With Victorian bed and bed breakfasts, historic and boutique hotels and beachfront motels, Cape May, New Jersey has a grand mix of accommodations for those looking for a weekend getaway in America’s First Seaside Resort. As someone who has traveled and stayed overnight in Cape May more than a dozen times in the past three years, I can attest to the wide choice of locally owned accommodations whether staying at the beach or seeking the unique experience of staying in the historic district in a grand Victorian, unlike almost anywhere on the East Coast.
No Cape May accommodations are located directly on the beach. For those places with Beach Avenue addresses, visitors cross busy two-lane Beach Avenue to access the beach.
With almost no chain hotels in South Jersey beach communities, here’s a select list to help visitors figure out where to stay. Note that all suggested accommodations are in Cape May proper and all are within walking distance of the beach and located in the main historic district.
SheBuysTravel Tip: From July through mid-October, hotels are packed. There are no last-minute deals and many hotels require at least a two-night reservation for weekend stays.
1. Congress Hall
200 Congress Place
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-8421
Across from the beachfront is one of the most famous structures in Cape May – Congress Hall. For more than 140 years, this luxury hotel has been welcoming US Presidents (Pierce, Buchanan, Grant, Harrison), musicians (John Philip Sousa) and people seeking the finest upscale visitor experience in South Jersey.
Walking through Congress Hall, you realize you are in a special place. Under the stewardship of Cape May Resorts, this is arguably the finest place to stay at the Jersey Shore. Expect to pay top dollar.
Featured amenities at Congress Hall:
- 107 rooms including 4 suites, the Annie Knight Suite and the Presidential Suite.
- The Sea Spa with full-service day spa.
- Outdoor pool with cabanas
- Fully equipped fitness room plus access to nearby Fitness Center and Sauna at Sandpiper Beach Club
- Free beach chairs, umbrellas and towels. Cabanas for rent.
- Free wifi
SheBuysTravel Tip: Make sure to eat in the hotel at The Blue Pig Tavern restaurant with a warm and inviting family-friendly atmosphere. The restaurant offers breakfast including pancakes and french toast, lunch with burgers, salads and grilled cheese for kids and dinner with an outstanding raw bar. It’s one of the best places to eat in Cape May.
2. Virginia Hotel
25 Jackson Street
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-5700
For a wonderful, small boutique hotel, stay at the Virginia Hotel, a block from the beach, but very much in the heart of Victorian Cape May. An impeccably restored 1879 landmark building with four additional cottages along Jackson Street, the hotel has a delightful porch for sitting and watching people stroll by. Also operated by Cape May’s premiere hospitality company, Cape May Resorts, one can be sure the rooms are outfitted to perfection.
Featured amenities at The Virginia Hotel
- 24 rooms in the hotel
- 3 cottages
- Complimentary breakfast
- Access to Congress Hall with pool, fitness center and spa.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Make sure to eat in the hotel at the Ebbitt Room featuring classic American dishes with a modern twist. Once considered mostly a steakhouse, the restaurant has leaned into a more diverse, healthy menu with locally-sourced specials.
3. The Inn of Cape May
7 Ocean Street
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-5555
The name, Inn of Cape May, may imply a rather small hotel, but, in reality, it’s an inn in the tradition of grand hotels, now part of the designated area of the city that’s on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of the older hotels have long since been demolished, but the Inn is a proud reminder of a bygone era of ladies with parasols and men in suits strolling along the boardwalk and seeing their friends at other beachfront hotels. Closed briefly during the pandemic, it was reopened in 2021 with refreshed rooms, refurbished common areas and new eateries and drinking establishments.
Featured amenities at The Inn of Cape May
- 51 guest rooms, each with different shapes, sizes and views
- Outdoor pool
- Free use of chairs and umbrellas at the beach
- Two beach tags (required in the summer) but bring your own towels
- Free wifi
- Refrigerators available for rent
SheBuysTravel Tip: There are no TVs or telephones in the rooms.
4. Angel of the Sea Bed and Breakfast
5 Trenton Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-3369
For a traditional Victorian-looking bed and breakfast, Angel of the Sea fits the bill. The rooms and common areas are decorated reminiscent of life a century ago. Located on the northeastern part of Cape May, the beach across from Angel of the Sea is much quieter than those close to the hustle of Jackson Street and the Cape May Convention Center.
Featured amenities atAngel of the Sea:
- 27 guest rooms all with private baths.
- Free breakfast
- Free afternoon tea
- Free evening wine and cheese
- Free use of chairs and umbrellas at the beach
- Free use of beach cruiser bicycles
- Free off-street parking
5. Sandpiper Beach Club
11 Beach Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
(800) 732-7816
For people who rely on hotel reviews, the Sandpiper Beach Club may be hard to compare to others, because the Sandpiper rooms are all one- and two-bedroom condominium suites with ocean views. Each suite has full kitchen appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, microwaves and ovens. The Sandpiper is ideal for families or those planning for a week-stay in Cape May.
Featured amenities at Sandpiper Club:
- 51 one- or two-bedroom suites
- Free use of chairs, towels and umbrellas at the beach
- Two TVs
- Private balcony for each room
- Fitness Center and sauna
- Outdoor pool
- Free parking
- Free wifi
- Access to the Sea Spa and amenities at Congress Hall
6. The Grand Hotel of Cape May
1045 Beach Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-5611
Looking for a hotel for a meeting, large family get together or one that has restaurants and nightlife on property then look no further. As one of the largest beach hotels in Cape May, The Grand Hotel offers nearly everything necessary for a vacation in Cape May.
Featured amenities at The Grand Hotel:
- 171 guest rooms
- Indoor heated pool and whirlpool
- Outdoor pool with poolside bar.
