Beach Service
Visiting Cape May

Beach Service in Cape May…Have you tried it?

Have you every stayed in a hotel in Cape May with beach service? We did several years ago, and loved it! It was such a treat! Especially when the kids were little, it was amazing. No lugging beach chairs, towels and umbrellas to the beach (the 1,000 sand toys, boogie boards and snacks were enough). The loungers were generous with fluffy and fresh terry covers and plenty of room to stretch out your legs. The umbrellas were huge and installed in the sand for you instead of the endless turning, turning, turning of the spike into the sand. We did not do it often (Beach Shack and Sandpiper Beach Club), but it was a real luxury when we did!

There are several hotels that offer beach service in Cape May. Candidly most of them are those in the Cape Resorts hotel family.  However, there are others as well.

Beach Service

Cape Resort Hotels

All of the Cape Resort Hotels have beach service that is included in your stay and include complimentary loungers with terry cloth covers, umbrellas and towels. For the ultimate experience, private beach tents are available for rent at an additional charge. Private tent rentals include two lounge chairs and plush beach towels. At Congress Hall and Virginia Hotel, the tents also include a cooler of water, soda and iced tea. They are extremely popular, so it is highly recommended to contact the hotel and book one in advance!

I have included high level overview of each Cape Resorts property and the others that offer beach service below – but for full details please check out their individual pages.

Beach Shack

205 Beach Avenue – a super family friendly and doggie friendly motel-style property across from the beach. The rooms are lovely and range from efficiency to suite-style, each with a small outside area to take in the ocean breezes. There is also a decent size pool right out front. This was a family favorite of ours when the kids were little. There is also a super fun surfer vibe restaurant and bar, The Rusty Nail. What makes it fun? indoor and outdoor seating, live music, fire pits and a lots of sand for the kids to play in while you sip an adult beverage. Beach service at the Beach Shack is dedicated and includes the option to have food and non-alcoholic beverages delivered from the Rusty Nail.

Sandpiper Beach Club

11 Beach Avenue – also right across from the beach, this property is condominium style with one- and two-bedroom units. Impeccably furnished, they are another family friendly option. The Sandpiper has a lovely pool overlooking the ocean, a well-equipped fitness center and a small arcade with pinball and other games. There is not a restaurant on-site, but it is close to so many wonderful ones. The beach service is provided a short stroll away at Congress Hall.

Congress Hall

200 Congress Place-not exactly on the beach, but so very close and many rooms have spectacular ocean views. This is America’s First Seaside Resort! A fabulous property with elegant rooms, two restaurants —The Blue Pig Tavern and The Boiler Room, as well as The Brown Room (my favorite bar on the island). The grounds are breathtaking and feature a gorgeous swimming pool, plenty of outside dining and an outside bar in the warmer months. It is also home to Sea Spa with unique ocean inspired treatments. Congress Hall is an extremely popular wedding venue for obvious reasons. Guests of the hotel can also use the fitness center at The Sandpiper Beach Club. The beach service at Congress Hall also includes a beach menu of food and non-alcoholic beverage delivered right to your beach lounger.

Virginia Hotel

25 Jackson Street-located on one of the loveliest streets in Cape May and only a few short blocks to the beach. The Virginia Hotel is a 24-room boutique hotel that includes a complimentary continental breakfast with your stay. The rooms are exquisitely furnished and the ambiance of the entire property is so peaceful and relaxing. It also has one of the best restaurants in Cape May on-site, The Ebbitt Room. Many people come to the Virginia to sip cocktails on the porch and watch people stroll down Jackson Street. The beach service is located close by at Congress Hall.

The Star Hotel

29 Perry Street- located a block from the beach and across the street from Congress Hall. This lovely boutique Inn and motel style property offers Inn Rooms, Suites and Carriage Houses to accommodate any type of stay. The Suites and Carriage Houses are larger and offer outdoor spaces as well. Star guests may enjoy all of the amenities of Congress Hall including the beach service.

Virginia Cottages

Various locations across from Virginia Hotel – There are 5 cottages in total: White, grey, red, pink, and brown. Some are full house rentals and others are broken up into smaller units as well. Each of them is tastefully decorated with the finest quality materials.  Guests of the cottages may also enjoy all of the amenities of Congress Hall including beach service.

Congress Place Suites

302 Washington Street – located across from Congress Hall, a block from Perry Street beach and at the end of Washington Mall. The four suites are over Tommy’s Folly and each have a full kitchen and separate bedroom.  Two of them also have spacious balconies. Consistent with the other properties, the attention to detail of the suites is impeccable and guests have all of the amenities of Congress Hall available to them.

Beach Plum Farm Cottages

Beach Plum Farm in West Cape May, there are four exquisite cottages on the grounds of the farm that can accommodate from 6-8 guests.  There are so many unique amenities such as fire pits, bicycles, golf cart and more. Although it is a bit of a drive, guests can enjoy the beach service at Congress Hall as well. Fun Fact: Oprah Winfrey and her BFF Gayle King spent a night in one of the cottages during a visit to Cape May in 2019!

Additional properties with beach service

There are several other wonderful hotels/resorts that offer beach service beyond Cape Resort properties. Again, I have provided only highlights below to keep it simple. Please check out their individual websites for a full list of all property amenities and descriptions.

La mer Beachfront Resort

317 Beach Avenue – across the street from the beach, but a little north of most of the action. This property features a fabulous, heated pool and well-equipped fitness center. As an amenity to your stay, they offer complimentary umbrellas, chairs and towels on their 400-foot pristine private beach. Cabanas and lounge chairs are also available for a fee. The Pier House restaurant is onsite and serves breakfast lunch and dinner as well as inventive craft cocktails both indoors and on the patio. La Mer has other properties: condos and a beach house that are available for you stay. However, I was not able to find out if guests are entitled to use the beach services. Based on what I see on their website the answer would be no. I have reached out and will update the post if I learn more.

Montreal Beach Resort

1025 Beach Avenue-located across the street from the beach on the corner of Beach and Madison Avenues, this resort is one of the top family friendly resorts in Cape May. There is a gorgeous pool and two sundecks.  It offers a Beach Club to both guests and the public. They offer an array of amenities for a fee such as: Umbrellas, beach chaises, beach chairs, storage boxes and Cabanas. Beach chaises and umbrellas are complimentary for repeat guests and offered at a discount for new ones. It is highly recommended to reserve your Beach Club amenities prior to your stay by contacting a guest services agent. An extra perk, Harry’s Ocean Bar & Grille delivers directly to your beach chair from 12:00pm to 4:00pm daily. Speaking of Harry’s—it has indoor seating but also a fabulous rooftop deck with panoramic views of the ocean that have to be experienced when in Cape May!

ICONA

1011 Beach Avenue-located on the corner of Philadelphia Avenue and Beach Avenue, is the newest beachfront hotel in Cape May. It is a boutique style hotel with just 56 chic and rooms decorated in crisp blue and white. Each room has at least a refrigerator and microwave and some have small kitchens. Icona’s beach service is provided at their sister property Icona Diamond Beach in Wildwood Crest. A complimentary shuttle is available daily to transport you there during high season. Beach service is provided on their private beach and includes set up of chair and umbrellas, as well as cocktail and food service delivered right to you. Did you know Icona also has a YACHT?  Pretty cool! You can learn more here.

I hope this post provided you a useful overview of what is available. I would love to hear from you if I inspired you to try a hotel in Cape May with beach service. It is a special way to treat yourself or someone special while in Cape May.

Did I miss any? Let me know!

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