Cheap Atlantic City Lodging?

May 30, 2005 7:02 AM

I'm going to Atlantic City in October, and the prices to stay on the boardwalk are prohibitive, so I want to stay just outside the city. Anyone know the area well enough to make suggestions? For example, right now I'm looking at hotels in West Atlantic City -- is that a nice area, or would slightly-fearful me not be comfortable there?
posted by JanetLand to Travel & Transportation around Atlantic City, NJ (6 answers total)

Recommendation from my South Jersey better half-- there are plenty of nice shore towns nearby, and they're worth looking into. Atlantic City goes from acceptable to awful very quickly and it's a bad idea to stay anywhere off the boardwalk that you don't know about. It's a patchwork of decent and sketchy with surprisingly little variation.
posted by Mayor Curley at 8:15 AM on May 30, 2005 [1 favorite]

Can't help with the Atlantic City lodging, but for local color don't miss Lucy in Margate, the first or second little town just south.
posted by Rash at 8:31 AM on May 30, 2005

I have stayed in AC off the boardwalk, but I don't recommend it. Much of the rest of town is sketchy, so "slightly-fearful" you would probably be uncomfortable. I have also stayed in Absecon, which is an easy drive away, much cheaper, and fine all around. I think I stayed in the Best Western, but there are a few of those budget-type chain hotel/motels to choose from there.
posted by katie at 9:06 AM on May 30, 2005

Ventnor City, Absecon, Margate, Somers Point, Longport, and even the north end of Ocean City are pretty close to AC.
Let me be unequivocal: do not stay in AC if you're not staying in a casino on the boardwalk. Especially if you're even a little bit fearful.
posted by willpie at 11:39 AM on May 30, 2005

You could stay in a motel on Rt. 30 on the mainland and have a short drive to the actual city. It would be cheap and perfectly safe.
posted by fixedgear at 2:00 PM on May 30, 2005

Keep hitting the internet for package deals. AC loves a gambler. I know a lot of people who have stayed in nice casino hotels for next to nothing, but they are gamblers. I am not so I unfortunately can not guide you to the deals. If you know a big gambler ask them. Somehow, there must be a way to get a good package.
posted by caddis at 5:44 PM on May 30, 2005