We have been staying here for the past 12 years. For the first 11 they would have gotten 5 stars. This year, however, was a different story. New ownership has taken over our favorite vacation spot and the takeover is not for the best. Instead of reveling in and reminiscing about summers past, let me instead give you the good, the bad and the ugly of this former wonderful vacation spot.
The good:
The rooms are all equipped with a full kitchen that is fully stocked with flatware, plates, pots, pans etc...(great for families so that you don't have to spend a small fortune for food while down the shore).
All the rooms have a decent sized dining area replete with a decent sized table to eat at.
All the rooms have a living room with a couch, love seat and at least one chair (all the furniture matches and is always kept in very very good condition - no tears, no lumpy pillows or cushions.
No matter where your room is (we have had many) you can always catch a nice breeze to keep the room relatively cool without using the ac. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing better than waking up to the sounds and smells of the beach.
The hotel is across the street from the beach saving countless time trying to trudge a few (or more) blocks with the requisite beach accoutrements and younger children in tow.
Fantastic value for the price -- rates are less than alot of the hotels/motels that don't have full kitchens or are directly across the street from the beach.
Great location, you're 4 blocks from Washington St and the downtown area. You're withing walking distance of just about everything you could want or need while in Cape May.
The bad:
They no longer give you complimentary beach tags for your stay. This was a given with the old owners.
The housekeeping staff left alot to be desired. The kitchen floor was never mopped (we were there for a week and there was sand on that floor every day...even when we didn't go to the beach). Ditto for the bathroom floor. Sheets weren't changed in a week...hell, they didn't even make the beds properly just pulled the comforter up went on their way. And they didn't vacuum (we had popcorn our second night, and a piece of it was by the TV for the rest of the time we were there - we made it into a contest to see what day they would actually pick it up or vacuum it up - i won because i said never).
The ugly:
ANTS -- there were ants in every nook and cranny of the kitchen. We noticed them the moment we began putting our food in the cabinets. They were in the diswasher, they were in the cabinets, the were in the coffeepot...when I say everywhere, I mean EVERYWHERE. Management said they would have an exterminator come out and try and fix the problem. The exterminator ended up being a maintenance fellow who proceeded to spray industrial strength Raid in the kitchen. He then gave us the can and told us we could do the same thing. WTF? It was disgusting and unsanitary. We couldn't use the dishes, we couldn't use the cabinets, hell I was afraid to even use the toaster. When I complained to management about it, I was given quick shrug of the shoulders and a look of utter indifference. The owner claimed that every place in Cape May has an ant problem and there was nothing to be done about it....he even claimed it had been going on for years. When I explained to him that we come down every year and have NEVER had ants living in the kitchen or anywhere else for that matter I received the same shrug and look. F'ing DICK!
The ac didn't work the entire time we were there. While I love the breeze coming off the ocean, there are times when even that doesn't help stifle the heat - especially during the late morning and afternoon hours. The ac never worked and when we complained (again) to management, they sent the same maintenance fellow who proceeded to explain to us that because the hotel is old, the ac units are also just as old and "sometimes they just don't work as well as a newer unit does. WELL...jackass (owner) maybe...call me crazy here, but just maybe if you spent some of MY hard earned money that I just gave to you for your shitty, dirty, ant infested suite, you could update the friggin' ac units so that they actually blow cold air.
It's a crying shame that something that was so good for so long was almost instantly changed into something so bad. Ok, the old owners were a crotchety old couple that were as nasty as the day is long. They used to pitch a fit if you tried to move your car in front of the stairs when you were checking in or checking out. Yet, they always remembered our name, and would try and accommodate us in giving us the same room year in and year out if we booked it early enough. If you ask me, they just got tired of people (nee tourists) period. I understand why they sold, but did they have to sell it to a PRICK who cared even less about customer satisfaction and loyalty. read more