I usually do not review hotels or services, just restaurants when I am traveling for work to give back to the yelp community for the reviews i use when I try to find a good eating spot in a new place. However, Avondale by the Sea was a very pleasant standout. IF you read this review and go there TELL the owner or GM they STILL need to get somebody to claim their business. (His daughter was going to do it) their IT and social skills not up to 2019 levels BUT their hotel and hospitality management is 5 - STAR!!!!! My wife and I traveled to Cape May for our 29th wedding anniversary. This was unusual as I usually travel of course alone. We are planning a relocation to PA and were re-investigating the South Jersey Shore for docking our sailboat, beach, and vacation options. The Avondale by the Sea was perfectly located in Cape May, had ample parking, the rooms were aneasseptically clean and void of even traces of sand, had powerful running water, you could chill beef in the air conditioned room, and the beds were clean linen and super comfortable, with nice pillows that were not stinky clumps of damp feathers. Our view of the Atlantic was wonderful and the beach section vibrant, clean, and seductive. We walked the town all around and nearby. Went to a number of highly regarded restaurants and saw all the beaches. I had been here many times in the 1960s and 1970s especially with my family vacationing in Stone Harbor, Avalon, Townsend's Inlet. The Avondale is not cheap, but not brutally expensive by local standards and based upon all the above a good value. I am a Lifetime Titanium Elite with the Marriott Chain for the last 36 years and stay over 100 nights a year at hotels..............these guys have the people, the property, and the features to rival the best. We absolutely will go back soon.....worse case maybe for our 30!!! read more

See all

Avondale is a beach front Motel not a 5 star resort. Once you accept that fact the place is darn near perfect. Centrally located across from the beach,free beach passes, numerous dining options and shopping within walking distance. The rooms were spacious and immaculate with an ocean view. Free continental breakfast came in clutch in the morning for a quick bite and some caffeine. Staff was super friendly. Had a great time, would definitely go back. read more

My reservation stated: Economy Double Room - Featuring a balcony with a partial view of the ocean, this air-conditioned room includes a seating area, cable TV and refrigerator. Our room (110) was a dungeon. Dark, tucked into the corner of the hotel w/1 window that we had to keep the curtains closed due to the location of it. We did not see any partial view of the ocean; we saw the cars in the parking lot. We did not get a balcony; we had chairs in front of the room where it's a common walkway. All the other rooms had balconies. We complained when we checked in & when we checked out. They said they couldn't do anything. Therefore, I told them I would be doing Google & Yelp reviews. read more

See all

The location was right across the street from the beach. It is an older hotel and as others said, no elevator. However, the stairs were not that bad. The room was very clean but had a strong smell of bleach. It got better with the stay. I found the bed to be very comfortable. The staff were very nice and friendly. Continental breakfast was bagels, donuts, cereal, bananas and coffee. A few restaurants were nearby and Washington Mall was a ten minute walk. I would stay here again in a heartbeat. We enjoyed our stay and would recommend this hotel. read more

Love staying here. Clean, comfortable and updated. Pleasant staff. Room ready earlier than 3 and housekeeping service done early. Looking forward to going back! read more

11 out of 10. Wonderful place, spacious lovely rooms, lovely staff. Charlie and Alex at the front desk are lovely and our cleaner Gloria was amazing. We will be back! read more

My 4th of July experience here were mostly positive but with a few negatives. Man, I really wanted to rate this place high, just like the rest of their reviews. I have to keep it real though. THE GOOD - The price to stay here were one of the lowest. - No problems with the staff, they were courteous and friendly. - Room was real clean, someone said in another review, "military clean" I would have to concur. Did someone say Chinese Field Day? Lmao! - Across the street from the beach. - You get 2 free beach passes per room. - Beach view from the balcony. - A few blocks away from Washington Street Mall. - I had no problems with parking, even though it looked like if we left there wouldn't be any parking when we come back. - Pool was clean, the sun hits this area well without anything in the way while you're getting your tan on. Umbrellas incase you need it. - Towels available at the pool just ask the lifeguard, he'll give it to you. - The lifeguard at the pool enforces the rules regardless if you're white or POC, I respect that, I'm a POC. - The AC was fawsome, keeps the room real cool. Felt so good to put your face on top of a cold pillow. - Enough outlets for your gadgets. - 2 sinks & mirrors in 2 separate rooms. I was able to do hygiene while my wife does her makeup thang. - I don't know why, but it's worth mentioning, that taking a shower here felt good. I can't explain it but the way the water hits you, it felt really good. Must be the shower head, idk. THE BAD - No wifi at the time of stay, Alex mentioned that they had new wifi setup and the installers must've missed something. As per the woman at the front, we were not the only room that were having these issues. Apparently, half the building fell victim to it. She suggested to go out to the balcony to reach the wifi. I was indeed able find their wifi outside but who wants to do their work out in the heat and humidity? I don't have the patience to use text for my work on my phone. I hope they fix this swiftly so their next clientele won't have the same problems. (Alex did follow up with me but he caught me on the way out and I would get back to him later, the problem wsd, he couldn't really do anything, only the installers could fix it.) - One of the ceiling lights was not working. I reported it to Charlie. - I noticed a crack on the hair dryer housing that loosened the grille. Still functional though, reported it to Charlie. read more

