Background and Location
I was visiting Atlantic City with my family and this was my second time visiting the city. The last time I visited was about 2 years ago and I had stayed at the Caesars Atlantic City. This time, I decided it was time to try something new and booked the Borgata, which is part of MGM Resorts.
The Borgata is just a couple miles away from the Atlantic City boardwalk, and the highest-earning Atlantic City hotel. It consists of two towers, the main Borgata Tower and the MGM Tower. For those Vegas fans out there, think of it kind of like Mandalay Bay and the Delano.
The MGM Tower used to be called the Water Club, but it just renovated and rebranded into the MGM Tower in 2023. The MGM Tower features more than 700 guestrooms. Depending on your dates, upgrading from the standard Borgata Tower Room to the MGM Tower can be around $30 a night.
Takeoff Points
Date of Stay: September 2024
Room Type: Resort King + Resort Queen at MGM Tower
Pros: Great resort overall and I love the newly refreshed rooms at the MGM Tower.
Cons: Room insulation is a bit lacking, so bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper.
Arrival
We did self-parking, and it is $10 a day, and you pay when you leave. It does include in/out privileges which is nice, and there is a structure at the main Borgata Tower, as well as surface parking closer to the MGM Tower. Valet is also available for $15. If you have MGM status, you can get free parking, but I don’t currently hold any status.
Despite having to pay for parking, a cool feature in Atlantic City is that you can use your parking receipt for free parking at another Atlantic City casino, up to 6 am the following day! That was helpful as we wanted to park at a casino on the boardwalk and walk around.
We parked at the covered structure and didn’t mind the walk through the Borgata to the MGM Tower.
While the Borgata itself is nice and has a solid 4-star vibe, walking through the entrance to the MGM Tower felt a lot more upscale and I loved the boutique vibe. It had a few shops in the connector, including a Hugo Boss store. You can also see the Chihuly Glass welcoming you to the MGM Tower lobby.
We were quickly checked in by a friendly associate, and since we arrived around 2 pm before the standard check-in time, only one of the rooms was ready which was fine. And they texted us when the other room was ready (at the standard 4 pm check-in time). We had a King Room and a 2 Queen Room.
I really enjoyed the design and furnishings of the MGM Tower lobby, and the scent was very nice as well.
The Room
Our rooms were located on the 26th floor, and the hallways felt very fresh and new.
The rooms were a good size, at 460 square feet.
The king room had nightstands on both side sides, and both side sides had power ports, light controls, USB-C, and USB-A, which was a nice touch. A pen and notepad were provided as well.
All the finishings seemed pretty new and refreshed, and I liked the light marble countertops for the side tables as well as the light wood for the bedframe. I did find the abstract, colorful art above the bed to be a bit funky, and it made the room look a little less luxurious, but it was fine.
Towards the window, the room featured a large lamp, an armchair, as well as a desk with two chairs near the TV. The TV offered a good amount of channels and as long as there’s HGTV and the Food Network I am happy. There’s also a mini fridge for personal use. I was a bit surprised to see a casino hotel not have a full mini bar in the room, but I generally don’t use the minibar and would much prefer a mini fridge for personal use anyway. Additionally, since I am used to Las Vegas I’m used to the fact that Las Vegas casinos generally do not provide a coffee maker, so I was a bit surprised to see a coffee maker as well as coffee pods being provided at this property. Condiment kits were also included as well.
And here’s how the 2 queen room looked like. It was pretty similar, just that it did not have the armchair that the king room had.
In the closet, there was a luggage rack, an iron board, and a safe. I also did appreciate that they had wooden hangers.
The only quirk I had with the the hotel was that the room insulation was not the best and I could hear talking from the rooms around me even though they weren’t being that loud. Just bring some earplugs if you’re a light sleeper. On the plus side, the AC was easy to control and I ran a constant fan to assist with the noise.
Bathroom
I really liked the bathroom, and even though there was only one sink, it had ample counter space as well as shelves for storage. There was a large standup shower, and then a separate room for the water closet. The shower was nice and spacious, with a shower head/wand combination, and a large bench.
The body wash, shampoo, and conditioner were provided in refillable bottles. It’s made for MGM resorts, but distributed by an Australian company and made in Columbia. At the sink, there was hand wash and body lotion. The hand wash was shea butter and camomile and the body lotion was grape seed oil and shea butter.
A “necessities” kit was provided which came with a shower cap, nail file, cotton swabs, and cotton rounds.
In-Room Dining
In-room dining is offered and they have two different types of room service. The classic service is expedited and conveniently packaged in to-go containers and delivered to your door. Or they have a second option called premier in-room dining where it’s a traditional table service experience delivered to your door, but that has a $100 minimum.
Amenities
The MGM Tower has its own fitness center, and also its own pools.
The fitness center is near the lobby and offers a variety of equipment options. When I popped in around 8:30 am, it was pretty empty.
There is an indoor pool and outdoor pool at the MGM Tower, though both Borgota and MGM Tower guests can access them. The outdoor pool was closed during my visit, but the indoor pool was open. The pools at the MGM Tower are for adults only (21+). The Borgata Indoor Pool & Gardens is open for all ages after a certain time in the morning.
If you want to go to the Spa & Salon, it is located on the second floor of Borgata’s hotel tower.
The casino floor at the Borgata has plenty of slots and table games to keep you occupied.
Dining
The Sunroom is located in the MGM Tower which serves weekend brunch, and there is a coffee cart in the lobby. Most of the dining offerings will be located in the main Borgata Tower and there is a lot to choose from. On this visit, I had brunch at the Borgata Buffet and dinner at Noodles of the World.
Brunch at the buffet was fine, the highlight was the Omelet Station and the fact that our waitress was super friendly. The other food offerings were quite subpar.
Noodles of the World was amazing, and I would definitely eat there again. Really good pan-Asian cuisine!
Other restaurants include the famous Old Homestead Steakhouse, Angeline by Michael Symon, and the American Bar & Grille.
The Verdict
Overall, I really enjoyed my stay at the MGM Tower at the Borgata Atlantic City. The rooms were fresh, modern, and comfortable. I loved the boutique feel of walking into the MGM Tower and will definitely consider staying here again when my travels bring me back to Atlantic City.
Have you stayed at the MGM Tower or the Borgota Atlantic City before? How was your experience? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
