Hyatt Adds $3B Atlantic City Resort to Unbound Collection

By Keith Loria, Contributing Editor

Rendering of the new Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.

Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a franchise agreement with AC Ocean Walk to transform the Ocean Resort Casino, a 6.4 million-square-foot, 1,399-key casino hotel, in Atlantic City, N.J., into The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand.

“We presently lack presence in Atlantic City, which is one of the most frequently visited leisure travel destinations in the Northeast,” David Tarr, Hyatt’s senior vice president, real estate and development, Americas, told Commercial Property Executive. “This absence initially attracted us to the opportunity to affiliate our brand with the Ocean Resort Casino.”

AC Ocean Walk acquired the $3 billion casino hotel earlier this year, and the property is expected to open this summer. When completed, the 60-story resort will be situated on 20 acres on the noted Atlantic City Boardwalk, becoming the tallest building in the East Coast’s gambling mecca.

It will feature a 138,000-square-foot luxury casino, 160,000 square feet of indoor meeting and convention space and another 90,000 square feet of flexible outdoor special event space. Guests will have access to five swimming pools, including a salt-water pool, a sun deck with cabanas, and distinctive dining from premiere restaurant groups Garces Group and LDV Hospitality.

There will also be top entertainment experiences and the resort will include a 32,000-square-foot onsite location of exhale, Hyatt’s newly acquired fitness and spa brand, which will feature 32 treatment rooms, a mind body studio and retail boutique.

“At Hyatt, we are focused on thoughtfully growing our brand in markets where our guests want us to be, and in a manner that provides them with the travel experiences and quality that they have come to expect from our brands,” Tarr said. “The Ocean Resort Casino will set a new standard for the resorts of Atlantic City, and will provide guests with an abundance of amenities and services on Atlantic City’s storied Boardwalk, making this property a great addition to the Unbound Collection.”

Authentic customer experiences

The new Ocean Resort Casino will be North America’s eighth hotel to become part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt portfolio. Others include the Holston House Nashville in Nashville, Tenn.; The Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia; Spirit Ridge in Osoyoos, British Columbia; The Driskill in Austin, Texas; Royal Palms Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Ariz.; The Confidante in Miami Beach, Fla.; and the soon-to-open Eliza Jane in New Orleans, La.

According to Tarr, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt offers story-worthy experiences for Hyatt guests, providing them with new adventures and authentic experiences.

“Whether it is a fascinating past, an exclusive location, famous architecture and design, or an award-winning dining experience, the properties in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt have the freedom to be unique, and these story-worthy experiences provide guests with ‘social currency,’” he said.

In February, Hyatt Hotels Corp. agreed to sell the 668-key Grand Hyatt San Francisco, the 301-key Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort and the 454-key Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa, Bonita Springs, Fla., to Host Hotels & Resorts for approximately $1 billion.

Image courtesy of Hyatt Hotels Corp.