If you are looking for a basic room at a reasonable price (reasonable for Cape May prices) in a prime Cape May location, look no further. Our room was wide and immaculate. The shower was strong and the water was hot, as needed. The air conditioning system was efficient and reliable. We were on the top floor with a view of the ocean! We were given beach passes, but we're happy to recline poolside. The pool was clean and well positioned so we could catch sun or sit in the shade. The bagels were fresh and served as part of the continental breakfast including cereal, donuts and fruit. Parking was plentiful. Two chairs were provided on the deck outside of our room. My travel companion enjoys the AC and I needed an extra blanket, which the hotel representative on staff provided immediately upon request. I have no complaints. One suggestion is that you may want to bring your own coffee machine from home. One of the few coffee shops open in Cape May at 6:30 in the morning is Wawa. I normally travel with my coffee machine but I forgot to ask the hotel's booking agent whether one is provided in the room; it wasn't. I need coffee when I wake up. Scrambling, trying to figure out where to find coffee in the morning is anguish for people hooked on coffee. If you need it, bring a coffee machine. Otherwise, drive to the Wawa. Or you can check the hours at the Congress Hotel's cafe. I found that place later and I think they open early, but they were closed on Monday. I am grateful for the lovely stay I had at Avondale by the Sea. They do not have an elevator, so you need to be fit if you are going to climb the stairs to the third-floor. Otherwise, try to get a room on the first or second floor. Overall, I was pleased. Keep in mind this is not a luxury resort. If you want a basic room that's clean in a key location near the beach and restaurants, this is the place for you. I would definitely stay here again. read more

I stayed here recently with my wife and daughter. My mother was visiting us from Arizona, and came along with us. My mother island locked, therefore, this was quite a treat for her be near the ocean for three days. This hotel is centrally located to the Washington Mall, and is beach front, literally. Ideal location. However, at night, it was a bit noisy with large groups of teenager skateboarders that hung out by the pizza joint, and strip mall, located adjacent the hotel on the seven sisters homes side. One night they were partying until 2 AM, ugh. The hotel room was spacious, as there four of us sharing it. Very clean and modestly decorated. The HD flat screen TV had a limited amount of cable channels, and the free wifi frequently crapped out, no fault of the hotel. The pool was small but clean, with a rather aged lifeguard observing everything, that was A bit twilight zonish. The king size beds were very comfortable, but that typical hotel starch was a bit over powering. The bathroom was very clean, and the shower/tub adequate, the water pressure was a bit low at times. Yes, I am nit picking, but I like to be accurate in my reviews. We checked prior to booking the bed bug register on the internet, and the hotel ranked bed bug free. Unfortunately, bed bugs are an issue in this part of the country recently. More so in Philadelphia, which is only 90 miles away. Overall, this was a terrific deal, our room faced the ocean, it was delightful, we had a quasi-private balcony. Some balcony's are not private nor quasi-private. The hotel staff was accommodating and friendly. The hotel offers a very scrumptious "free" continental breakfast between 8 and 10 AM. They have tables set up to dine in the lobby area, where the breakfast is provided via a self service stations, or you can bring it to your rooms. They offer plenty of "free' parking, of which, you must utilize their parking pass to identify you as a hotel guest between x date and x date. I would most definitely stay there again. It is a bit pricey during the season, but you get what you pay for in this case, a good deal. Enjoy if you go. read more

