I recently went to Cancun, and the trip away was exactly what I needed. A bit of glitz, and just the feeling of being away. A little bit ago I was feeling the same way, in desperate need of a pick me up after work was super stressful, but the jaunt to Mexico just wasn’t in the cards this time around.
Enter Revel. I had heard about it on and off for quite a while, but I had never really thought about venturing down. It just never crossed my mind, honestly. Then a friend suggested it, and off we were — a group of six of us in total.
Atlantic City is the perfect hop from New York City, at just about 2 hours via an easy bus rid from Port Authority. And I mean Port Authority — not Penn Station, which was my early morning mistake and resulted in me literally sprinting through the streets to catch my bus. Allegedly. Because as someone who lives in New York, I could never make that mistake… right?
Anyway. Revel is a bit of dream to arrive to. A gleaming glass entry way welcomes you in, and as soon as you pass through the double doors you look up, because there is an amazing glass atrium that seems to soar skywards without end. Honestly, it was pretty close to what I imagine entering Oz must feel like.
Like I said, there was a group of six of us and we divided ourselves between two rooms. A pair of us had already arrived, so I didn’t have to go through check-in, as they already had done that. Lucky me!
We brought our luggage up to the room, and I have to admit, I was pretty blown away by the views. We were on the 30th floor, and could see for miles down the boardwalk. We arrived at night, so the city lights were on to welcome us. When we woke up the next day the view was just as pretty, as clouds seemed to drift by the room itself.
We spent our days by the pools. The first day started out slightly overcast, but we ignored the weather and actually found that we had the hot tub entirely to ourself. Not bad! The second day was all sun, however, and the place was packed — however, we asked if there was somewhere we could all sit, and they directed us to the sun deck, which was actually kind of perfect. Located one level below the pool deck, you have sweeping, infinity views of the ocean. And there’s even someone who comes around and asks you if you’d like a drink.
Now, I’m not much of a gambler. I like my money on my dinner plate, so my focus was on the restaurants and cuisine on offer. Of which there was surprisingly a lot. When I signed up for the trip I wasn’t sure what all was going to be available, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Alcove is where we started our days with brunch. Think American bistro, and you’ll have a good idea what’s on offer. I enjoyed french toast with a glass of fresh grapefruit juice, while some friends enjoyed omelets that were quite appetizing.
Mussel Bar was where I went with a wood fired pizza that was delicious and lovely. I went with the roasted chicken and broccoli ran, which was served on a garlic crust with fresh mozzarella. It was filling without being super heavy, and was perfectly portioned. A few of us got the pizzas, and there was plenty enough to share a slice or two with each other.
Relish was my favorite of the places we ate, and I enjoyed a chicken pot pie that tucked me into bed quite nicely. It was more of a stew with a dreamy puff pastry hat, and again, was perfectly sized and a great bang for the buck.
Atlantic City itself was a nice surprise, and we enjoyed walking along the boardwalk at night just to get out of the beautiful confines of the hotel. A quick stretch of the legs, and a breath of fresh air, it provided a great change of pace.
I will say, the hotel is not all-inclusive, which is fine, but just be prepared to have your credit card, and ID, with you at all times if you’re wanting to get a drink. Paying for things in a group is usually a stressful mess, but Revel was totally accommodating, and more than happy to ring us all up separately. Service with a smile!
Overall, my friends and I had a great time. We went for three nights, which I might cut down to two if I were to go back again, but I thought the place was beautiful, and a luxe escape from the city.