Review of Borgata’s newly renovated and newly rebranded MGM Tower (formerly the Water Club): Our pros and cons

 

Resort King, MGM Tower, Borgata (Atlantic City, NJ)

My wife and I have fond memories of staying at the MGM Tower when it was called the Water Club at the Borgata.  We loved the exclusivity of the Water Club, tucked away from the casino floor, and away from all that smoke that sometimes permeates the casino area.

We loved the clean and bright walkway that connects the Borgata to the Water Club with its collection of upscale shops (Boss for example).  The lobby is even better, somewhat boutique compared to the massive Borgata’s lobby, but so much more serene, bright and clean. 

We always loved the views of the marina and the downtown Atlantic City area, as it’s located bit closer to the marina compared to the Borgata.  We felt like million bucks just checking into the hotel, then going upstairs to our room.  There’s always that one moment in time when we’re about to open the door to our hotel room full of anticipation and excitement.

The views, if you can get the room facing the marina, always impressed us on our two separate trips to the hotel.  Usually the next morning after checking in, we would spend time at the hotel’s gym and the adults-only pool, as well as the awesome hot tub.  

Up until July (2023), whenever we tried booking the room at the MGM Tower, the rooms were simply not available.  Little did we know at the time, but Borgata was spending serious time and money ($55 million) to renovate the old Water Club into the new MGM Tower.  

The original Water Club was built back in 2008 at a cost of $400 million and it was a nice complement to the adjacent Borgata Hotel and Casino.  It opened with 5 swimming pools, a spa-in-the-sky, a gym, and a weekly floral budget of $18,000.

When the newly renovated and rebranded MGM Tower was launched in July, we jumped at the chance to book a room.  We booked a complimentary Resort King room for two nights during early September, thanks to my MGM Rewards Gold Status.

After parking our car at the Borgata Hotel indoor parking garage (MGM Tower only has either the outside self parking lot or valet parking), we walked towards the MGM Tower.  We passed the familiar lobby area of the Borgata and walked through the also familiar walkway that connects the Borgata to the MGM Tower.

Up until that point, nothing seemed to have changed.  There were still the same or similar collection of upscale retail shops along the walkway, all brightly lit.  Things changed for the better the minute we walked into the lobby/check in area.

Designed by MGM Resorts International Design Group and acclaimed interior design firm RVD Associates, the hotel feels brighter and airier with coastal design elements.  There are plenty of blue and white hues, the colors of the ocean, as well as carpet print design reminiscent of rippling, ocean waves.

Admiring the newly renovated surroundings, we checked in at the front desk.  We got our keys to our room, a Resort King room on a high floor, then went upstairs to our room.  When we got off the elevator and out on to our floor, we noticed the similar carpet print design like that of ocean waves.  It looked good!

With anticipation and excitement building, we opened the door to our room and was greeted by the familiar but at the same time the same fantastic views of the marina and the city.  Awesome!

We noticed several main changes to the room itself.  The furnishings were all brand new including a new bed/headboard, lounge chairs, huge dining table, work bench, and lighting fixtures.  Even the bathroom was newly designed with much brighter lighting.  

We loved it!  There’s always something cool about checking into a new or a newly renovated room, as it means only a few number of people have used the room up until that point.  We settled in, which for us means having a cup of coffee or tea, while watching the views outside.  

We would spend the next two nights/three days enjoying our room and everything that MGM Tower/Borgata has to offer.  And with that introduction, here are our pros and cons of MGM Tower!

Pros

• Did I mention it’s newly renovated?

The hotel and the room looks absolutely stunning.  It felt like we were in one of the top rated MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas.  The hotel looks contemporary inside and outside, while all the neat upscale design details liven up the place, like beautiful glass sculptures (a signature of Borgata Hotel), or the elegant chandeliers in the lobby area.

Everything works as a coherent design reminiscent of fun, summertime laid-back coastal vibes.  Great job on renovating!

Being newly renovated also means all the furnishings are brand spanking new.  It’s almost like the elusive “new car smell” for a hotel.  Everything smells nicer and cleaner compared to the Borgata.

• Everything feels so airy and bright 

Compared to the current Borgata Hotel or even the old Water Club, the newly renovated MGM Tower is leaps and bounds more airy and more bright.  From the lobby to the room itself, we wondered why they don’t do this for all hotels.

The room itself is so much brighter especially at night with new lighting fixtures that illuminate better.  Even my mom, who can’t see well in the dark, commented how nice and bright the room is during our trip there together the same month.

