THE CHALFONTE HOTEL, Cape May

The hotel is three blocks past the Washington Street traffic light, on the corner of Sewell Avenue and Howard Street. Beach, shops, restaurants, and the Cape May Convention Center are within an easy walk, and several cafés and bakeries sit about half a kilometre away. Atlantic City's Pomona Airport is 72 km off and Philadelphia International is 100 km; the Cape May-Lewes Ferry and NJ Transit/Amtrak connections provide alternatives to driving. Parking around the hotel is free street parking with no reserved spaces, so allow time to find a spot on busy weekend evenings.

The Italianate building has deliberately unplugged rooms with crisp linens and cool seaside colours. Suites are ocean-side with one queen bed, one full bed, and a private bath ($265-325). Standard rooms offer a queen or full bed, an en-suite European bath with glass shower, and the sink in the sleeping room ($189-260). Traditional rooms use shared bathrooms down the hall. Most rooms have no television, telephone, clock radio, minifridge, safe, hairdryer, or ironing board. Rooms are compact, with limited storage and outlets; interconnecting doors and thin walls mean noise carries. Rooms are air-conditioned, while public spaces are not; some cottage units rely on ceiling fans. On-site cottage options include the four-bedroom weekly Satterfield Cottage and the renovated Old Laundry whole-house rental for seven with kitchen, kitchenette, Smart TV, and one reserved parking space; both include access to the hotel's restaurant, bar, lobby, and Writing Room.

Breakfast is available from 8 am to noon and includes banana chia pudding parfait ($13), challah French toast ($14), the Chalfonte breakfast ($14), omelettes ($15), breakfast sandwiches ($14), and smoked salmon bagels ($17); parties of eight or more can call ahead for a ready table. Dinner mains, from $30 to $46, include skillet fried chicken, lump crab cakes, New York strip steak, pork tenderloin, and herb-crusted flounder. The King Edward Bar opens daily at 3 pm in season (in October, Thursday-Saturday at 3 pm and Sunday-Wednesday at 5 pm), with bar bites served 5:30-8:30 pm. The veranda is a summer evening dining spot, and live music often accompanies drinks on the porch.

The hotel provides free beach chairs and umbrellas set up for stays; beach towels are not part of the set-up. The wrap-around porches with rocking chairs are a main gathering spot, and free live music and evening entertainment are regular features, especially the Thursday-night Howard Street Ramble from late May through October. A public bath, garden, terrace, picnic area, and outdoor furniture add outdoor space, with board games available. A golf course is within 3 km for an additional charge, and temporary art galleries are within easy reach.

Free daily housekeeping, free luggage storage, and a free safety deposit box are complemented by a shared lounge/TV area and a small shared kitchen nook with microwave, refrigerator, and tea/coffee supplies. Free Wi-Fi is available in some rooms. Wheelchair access and toilets with grab rails are provided, while upper-floor rooms require stairs. Family rooms, board games, a kid-friendly buffet, and kids' meals support family stays, and CCTV, smoke alarms, and fire extinguishers cover security. The hotel hosts weddings and group events, with ceremonies in the Secret Garden and receptions in the Magnolia Room; group packages for 25 or more and reduced room rates for event blocks are available. Cottage housekeeping can be arranged for an additional fee.