Harrah's Atlantic City - History

History

Bill Harrah, who has already opened two highly successful casinos in Reno and Lake Tahoe, decided to build his third casino in Atlantic City, named "Harrah's Marina", only one month before his death in 1978. After his death, Harrah's was sold to Holiday Inn and they continued pursuing an Atlantic City property. The location of the new casino was in the marina district, the first one off of the boardwalk. Holiday Inn renamed the casino "Holiday Inn Marina Casino" but later into construction, they decided to use the old name of Harrah's Marina to capitalize on the well-known brand.

Harrah's Marina opened on November 23, 1980 with 506-rooms and became the top-grossing casino in the city. In the mid 80's, Harrah's added 260-rooms in the new Atrium Suites tower due to the complex's popularity and the opening of Trump's Castle across the road. The resort did not build another expansion until 2001, when the Bayview Tower opened to compete with the Borgata, which opened next to Harrah's in 2003. Shortly after, the Waterfront Tower opened in 2008 along with a new pool and a spa to further compete with the Borgata. The hotel tower is Atlantic City's second tallest building, at 525 feet. At night, the entire surface of the tower displays varying digital images. On a square footage basis, this installation is believed to be the largest exterior LED display surface in the world.

Read more about this topic:  Harrah's Atlantic City

Famous quotes containing the word history:

    ... in a history of spiritual rupture, a social compact built on fantasy and collective secrets, poetry becomes more necessary than ever: it keeps the underground aquifers flowing; it is the liquid voice that can wear through stone.
    Adrienne Rich (b. 1929)

    Only the history of free peoples is worth our attention; the history of men under a despotism is merely a collection of anecdotes.
    —Sébastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort (1741–1794)

    The whole history of civilisation is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards.
    Walter Bagehot (1826–1877)