The Borgata recently joined the myVEGAS program and I nabbed a one night Sunday through Thursday room comp before they discontinued that reward. I’m local to Atlantic City and I get mailers from the Borgata (but only room rates). I’m also Black Label via showing my Diamond Card from Total Rewards, obtained by purchasing the FoundersCard membership, which grants Caesars elite status as one of their benefits. Working it!

When I called the number to book, I was informed that the Borgata now adds a $10 per night resort fee in addition to the $5 per night occupancy fee. The Borgata is the nicest property in Atlantic City but it’s hard to earn comps there as a low roller. It’s so disappointing that they are adding annoying fees, like the other casinos. Right now, they charge $5 to park. The Total Rewards properties now charge a minimum of $10, up to $25 on weekends and during special events. I stayed at Caesar’s in December and the resort fee was $22.80, in addition to a $2 and a $3 tourism fee for a total of $27.80 per night. This is in a town that is not thriving. I don’t like this trend and I think it’s going to backfire. I HOPE it backfires!

I called my Mom and invited her to join me and booked a Wednesday night, specifically because I could redeem free play on that Wednesday and also on Thursday. When I arrived to check in, on a cold weekday in the middle of January, it was surprisingly crowded. I got the keys to a Classic Room on a high floor, which had a lovely view of the boardwalk towards the south. (I’ve always gotten rooms that looked out towards Brigantine in the north, so this was something different.) My mother had not arrived yet, so I ran over to the My Borgata Rewards center and redeemed two other myVEGAS rewards: A King sized 300-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheet set (the same as they use in the hotel) and 241 appetizers, at Metropolitan Café, worth up to $18. I was pleased to see that the 241 appetizer reward is listed in my Borgata account and is good until March 31 (There was no time to use it during this trip.)

My Black Label card entitles me to entrance into the Amphora Lounge. It’s $10 in comps per person for up to two people. The lounge is very nice and being able to use it is worth getting the Black Label card and earning the comps for entry. They serve top shelf liquor (including a specialty menu) and there’s a carving station and always a decent fish and vegetarian selection.

The buffet used to be the same quality as the lounge, but it has since gone downhill. It is just not worth $33.95 per person for dinner and even though it is $10 in comps per person for Black Label card holders, I will go to the lounge or the café, until I get word that the buffet has improved. There is almost always a long line to get into the buffet, which makes it even less worth going to.

 

After dinner, we could not get seats at one of the six slant tops that have 9/6 JOB, but one of the four uprights in the smoking section, next to Wolfgang Puck’s was available. This area is not well ventilated, but these four machines, the six slant tops in the non-smoking section and the bar tops at the B Bar are the only remaining machines at the Borgata with full pay Jacks or Better for quarters.

My mom played slots behind me and I hit a straight flush right away. Yay! A technician came over and turned on one of the four machines for a player who must have reserved it–to play KENO–on one of a diminishing number of full pay video poker machines in the casino.

We then got seats at the slant tops in non-smoking. There was a gentleman next to my mother who was hitting all sorts of four of a kinds and full houses, while my mom was tanking. When my mom congratulated him on the hits, he said, “Wish my health was as lucky.” He was fighting lung cancer. Be grateful for what you have. Winning is not always monetary.

My offers include two free tickets each month to the Borgata Comedy Club, so we went at 9pm. It was three comedians and lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes. We got a few chuckles. The Comedy Club is also a myVEGAS reward.

Our last play of the evening was at the B Bar, when we could finally get seats. Comped top shelf and 9/6 JOB. I love the Borgata!

In the morning, at the Metropolitan Café, my mom had the best Greek omelet she ever had and I had eggs over easy, perfectly cooked, with good rye toast. We split a toasted corn muffin when we saw it on the menu. Yum!

At noon, when my free play became valid, we played for about a half hour. I ended my play when I got quad eights and then the very next hand–Shockwave–got dealt quad fours. I won a little, my mom lost a little, but we both had a lot of fun!