For anyone with similar issues, MGM Tower is the winner compared to the Borgata.  As nice as the Borgata Hotel is, it is dark everywhere: the lobby, the hallway to get to the room, and the room itself.  

• Resort King room

The naming scheme of the newly designed MGM Tower hotel rooms seem to be mimicking those of other MGM Resorts Properties’ other hotels, like the Bellagio, for example.  At the Bellagio, we stayed at a Resort Tower King vs MGM Tower’s Resort King.  It totally makes sense for MGM Resorts to want to incorporate common themes within all their properties.  

I don’t care so much about the naming scheme of hotel rooms much as the rooms themselves though.  Rooms are absolutely beautiful, improving on the design aesthetic of the original Water Club, and that view of the marina and downtown is breathtaking.

We loved spending time lounging by the comfortable chairs overlooking the views while sipping some of our favorite hot beverage: coffee or green tea.  Watching the setting sun during evenings made the view even more spectacular with glowing oranges turning to crimson red.  Awesome…

• There’s still that feeling of exclusivity 

MGM Tower has a feeling of a “hotel within a hotel” theme common with several Las Vegas MGM Resorts properties.  Park MGM has the “NoMad Las Vegas” while the Mandalay Bay has the Delano.  It’s a cool setup to be able to stay at a different (more exclusive) hotel within the same resort complex, while being able to use all the amenities of the same resort.  Nice!

The checking in line at the MGM Tower (just like when it was the Water Club) is noticeably shorter compared to the Borgata.  It just feels better to check in to a more boutique-hotel like environment of MGM Tower.

I know that even as a valued MGM Rewards Gold card member, the complimentary rooms at the MGM Tower is not a given on certain nights.  We were just glad we got it during our mid-week stay (Wednesday to Friday).

Because the MGM Tower is separated by a long walkway, there are so much less people congregating in the lobby compared to the Borgata as well.  Atmosphere is less hurried, definitely more relaxed, and noticeably more upscale.  

• Pools are arguably better than the Borgata’s pool

Maybe this is a personal thing, but I find the pools to be more upscale than the Borgata.  There is the pool by the lobby that feels really tranquil just lounging by, and there is the outside pool for sun worshipers. 

The decor overall, feels noticeably more modern and up to date, compared to the Borgata as well.  

• We really like the Sun Room by the lobby

The Sun Room is a really nice place to grab some food while enjoying the tropical themed atmosphere with palm trees and cascading waterfalls.  It feels bright, during the day and it transforms into a cool vibe bar in the evenings.  

Food quality is surprisingly good with decent menu items like you would find in a neighborhood bistro, but upscale.  We had breakfast and lunch there, and we found it really relaxing to unwind after few hours at the casino, or after waking up late.  

• Smell of cigarette smoke is non existent in the MGM Tower hotel lobby 

When standing around to check in at the Borgata, the smell of cigarette smoke is noticeable at times as it sits right next to the casino floor.  No such problem exists at the MGM Tower and it’s literally a breath of fresh air!

For non-smokers, the prevalence of smoking in the casino floor is the worst thing about visiting a casino.  At least at the MGM Tower, you can escape from that for awhile…

Cons

• Only one:  the spa-in-the-sky, the adults only Olympic sized lap swimming pool, hot tub, and the gym are gone

All of the above items at the Water Club that made the hotel so enticing are all gone!  We went upstairs to see if any of them were still in operation but they were in the process of being torn down.  

A security guard came by to tell us that as we were exercising in the gym.  The door to the gym wasn’t locked so we figured we could use it.  Oh, well…***We used the gym at the Borgata instead.

We found out the hotel will be replacing all of that for a conference facility.  That is a bummer…Being able to exercise with views of Atlantic City and the marina underneath our feet was fantastic.  So was the hot tub and the adults only swimming pool!  We’re going to miss those…

In conclusion:

Despite losing the top floor spa, pool, gym, and the hot tub, the remodeling of the Water Club to MGM Tower is a huge success.  We absolutely adored all the upgrades to the hotel including the lobby, room, and the hotel hallway.  The place feels up to date, and so much brighter and cheery than before.  

Despite being adjacent to the Borgata, MGM Tower feels worlds apart thanks to the absence of cigarette smoke, the raucous crowds, and the dark themed ambience of the Borgata and the casino floor.  You have the best of both worlds: the feeling of exclusivity of MGM Tower while being able to access everything that the Borgata has to offer.

We highly recommend the MGM Tower for your trip to the Borgata and be sure to ask for the room facing the marina/city.  You won’t be disappointed!

We thank you for reading and happy trails!

Jake

Wandering Money Pig 

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