From the 1930s through the early 1970s, Atlantic City hotel owners used spirited employee competitions to boost winter tourism. The goal was to keep the tourists and their money “down the shore” into the fall season.
Legendary oceanfront hotels like the Traymore, Claridge, Chalfonte–Haddon Hall, and the Shelburne hosted the games. Hotel employees competed to see whose staff members would “rule the boardwalk.” These fun-filled contests created a boardwalk tradition which later became a key part of local history.
Competitions like Bellhop Relay Races, Waiter Tray Races, and fastest Bed-Making drew crowds cheering for their favorite hotel and its employees. These lively events turned everyday tasks into exciting spectacles. Onlookers would bet big money on their favorite hotel staff members. For hotel employees who won, bragging rights meant becoming boardwalk royalty and ruler of the hotel lobby.
“Those were fun days back then,” says Joe Criley, now in his mid-70s. “We had a blast during those games. Big crowds of people were out on the boardwalk watching us. And all the employees would cheer each other on.”
And Joe Crilley would know! He and his older brother Jim, now deceased, dominated the bellhop relay races for several years running. The competition required bellhops to stack a heavy brass luggage cart with suitcases of different sizes perfectly. Then, after sprinting with the cart a certain distance, they had to unpack the suitcases and stack them once again.
But here’s the twist: Joe and Jim Crilley, then young teenagers, were bellhops at the Brigantine Hotel across the bridge.
“The Atlantic City guys hated when we would come over to the boardwalk and win the races,” remembers Joe. “We would have so much fun beating those guys. They would get so mad at us.” Crilley laughs as he reminisces.
In local newspapers, Joe and Jim Crilley earned the title, “fastest bellhops around.” Spectators who bet on them celebrated their victories and won a lot of money. The losing bellhops were left to try again the next year. Meanwhile, the Crilley brothers became legendary. They achieved bragging rights as the kings of the boardwalk and the Brigantine Hotel Lobby.
Waiter races were also a popular boardwalk competition. Judges inspected each server’s tray to make sure it held glasses of varying sizes and that each was properly filled. Servers would have to walk as quickly as possible a designated distance without spilling their drinks. If a waiter’s tray spilled too much liquid, they were disqualified—the waiter whose tray was most intact won. The prize was public adulation and bragging rights.
There was also a contest to see which chambermaids could make the fastest bed. “We would take our chambermaids over from the Brigantine Hotel,” recalls Joe Crilley. “The girls would do well in the competitions. They liked competing with employees from the Atlantic City hotels. Some of them were really fast at making beds.”
Perhaps the biggest winners were the hotels that graced the Atlantic City skyline. “The big Atlantic City hotels were incredible in those days. The Traymore Hotel always dominated the competitions,” says Crilley. They had the best waiters and chambermaids. They set the standard for hospitality excellence.”
Throughout Atlantic City’s Golden Hotel Age, rivalries weren’t just settled in boardroom meetings but on the Boardwalk. Real dominance wasn’t about hotel profits; it was about who could stack suitcases flawlessly, carry a full tray of drinks without spilling a drop, and make the fastest bed.
The glory days of Atlantic City may have passed, but Joe Crilley still holds bragging rights.
Roseann Smith is a local freelance writer who resides in Brigantine . A retired Atlantic City school teacher, Roseann enjoys writing feature and human interest stories. On a good day, Roseann is an artist in training.