- Nightclub
- Well-equipped gym
- Free use of two beach chairs, plus beach umbrellas and cabanas for rent
- Free wifi
- Free parking
7. Icona Cape May Hotel
1101 Beach Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 898-8100
Icona has established itself as the one of two premiere hotel brands on the Jersey Shore with properties in Diamond Beach (near Wildwood Crest), Avalon and now an oceanfront hotel in Cape May. Wedged on a tiny lot, the Icona Cape May is a bit complicated to enter and oddly spread out, but the rooms are all spacious and well appointed.
Featured amenities at Icona Cape May:
- 56 guest rooms
- Outdoor pool
- Free use of beach chairs
- Free shuttle throughout Cape May
- Free parking but limited.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Be aware that the hotel charges a resort fee that includes free wifi.
8. Boarding House
810 Lafayette Street
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-4884
It’s not on the beach. It’s not a Victorian Mansion. But it’s the dog-friendliest hotel in Cape May with a retro 1960s surfing vibe. At the Boarding House, the staff is friendly and eager to offer free candy and fruit when you check in at the lobby. Their location on Lafayette Street makes it easier to get around the area whether driving to the Cape May Lighthouse or World War II Lookout Tower near Sunset Beach or walking to the new Harriet Tubman Museum, the Acme grocery store (the only one in town) or shopping at Washington Street Mall.
Featured amenities at Boarding House Cape May
- 11 guest rooms
- Rooftop sun deck
- Free parking
- Free wifi
SheBuysTravel Tip: Especially for pet owners, it’s worth the extra money to reserve the King Suite, Room No. 6, right above the office. There’s a large sitting area and a terrific porch.
9. Montreal Beach Resort
1025 Beach Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-7011
As one of the large beach hotels on Beach Avenue, the Montreal Beach Resort is more like a giant motel than smaller mansions or boutique hotels in Cape May. There is a mandatory resort fee that includes many of amenities listed below.
Featured amenities at Montreal Beach Resort:
- 70 guest rooms and suites
- Outdoor heated pool
- Changing facilities and showers (after day on beach)
- Fitness Center
- Free use of beach chairs and umbrella
- Two beach tags (required in the summer)
- Free wifi
- Free parking
SheBuysTravel Tip: Make sure to stop at Harry’s Ocean Bar & Grille with the only oceanfront rooftop bar in town. The award-winning restaurant and bar offers fresh local seafood, signature sandwiches and their famous orange crushes.
10. La Mer Beachfront Resort
1317 Beach Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 770-4810
This is one of the largest beach hotels on Beach Avenue looking across to the Atlantic Ocean. At the far northeastern northern section of Cape May by the so-called Poverty Beach, the beach is relaxed and quiet. This was once where the poorest residents shlepped from the fancy hotels to go swim or lay on the beach. Now private homes and upscale properties such as La Mer Beachfront Resort have brought new life to the area.
Featured amenities at La Mer:
- 103 guest rooms
- Outdoor heated pool
- Fitness center
- Free use of beach chairs, umbrellas and towels; cabanas for rent
- Free wifi
- Free parking
- Bikes for rent
- Onsite laundry facilities
11. Ocean Club Hotel
1035 Beach Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-7000
The Ocean Club Hotel is a classic motel for families with children who prefer to be jumping in and out of a large pool rather than jumping into the ocean. Still, its location on Beach Avenue gives easy access to the beach.
Featured amenities at Ocean Club Hotel:
- 96 guest rooms
- Outdoor pool
- Poolside bar
- Free beach tags
- Free chairs, umbrellas and towels.
- Free wifi
- Free parking
12. The Beach Shack
205 Beach Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
(877) 742-2507
Cape May’s premiere hotelier, Cape Resorts, bought The Coachman’s Motor Inn, and in 2009, relaunched it as The Beach Shack. The hotel still looks like a motor inn with doors that open directly to the outside, but inside, there’s a sophisticated aloha island vibe. It’s one of the few large hotels that allows dogs.
Featured amenities at The Beach Shack:
- 76 guest rooms
- Outdoor pool
- Free use of beach chairs, umbrellas and towels
- Free access to fitness center at nearby Sandpiper Beach Club
- Free wifi
- Free parking
13. Peter Shields Inn & Restaurant
1301 Beach Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-9090
With its grand Georgian-Revival style and large porches on either side of the entrance, the Peter Shields Inn stands out along the beach in contrast to the Victorian mansions and large motels and hotels nearby. Inside, the historic character of this former early 1900s residence is carried through to the lobby and the rooms.
Featured amenities at The Grand Hotel:
- 9 guest rooms
- Free breakfast
- Free wine and cheese in late afternoon
- Free bicycles
- Free beach chairs, umbrellas and towels
- Free wifi
- Free parking
14. Marquis de Lafayette
501 Beach Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-3500
The Marquis de Lafayette Hotel feels more like a busy, beachy hotel in the Wildwoods rather than the tranquil image often associated with Cape May. Right along Beach Avenue, it sits across from the commercial section of Cape May’s boardwalk, a block from Jackson Street and nearby several restaurants and bars on Beach Avenue.
Featured amenities at Marquis de Lafayette:
- 84 guest rooms with 82 overlooking the ocean
- Pet friendly rooms on the first floor
- Outdoor pool and jacuzzi
- Fitness center
- Free towels and two beach tags to access beach
- Free wifi
- Free parking
SheBuysTravel Tip: With a lively Barefoot Bar and Restaurant on the ground level, the quietest rooms are on the top floors.
Visit Cape May with No. 1 Jersey Shore Travel Guide
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