"Having , my experience has been that the worst possible thing you can do is open everything at once with one big splash," said DeSanctis, a veteran gaming-industry executive who once ran Atlantic City's Trump Plaza.
"We have an all-new staff, an all-new [technology] system. Things are going to go wrong. We expect some issues. If you bring things online in stages, you know what the problems are."
While April 2 is the target date for the 47-story, 1,400-room hotel tower and 150,000-square-foot casino to begin welcoming guests, some will get a sneak peek on March 28 and 29, when the casino undergoes two days of state-mandated testing with play money.
Revel, which covers 6.3 million square feet, is the first A.C. resort to spread its amenities beyond one or two levels. The various spaces include:
• Revelry, (61 feet above sea level) features the casino (and The Social), restaurants, shops, nightclubs and a "dayclub."
• The Mezz (87 feet) includes the complex's 5,500-seat Ovation Hall for headliner entertainment acts and 160,000 square feet of meeting space.
• The Lobby (114 feet) encompasses almost two acres of outdoor space anchored by SkyGarden and InOut Pool, which offers both indoor and outdoor swimming.
Hotel reservations can be made beginning March 5 at www.revelresorts.com.