Nice clean and cool room. Staff was friendly and welcoming. Private balcony that offered a nice view of the beach. The room keys are the old school metal ones with a $100 replacement fee, but I guess there is sort of a classic feel to this place, so maybe that is why they keep them. Hotel is within walking distance of tons of restaurants and shops, so convenience is a plus. Happy with the stay and would come back. read more

Clean rooms, very helpful staff, great location, a rule where you can't hang towels over the balcony railings, light breakfast provided from 8am-10am. Lovely. Beware the fun nazi at the pool. Although on her day off I was praying for her return because my peaceful afternoon swim morphed into some sort of twisted nightmare where I had to take care of children who were previously left alone at their daycare center with a lifetime supply of pixie sticks and sugar in the raw packets. And I'm allergic to children. So, yeah. It's pretty family-oriented here if you didn't catch that. read more

Best Bargain in Cape May! You can't beat the location, ocean front and just a couple blocks from Washington Mall. Free continental breakfast, clean rooms, nice pool and right next to the Inn at Cape May so you can get cocktails and lunch by the pool. Owner on site at all times. We have stayed here every summer for several years. It's definitely a great choice. read more

Been staying at this hotel for six years in a row. I can't say enough good things. The owner Charlie is very accommodating and friendly. The staff is always available to address whatever issue you may have. The hotel is extremely clean which I'm attentive to as I'm a bit of a neat freak. I have a large family with a lot of little kids and I wouldn't stay anywhere else. The pool also accommodates little kids with their own kiddie pool and they offer a continental breakfast as well. All around a great hotel. The Lagreca Family read more

Nice place , if you don't want to pay a huge amount of money, but has a ocean view and breakfast. Our room was new and cozy, not something fancy, but we had a ocean view and we were pretty happy with that. We had a room service every day, and complimentary breakfast was really good, with fresh, tasty donuts and fresh Oj, what else do you need! Also I guess it was a owner, really nice guy who works on a front-desk, His name was Charlie, helped us a lot when we had some issues with our bathroom. Location is a perfect one, right across a street from a beach, in a middle of ocean walk. They have a small pool as well, but its not that important because is really close to the beach. read more

We needed a room for a race taking place in Cape May. Every hotel was either sold out or charged you out the wazoo. I booked this hotel because of the reviews I read on Yelp...I actually picked up the phone & called. So glad I did ~ Good Karma ~ In a very short period of time to book a room we really lucked out with the Avondale. Super nice people...thank you Charlie & Heather for taking care of us! The room was large & super SUPER CLEAN. Immaculate in every way. Our view of the ocean was right there. We had a small porch with two rocking chairs with a cute screened door. It made you feel like you were really staying in a beach house. The fresh air...Awesome! A refrigerator in the room, along with two sinks. The price was Terrific and parking was not a problem. You are right there in the center of town where you can rent bikes or blab a slice next door. Thank you for a very very pleasant stay. See you next year! read more

I stayed at several different hotels in Cape May over the years and I have to say that Avondale by the Sea is at the top of the list!! It is immaculate! very updated, and comfortable. there wasn't a speck of dirt or sand anywhere in the room. the pool was refreshing and the staff was very pleasant. We had a HD TV, air conditioner, refrigerator. And free WiFi. very close to everything, Would highly recommend!! read more

Mid-May, 2011: Good location, friendly and helpful staff, clean rooms. The decor is effective while basic and functional. The bathroom is somewhat of a tight fit. I rented a suite - sitting room with table and chairs, TV, credenza, and small fridge. A short hall leads past the batroom and closet to the bedroom with a washstand, TV and bureau, king-size bed, and back door. The front porch has a table and rocking chairs, faces Beach Avenue and the beach. read more

Well, remember when thinking about the Avondale, it was built in the 1960's and short of tearing it down, the structure and design will never compare to modern properties. However, this Cape May and old is good. Despite the design, it is well cared for with a great location and views. The housekeeping staff does a great job keeping the rooms neat and clean. We are back several times a year and enjoy our stays. We think it's about as good as it gets in Cape May. read more

Avondale by the Sea is clean, comfortable, affordable and family owned. Great location and the folks at the front desk were there to help with any questions. I think most of the rooms have an Ocean view. This is a very nice hotel, we enjoyed our stay and will be coming back! Kevin B read more

