Trump Taj Mahal, Chairman Tower
Atlantic City
OWNER: Trump Entertainment Resorts
PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT: The Friedmutter Group
INTERIOR DESIGN: Hirsch Bedner Associates
CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR: Bovis Lend Lease
PROJECT COST: $255 million
When it was first unveiled in 1990, Trump Taj Mahal represented the high end of the Atlantic City market. But new properties and expansions from Harrah’s to the Borgata have left the casino out of the spotlight.
All that changed when its operating company, now called Trump Entertainment Resorts, emerged from bankruptcy with a new capital spending plan. Every inch of the Taj has been renovated and renewed, with highlights such as the “Spice Road” retail promenade and new restaurants like Il Mulino New York.
The jewel in the crown, though, is the new Chairman Tower, the first room expansion at the Taj since its debut. Slated to open in September, the Chairman Tower features 782 guest rooms, including 74 suites (four of them luxury suites along the lines of the existing Penthouse Suites at the Taj).
Designed with both business and leisure travelers in mind, the rooms are larger than original Taj rooms, with higher ceilings and modern bathrooms including double sinks recessed into Brazilian granite countertops. Eight luxury suites top the tower, including two super-suites measuring 2,100 square feet apiece.
Joe Emanuele, project architect for Friedmutter Group, designed the exterior to complement the original Taj tower, but with a slightly modern edge. Interiors by Calvin Dix and Katie Adams of Hirsche Bedner Associates are dominated by rich browns, golds and red tones, creating a warm, contemporary atmosphere.
Dix notes that furnishings and finishes for the new suites are “inspired by an ‘Asian chic’ concept which fuses the spice colors of India with a contemporary clean line design.”
“The distinctive architectural design of the Chairman Tower was driven by the desire to create ocean and bay views from nearly every vantage point, while preserving land to develop future towers,” says Trump Entertainment CEO Mark Juliano. “The accommodations are being created to offer a true luxury resort experience.”
