ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Aug. 28, 2003 - It may have seemed like the conclusion of jobs well done today as the final steel beam of the Tropicana Casino and Resort's new hotel was fastened into place. But, actually, it was just the beginning as the structure that is about to become New Jersey's largest hotel assumed its rightful place as a resort powerhouse on the Atlantic City skyline. "There's a new landmark in town, and its name is Tropicana," said Dennis Gomes, president of Resort Operations.

Tropicana's new Havana Tower will add 502 rooms

Renderings offered a peek at what's to come upon completion, including a 31-story hotel tower, the 2,400-space parking garage and, most significantly, a 220,000-square-foot dining, entertainment and retail project that takes Atlantic City visitors to levels of excitement not yet experienced on the East Coast.

With a streetscape that reflects back to the height of sophistication, romance and indulgence in Old Havana, Cuba, The Quarter will include icon restaurants from New York, Philadelphia and Las Vegas, live music venues, distinctive bars and restaurants, and national and regional retailers.

"We're here today to celebrate the tremendous group effort that has safely and expertly erected The Quarter, which represents a bold new endeavor for Tropicana, and an era of renewal for Atlantic City," Gomes said.

Joining Gomes at the topping-off ceremony, were representatives from lead designers WAT&G architects and Keating Building Corp., which managed construction and design/build, as well as members of the 23 unions that have comprised the labor force on the project since the groundbreaking in April of 2002.

The Tropicana's new Havana Tower will add 502 rooms to the Tropicana's accommodations offer, bringing the total number of rooms to 2,127 to achieve the ranking of largest hotel in the state.  On its top floor will be four luxuriously appointed boardrooms, equipped with state-of-the-art technological capabilities, and offering both ocean and bay views, and four convention and hospitality suites, with floor-to-ceiling windows.  On its fourth floor, The Quarter will present 20,400 square feet of meeting space in 21 separate rooms.  Seven on-site certified meeting planners will advise and see to the needs of corporate guests.

But the big picture goes beyond facts and figures: The Quarter aims to bring the East Coast its first Las Vegas-style experience - right in the heart of Atlantic City.

State Sen. Bill Gormley, Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford, Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson, and City Councilman Dennis Mason were on hand to laud the project as a harbinger of the region's future as a destination point.

The Quarter is set to open in spring of 2004.

Tropicana Casino and Resort encompasses 14 acres and has ocean beach frontage of 220 yards along the famed Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  The Tropicana is operated by Aztar Corporation (NYSE: AZR), a publicly traded company that also operates Tropicana Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ramada Express Hotel and Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, Casino Aztar in Caruthersville, Missouri, and Casino Aztar in Evansville, Indiana.

Tropicana Casino and Resort
http://www.tropicana.net