The owner and staff at Avondale are so kind and accommodating. Rooms are clean and kept up. Unfortunately, during our stay, one of our children became ill enough to call paramedics. She is well now. The kindness and attention we got from the entire staff was touching. It was personal and heartfelt. This is not our first stay at Avondale By the Sea and we look forward to many more. Additional perks are great ocean views, pool and fresh towels, very nice complimentary breakfast, proximity to many shopping areas, and off street parking. Very family-friendly. read more

My family and I go to cape may every summer and we hadn't stayed at this hotel in 7 years but when we checked in last week they said "welcome back! Its been awhile!" From the start I was impressed! Just that little comment made us feel very welcome. Such a clean place and our room had tile floor which was so nice since we tracked lots of sand in. The pool must be heated because it's the perfect temperature. My only little complaint is when we got maid service and the beds were made there would still be sand in between the sheets. But it's in a great location, just a short walk to the beach, dining, shopping, everything! Will for sure be staying here next summer again read more

Very beautiful hotel within walking distance to everything. Super clean and wonderful and friendly staff. We would absolutely recommend coming here. Very reasonable and also includes a continental breakfast!! A++ Avondale!! read more

I believe that this is the IDEAL cape may hotel to choose. It is right across the street from the beach AND is in walking distance to the washington mall area. It is right down the street on the corner of this hotel. They seem to leave no stone unturned to make your stay wonderful-free continental breakfast is quite lavish, rocking chairs on every porch. Wonderful pool. Rooms are larger than most that I have ever seen at a typical resort. The family owners want to please you in any way they can. I would definitely stay here again. I see no reason to stay elsewhere. It is a three story hotel but has no elevator but you can request the main floor. There is free onsite parking and free wifi. I wish I could have stayed longer! read more

Our first time in Cape May and we booked a room here because we wanted an ocean view. The staff was very friendly on the phone, so I booked a suite with an ocean view. I preferred a suite due to the fact that my husband wakes up at 4am, vacation or not. At check in, staff very helpful and curtious. After climbing 3 flights of step, we arrive at our room, that is not a suite. It was, however, a nice room. We were just thrilled to be away, even tho we paid almost $300. The room was clean and a decent size. The bathroom was very tiny and the air conditioner was loud and struggling to work. Bring your own coffee pot if you wake before 9. That is when they serve the free breakfast that consists of cereal and doughnuts. After breakfast, that we went elsewhere for, we were enjoying our balcony when my husband decided to feed the seagulls on the roof below us. We heard a man yelling, when suddenly this man came running up the stairs yelling and swearing at him to not feed the pigeons. My husband was offended and kindly asked the man not to swear at him and asked him who he was. This vulgar man turned out to be the owner, Charles Martino. We quickly checked out and mentioned his behavior to the front desk. They were not surprised and blew off our complaint. This, in my opinion, is no way to treat your guests that paid good money to stay in your hotel. read more

I recently stayed here with my family for a week. We stayed in a Queen Deluxe. The room itself was nice, located on the first floor with an entrance from the front and the back which was convenient and large enough to accommodate us. We had a nice view of the boardwalk. However, upon our arrival the floor was filthy, sand everywhere. I went around with a towel to get it up and the towel was black. There was a free continental breakfast everyday that included cereals, coffee/tea, juice, bagels and bananas from 8-10 which we enjoyed. The pool was lovely but only open from 9:30 - 6. We wished it was open longer, especially after a long day at the beach. It would have been nice to be able to stay in the pool longer. Overall, this hotel is OK. Location is great, a bit pricey. read more

Great hotel that is being very well taken care of. Our room was large as well as the bed. Lots of extra pillows. The hotel is very clean. We walked everywhere we went except out to watch the sunset at end of town. The breakfast is simple with bagels, pastries, cereal coffee, tea and juice. The staff was the best part. So very friendly and helpful with suggestions and directions. They all had the time to say hello and ask if everything was okay. We will be staying there again. JGaines read more

Perched on one of the choicest locations in Cape May, this facility manages to make staying a bit of an ordeal. The bathroom is tiny, with a very strange counter-top that makes using the toilet, and getting to the shower, a bit of a squeeze. Sometime in the past five years, the decision was make to do away with room carpets in favor of ceramic tile. The effect is cold and unwelcome. Rooms are echoey, the heater/AC is thunderously loud, and the living area is completely Spartan. Just a pull-out sofa bed, a round table and two wooden chairs. No armchair, or floor lamp for reading. All sad, because it was a better place five years ago. And no smoking *on premises?* That's just foolish, given the breeziness of the location. read more