Atlantic City hotels: Where to stay in the Jersey Shore resort

No, you don’t have to sleep during a weekend getaway to this casino hub on the Jersey Shore, but these Atlantic City hotels offer enough restaurants, clubs, bars, spas and shopping to make checking in worth your while. Whether you’re looking for a bargain room or a swank suite, there’s a resort to suit your budget and taste.

RECOMMENDED: The full guide to Atlantic City, NJ

The Atlantic Club Casino Hotel
Though the Atlantic Club is on the budget end of the Boardwalk’s accommodations, it has such luxurious amenities as a health spa and an indoor pool. A range of packages offer value for money—the Room and Food Package ($70/night) includes $25 dining credit and access to the spa (usually $15), which has a sauna, steam room and gym. Boston Ave at Boardwalk (609-347-7111, atlanticclubcasino.com). Rooms start at $59/night.

Bally’s
If you remember your Monopoly geography, you know that the corner of Park Place and Boardwalk is a pretty swanky address, but this resort aims to offer guests a good deal. Classic rooms in the 1930 Claridge Tower start at less than $50. Affordable grub is also on the menu; hotel guests can chow down at the Reserve, a seafood and steak restaurant, for just $39 for a four-course meal, including lobster bisque and prime rib. 1900 Pacific Ave at S Ohio Ave (609-340-2000, ballysac.com). Rooms start at $41/night.

Borgata
From its custom-made mattresses, topped with 300-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, to its glass-enclosed marble showers for two, every detail of the 2,000-plus rooms and suites at this Atlantic City hotel-resort has been designed with luxury in mind. There are a dozen dining options bearing the names of top chefs, including Bobby Flay Steak and Wolfgang Puck American Grille, plus two spas—Spa Toccare and Immersion Spa in the connected Water Club—and five distinct drinkeries. 1 Borgata Way at Huron Ave (609-317-1000, theborgata.com). Rooms start at $109/night.

Caesars Atlantic City
Grab your designer toga for a stay at this AAA Four Diamond–rated hotel-casino. Dining options include white-tablecloth spot Mia, set within  a temple in the cavernous lobby—the convincing recreation of a Roman piazza is complete with a fountain presided over by a 30-foot-tall statue of Emperor Augustus. The 1,100 guest quarters include unfussy premium rooms in the Centurion Tower, offering ocean or skyline views and subtly Empire-inspired furnishings. 2100 Pacific Ave at N Arkansas Ave (609-348-4411, caesarsac.com). Rooms start at $67/night.

The Chelsea
Make like a lost—and much, much younger—member of the Rat Pack at this nongaming
hotel, which aims to recapture the heyday of “America’s Playground” with cozy spaces such as fireplace lounges  and poolside cabanas. Though the Chelsea Prime restaurant and the beach club are closed in winter, you can brunch at upscale diner Teplitzky’s and get your ocean fix with a marine-themed treatment at Sea Spa. 111 South Chelsea Ave between Boardwalk and Pacific Ave (800-548-3030, thechelsea-ac.com). Rooms start at $99/night.

Golden Nugget
Golden Nugget, a recently overhauled former Trump property, offers a more secluded experience away from the Boardwalk. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of action inside: In addition to its 24-hour casino, the resort has a sleek spa and more than a dozen bars and eateries, including an outpost of the popular Chart House steak-and-seafood chain overlooking the Frank S. Farley Marina. Contemporary rooms are jazzed up with subtly retro fabrics, and you can enjoy the  H2O pool and bar in cold weather, thanks to firepit-side seating and four year-round Jacuzzis. Huron Ave at Brigantine Blvd (609-441-2000, goldennugget.com). Rooms start at $59/night.

Harrah’s Resort
The real draw of staying at this hotel in the Marina District is the Pool. By day, it’s just your average indoor aquatic wonderland, with a balmy temperature of 82 degrees, five hot tubs and Caribbean cuisine and cocktails served poolside. But at night, it transforms into one of the city’s most glamorous nightclubs. Thanks to 11 dining options including an outpost of Mexican eatery Dos Caminos and seasonal Italian joint Luke Palladino, plus an on-site Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, you’ll never need to leave the complex. 777 Harrah’s Blvd between Harrah’s Baywalk and Renaissance Point Blvd (609-441-5000, harrahsresort.com). Rooms start at $59/night.

Revel
It’s all about the agua at A.C.’s newest hotel-casino. The $2.4 billion playground offers 1,898 ocean-view rooms on 20 acres of prime beach frontage. If you actually want to get wet, take a dip in Revel’s year-round InOut Pool—perched more than 100 feet above sea level—which begins indoors and stretches out into the open air. Among the resort’s many amenities are 14 eateries, plus an entertainment lineup that includes Ivan Kane’s Royal Jelly Burlesque Nightclub and the 5,500-seat Ovation Hall. 500 Boardwalk between S Metropolitan and S New Jersey Aves (855-348-0500, revelresorts.com). Rooms start at $189/night.