HQ Beach Club

I would have to agree with some others HQ Beach Club is exactly what AC needed!  The place is expensive and can be difficult to get into (even with a reservation), but it sure is FUN!  Service was great, the DJ's (4th of July) were outstanding and the crowd was a fun mix of young and old but all having a great time!

Highly recommended, but be prepared to spend.  Also, to make things easier to get in, I would suggest that you have a female on your arm.  Pay for her to get in too.  It all works out.  Hosts are good.  They take care of good customers.

Revel should have been this from the beginning (Borgata still rules this town).  I hope; however, that this is the beginning of more good things to come.

For years, Atlantic City has been missing a spark. Dreary casinos, low turnouts, and declining revenues were a big problem even before Hurricane Sandy hit last Halloween. Revel was supposed to be the answer to AC's problems, but a poorly implemented business model saw them teeter over the edge of bankruptcy.

Despite all this, Revel did get one piece right - the HQ Beach Club / dayclub. Those who have been to any of the bigger Vegas pool parties might scoff at the notion of HQ Beach Club getting 5 stars, and hey - you may be right...but the HQ Beach Club has definitely provided the spark that this town sorely needed.

Arrival

I was a bit wary at first; after all, the Revel HQ Nightclub (indoors) was charging $70 entry the night before. Vegas pool parties are up in this price range as well, so I was surprised (shocked really) to find that they were only charging $20 on the Friday after 4th of July.

I forgot to print out a copy of my ticket, but the email said that they would be able to scan my ticket directly from my smartphone (much like one would at an airport). Alas, this was not to be - when I got there, one of the Revel employees directed me to the business center, telling me I'd have to print out a hard copy of the ticket (at 20 cents a page, no less!).

Also, apparently the ticket (in tiny size 1 font) said that you had to show up before 1pm in order for it to be valid. Since we were over an hour past this cut off, my friend and I were scared of getting turned away at the door. Luckily, despite these snafus, we got in with no problem.

Inside

Moderately crowded front bar, followed by a VIP lounge chair section, and later the main pool with 2 sides - the far side allowed partygoers to party up to their ankles, while the closer side allowed people up to waist level or so. Another bar was at the far end of the dayclub; unfortunately, there were only 2 bartenders here for about 35 people at the bar.

EDM-heavy rotation, and no complaints at all with the music type. While the atmosphere was admittedly not 100% Cancun pool party, there were plenty of people grinding and having a good time.

Other

Pricey drinks ($27 for 2 drinks). Rather small dance area directly in front of the DJ stage. Lack of any place to safely store your belongings (I'd imagine they install lockers and charge for access at some point as a way to generate additional revenue).

We wound up leaving around 5 pm and the party had started to die down a bit. Best times to show up seemed to be between 1-4pm.

Conclusion

The HQ Beach club is a fun alternative for the Atlantic City party scene. Great music, good crowd, and a lack of any real competition (until Harrahs Pool decides to start doing the same thing) make this definitely worth a visit. 4 stars

Pros

Vegas style pool party on the East coast
Reasonable cover charge
Great music

Cons

Lack of any place to store personal belongings
$$$ drinks

Not bad for a beach club in AC.

My friends and I came down to AC from Manhattan for Memorial Day Weekend and the opening of HQ beach club with Armin Van Buuren ::fangirl sigh::. We walked into Revel and headed towards the boardwalk - the entrance to the club is outside of the hotel. We purchased tickets in advance and had to wait in line since the ticket line was longer than the purchase at door line... Of course.

Walked in after going through security and was greeted with an expanse of white cabanas and beach chairs. These tables are away from the DJ booth and surround the pool area. The DJ booth is raised above everything else and set a little farther back. We had a great view of Armin the entire time and got super close to him! My only complaint is that it was SO LOUD. Bring earplugs if you ever go to this venue. We actually tried to move back to the bar to escape the sound and found speakers at the top of the bar as well! My ears were ringing four days after and I definitely suffered hearing loss. No bueno. Beach attire is required, no jeans! We saw a bunch of people get turned away at the door for wearing jeans and not shorts (guys). Girls - you kind of can wear whatever you want, as always.

Overall I had a great time but the venue could benefit from better organization at the front and a decrease in decibels! Club-goers like their music loud, but permanent damage to the ear drums is a no-no!