Bruce Deifik gets it. He has carefully studied what went wrong at Atlantic City’s former Revel casino and is fixing it before he reopens the star-crossed property as the Ocean Resort Casino. When it opens this summer (a date has not yet been set), guests will be able to smoke, eat at a buffet, take bus trips to the resort and find their way around the place much easier.
The vertiginous “escalator to heaven” at the main entrance will now have glass safety panels on either side; a two-night stay will no longer be required; a wall blocking the casino off from easy Boardwalk access is being replaced by stairs welcoming foot traffic; the casino will offer more things for kids and families to do; and gamblers of all levels will be welcomed…. “The first thing we did is pay very close attention to what people said about this place, positive and negative,” he said. “We will listen; that’s a difference-maker. Treat people with respect. Be glad they’re here, and treat them as family members. The main difference is a completely different attitude concerning service to our customer. I think there was a huge disconnect there.”