Of the 755 rooms, 59 are oceanfont suites--none of which I have ever had the pleasure to see. In the spring of 2003, a new 19-story tower will be unveiled containing 544 rooms. The accommodations are usually above standard; I have stayed here a few times and have had some sleepless nights because of the mattress--not because I was up all night gambling.

The rooms are spacious and the mattresses are usually bearable. The bathrooms contain a double sink, hairdryer, travel-size lotion, shampoo, soap, showercap, and mouthwash. They also offer room service if you prefer, and you can actually choose your breakfast the night before and have it delivered to you in the morning. I like it because it is convenient and located in the center of it all. You don't have to walk or drive a short distance to get there.

The room rates vary based on the season. During January and February you can get a weekday rate of only $39 and sometimes $69. Weekends are usually the downfall--it's very hard to get a room unless you are a gambler or book way in advance at probably ridiculous pricing. I don't even know the room pricing on the weekends. We usually stay for free because we have a showboat card and have complimentary overnight stays.

They also have an indoor pool, jacuzzi, and spa, as well as a self park indoor garage and outdoor parking. They also offer valet parking as well. The hotel also contains seven eateries ranging anywhere from a café to a fine restaurant.

The rooms do have air conditioning and heat. They offer no smoking rooms, continental breakfast (we did not try their breakfast), free parking, free local telephone calls and maid service. The hotel is ten minutes away from the casinos.

This was definitely a unique experience. The rates were a little higher because we stayed over on a Saturday night.

The restaurant is located on the second floor. Easiest access to the restaurant is to take the escalator located in the lobby to the second floor. You are only steps away from the restaurant once you are on the second floor. This is one of the two new restaurants that Showboat had opened last year. We enjoyed breakfast here, which was delicious.

We split a cinnamon bun that was HUGE. It is TOO much for one person. I ordered the Strawberry pancakes (three large pancakes), and I only finished one. My fiance ordered the Western omelete (included a side of toast and hash brown potatos). He finished every last bit of it and had some of my pancakes. We were seated in the main dining area (non-smoking), which is more family oriented. The other rooms are smaller and quieter (smoking). Our total bill was $27.

Not bad for Casino food pricing, especially when you have comp to cover the bill. The service was good. I have visited this restaurant a few times and have good things to say every time. Hope you try it out and let me know what you think.

I had the grilled vegetable sandwich, which consisted of grilled eggplant, squash, portobello mushrooms and mozzarella on focaccia bread. It is served cold with a side of potato chips, a pickle half and cole slaw. It was pretty good. My fiance had a hot open turkey platter which consisted of 4 large slices of turkey, a large serving of mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and a slice of bread under the turkey. He ate every last bit and it was a lot.

The total bill was about $30.00 including soda. They also offer a condensed buffet, but it is nothing to brag about. I have tried it in the past and came to the conclusion that I'd rather order from the menu.

The restaurant is also split into two seperate sections: smoking on one side and non-smoking on the other. The service was good and the wait was not long, but it can be at times.

Now it is time to get to the best part of the journal: the meal. You are first served a basket of warm bread baked right in the restaurant, as well as a small portion of plum tomato foccacia bread (which is also warm). We ordered Ceasar salad for two. My fiance and I always order it when we dine here. They prepare the salad and dressing in front of you. It is delicious!!! It has a little kick to it.

We then had main course which was just as excellent. He had penne pasta with fresh ricotta, sausage pieces and Italian cheeses. I ordered it the first time we dine there and know he's hooked. I love it, but it is very rich and fills me up very quickly. The portion they serve can feed four people. I ordered chicken breast and sausage topped with mushrooms, peppers and onions. It was served on top of a seasoned pancetta. It was unbelievably amazing. I was only able to eat half of it because it was so much food. I like to try different entrees each time I dine there. We did not have desert because we were stuffed from all the food.

Our total bill including three cocktails was $68.00. They do offer a special called Lucky 7777 Gourmet Dinner which includes an appetizer, entree and dessert and a glass of wine for two persons is $77.77. It is not available on Saturday evenings. You can call in advance to ask if they are offering this dinner. The number is 1-609-343-4444.

The gaming is good, but the atmosphere is another plus. It is a very lively atmosphere with music playing in the background. You feel like you are really at New Orleans during Mardi Gras. The decor is fabulous and fun.

Taj Mahal is just engulfing. There is so much going on and so much to do you need to plan out what you want to do first. You can either shop in one of their fine shops or dine in one of their many restaurants (Schecherzade, Mark Anthony's, Safari Steakhouse, Dynasty, Bombay Cafe, Sbarro and Casbah Cafe). Their is also a Hard Rock Cafe located in the hotel on the first floor by one of the many boardwalk entrances.

The casino also houses a 5000 seat Arena and the Xanadu showroom which contains 1,400 seats. There is always a famous star performing in their theatres. If you are in the mood to dance then you need to visit the Casbah Night Club. It is open Friday and saturday at 10:30 P.M. Be ready to wait on long lines if you show up around 11:30 or sometimes even earlier especially if someone is performing. You need to be 21 years of age to enter the club and they do check to see that each person is of legal age. The only dislike I have is when it is really crowded -- and it does happen.

The gaming is fun and you have plenty of options between playing tables of poker, roulette or craps. There is also a Baccarat Pit as well as a smoke free poker room. If you are more of a slot machine person then you have just hit the jackpot. With over 5,000 slot machines there has to be something that you will like to play. We had troubling deciding because there were so many choices. We didn't leave too much behind, but we did have fun.