ShowBoat Hotel and Casino Atlantic City

As I mentioned in Part 1 of my Atlantic City article, Harrah's invited Man Tripping to visit the recently renovated ShowBoat Hotel and Casino.

While heading there, I wasn't really sure what to expect from Atlantic City ... would it have that carnival atmosphere like Vegas and Reno with different themes competing for your attention, or would it be strictly a place to gamble like the riverboat casino located next to my office (Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin).

ShowBoat Atlantic City seems to be between themes right now, the hotel generally like it's name suggests is certainly a New Orleans themed venue, but it is tasteful and too tacky.

Though they are in the process of emphasizing the House of Blues angle rather than the gaudy and often tacky "Mardi Gras Theme" elements such as plastic beads. As a fan of Mardi Gras, I have to say that I enjoy tacky and gaudy, but the House of Blues / rock and roll atmosphere is certainly much more chic and fun for a man trip. I guess the way to think of it is that this hotel is trying to become "New Orleans" not just "Mardi Gras" and that is a great thing!

Check in was very quick (in part because we arrived early), but the desk staff was very courteous and knowledgeable and luckily our room was not a long walk or difficult to find (a problem with Vegas mega-resorts). Upon arriving at our room in the Bourbon Tower we were excited to see that it was very spacious, clean, and even had a carnival mask on the pillow - emphasizing the classier aspects of ShowBoat's Mardi Gras theme.

While not as posh and huge as the House of Blues suites, a group of guys could easily be happy sharing one of these rooms - either sleeping on the floor, the couch, and ample space to bring a cot in too. The room even featured a large flat screen TV and while the selection of HD channels was sparse it did have ESPN in HD.

One of the nicest features of the room however, was the bathroom. Not only was it very attractive looking, like the rest of the room, but it featured double sinks. This isn't just a great thing when traveling with your wife. It is also very important to consider if you are packing 3-4 guys in the room and everyone is getting spiffied up to head off to the House of Blues for a concert or clubbing at Harrah's Pool Party.

The casino floor isn't as large as many casinos - especially the Taj Mahal right next door, but that's ok! They had a good selection of slots - including plenty of penny and nickel machines - and they had a good selection of other games as well. Like I said above, it is a Mardi Gras themed resort, but it was not overdone, and had classy touches such as a band up front across from check in, and various people around the casino handing out beads.

If you are a looking for a fun place to stay in Atlantic City, you really can't beat ShowBoat because it is right on the boardwalk, friendly staff, clean, and has one of the best music venues - the House of Blues - right there inside the casino.

Author Articles

More from this author:

Nick's Great Adventure - Mexican Mancation (1998 Hits)
Mancation Blog > Misc Thoughts
There is more to taking a mancation than just going to some awesome place with your guy friends, it is also about doing it in a manly way. No I don't...

Adventures in Travel Expo Chicago (1283 Hits)
Mancation Blog > Expos and Events
This past weekend I had the chance to visit the Adventures in Travel Expo in Rosemont. Browsing fun and exciting opportunities from African Safari's...

How to Pack a Bag Like a Man (897 Hits)
Mancation Blog > Mancation Advice
Saw this post about How to Pack a Bag for Travel over at Art of Manliness and thought it was a very appropriate before your next mancation. While...

Combos Ultimate Mancation Contest (566 Hits)
Mancation Blog > Travel Deals
The guys at Combos have prepared a cool video to help get people excited about their Win a Mancation Contest. For those of you who might not have...

The Currency Commision - or How to Pay for Your Next European Mancation (2286 Hits)
Mancation Blog > Ways to Save Money
Recently I was contacted by The Currency Commission, a firm based Washington, DC and London. This company buys old money from European countries that...

Related Articles

Related Articles:

Fishing in Charlotte Harbor and the Florida Gulf Islands (2377 Hits)

Things to Do > Fishing

There’s an off the beaten track, very special place in Florida that provides endless opportunities for every type of fishing imaginable:...

Mancation Rituals and Traditions (781 Hits)

Mancation Blog > Mancation Advice

We men tend to make things up to give our lives meaning, we do stupid handshakes, code words, even flock to exclusive clubs to make ourselves feel...

Rock and Roll, Video Games, and Uber Chic? It's Hotel Sax Chicago! (3400 Hits)

Places to Stay > Hotels

Are you looking for the ultimate mancation hotel in the Windy City? Well Hotel Sax Chicago should top your list of choices! Imagine a luxury hotel...

Arizona Biltmore Mancation Stogies and Sticks (2233 Hits)

Places to Stay > Golf Resorts

Is your idea of a perfect mancation to spend time golfing with your buddies on some of the greatest golf courses in the world, then come back to a...

Annual Reno Air Show and Air Race (1171 Hits)

Things to Do > Festivals and Events

Well, the Red Bull Air Race might be over for this year in the United States, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still grab Reno Air Racing tickets...

Latest Articles

Latest Articles:

Grand Ole Opry - College Basketball Night (19 Hits)

Man Tripping Newswire > Events

We had the chance to stay at the Grand Ole Opry last fall and let me tell you, Nashville is a blast! If you are looking for an excuse to get out of...

Bike the Drive 2010 and Fairmont Chicago (83 Hits)

Mancation Blog > Travel Deals

There are a few opportunities around the country to do good, visit a great city, and do something out of the ordinary. Chicago's Bike the Drive and...

Help Welcome the River City Casino in St. Louis (73 Hits)

Man Tripping Newswire > Casinos

A casino opening is almost always a big event (after all they want to do whatever they can to attract you and your money!). Today's opening at the...

Finalists for Don't be a Tool Promotion (513 Hits)

Mancation Blog > Travel Products

We have picked the top five entries for our Don't be a Tool! contest and the entries include relationship breakers, farting dinner guests, and...

Three-O Vodka: Olympic Rings Cocktails (114 Hits)

Mancation Blog > Travel Products

Planning a party to celebrate the Olympics? Three-O has a cool set of recipes to get in the Olympic Spirit. This is one of the fun things that I...

Most Read Articles

Most Read Articles:

Searching for Bigfoot With Bigfoot Safari (32148 Hits)

Things to Do > Hiking and Camping

With all the news recently about the guys down in Georgia that claim to have discovered Bigfoot, and the relevation that those guys indeed run a...

404 (19418 Hits)

404: Not Found Sorry, but the content you requested could not be found You may be interested in looking for your article in one of the following...

Windsor Red Bull Air Race (12426 Hits)

Things to Do > Festivals and Events

Last year the Red Bull Air Race was split between Detroit and Windsor but this year apparently the host is just Windsor, though of course you should...

Back to the Future Chicago Cast Reunion (11200 Hits)

Things to Do > Festivals and Events

TV and movie cast reunion parties are always a great excuse to plan a mancation around, whether it is Dukesfest down in Atlanta, a Star Trek...

La Tomatina Festival - a Tomato Party In Spain (4517 Hits)

Mancation Stories > Fathers and Sons

While I like to focus most of our articles on the great guys weekends and mancation ideas right here at home, there are of course plenty of super...