Cape May’s luminous Victorian houses, manicured gardens and tree-lined streets ooze with panache. This seaside resort’s status as National Historic Landmark is rightly deserved.
Beauclaires Bed & Breakfast, Cape May (Photo: Booking.com)
Located on the southern tip of New Jersey’s Cape May peninsula, the city of Cape May was founded in 1620 by Dutch Captain Mey. Originally a whaling and farming community, the city soon became famous for its powdery beaches, restorative air and genteel accommodation. Today, beach pilgrims come for those very same reasons. Travelmag’s editors have compared guesthouses and B&Bs large and small, to bring you these five tips for your stay in this beguiling resort.
Beauclaires Bed & Breakfast
Just below Washington Street (a major east-west street in downtown Cape May) and just above Cape May Beach, Beauclaires Bed & Breakfast is an elegant establishment that affords guests stunning ocean views. Rooms come kitted out with period-style furnishings – think intricate wood headboards, hand-made dressing tables and iron fireplaces, and provide en-suite bathrooms (some with baths, some with showers). The period décor is present throughout the house and is enhanced by the fresh blue and milky grey colour-scheme. If you enjoy lounging, the house’s wrap-around terrace with rocking chairs is the perfect place to idle over a book, glass of wine etc. Rooms from $119.
Book at Booking.com
Bedford Inn
Bedford Inn, Cape May (Photo: Booking.com)
The quaint and traditional Bedford Inn is the perfect romantic escape. The charismatic features of this guesthouse hark back to simpler times. Original steel fireplaces, old-timey bedsteads and country-style stucco ceilings give the place an air of old American refinement. Rooms are cosy and come with spacious shower rooms. Complimentary American breakfast is of eggs, hashbrowns etc. is offered daily. Well located, the Bedford is just a short block from the beach and town centre. The Colonial House is 500 metres from the guesthouse, while the Nature Center of Cape May is 2.1 km away. Rooms from $107.
Book at Booking.com
Thomas Webster House
Surround yourself in nature in this large shaded corner property in Cape May’s primary historic district. The gardens at Thomas Webster House are truly saturated with tropical plants and native trees, giving it a real organic and exotic feel. The guest house is unique in the way that it combines premium interior accommodations with private tropical sundecks and relaxing outdoor living areas. All rooms are air-conditioned, well-maintained and come with flat-screen TVs and private bathrooms. Popular points of interest near the guest house include Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May Convention Hall and The Colonial House. Rooms from $142.
Book at Booking.com
Casablanca
Casablanca (Photo: Booking.com)
A brand-new edition to the Cape May B&B cohort, Casablanca is an exceptionally stylish abode which merges eclectic design features to create a whirlwind of luxury. With parquet flooring, streamlined mezzanines, hi-tech fires, wooden beams, tropical plants, wooden venetian blinds and furry pillows all jostling for attention with fresh white walls providing the backdrop, this 10-bedroom boutique venture brings the senses alive. Located at 709 Columbia Avenue, Casablanca is just 2 blocks from the beach and a short stroll to Washington Square Mall. Rooms from $132.
Book at Booking.com
Angel of the Sea Bed & Breakfast
There is no mistaking the Angel of the Sea’s uniqueness. Perched on the corner of a residential area, this huge and charismatic mansion with jutting roofs and wooden cladding looks like its straight out of a period drama. The interior is gloriously old-fashioned, with plush patterned furniture in the lounge and dining areas, and four poster beds and silk bedspreads in the bedrooms. Some rooms come with balconies which offer extraordinary sea views. Classic American breakfasts served daily, also on offer are afternoon teas and well-attended cheese and wine evenings. Rooms from $121.
Book at Booking.com