customer. I think there was a huge disconnect there,” added Deifik who has for the past nine months been living at the Tropicana casino as he prepared Ocean Resort, according to the Associated Press as published by NBC 10 Philadelphia.
The Texas A&M alum also reportedly guaranteed that a contract agreement between Ocean Resort and Atlantic City’s main casino union would be reached. The union reportedly agreed with that assessment, according to the news outlet.
An opening date for Ocean Resort Casino has yet to be announced.