Cape May hotels

This easygoing surf-style lodge has 11 beautifully designed rooms with giant sofas for lounging on and rotating local artworks. I loved the fact our King Suite had a gorgeous private balcony, as well as a pour over coffee machine.

This is the one of best hotels in Cape May if you’re after a chilled out, laidback stay. We hired bikes from a bike shop down the street, packed a picnic basket from the local organic market and spent long afternoons lazing in the sun on the beach.

The hotel is well located, just far enough to offer a quiet retreat but still within 10 minutes’ walk of all the best local dining options. One of my favourite things about the hotel is its rooftop deck, where we spent mornings playing games and drinking coffee. The hotel is also very dog-friendly, and my pup Ella couldn’t have felt more welcome.

The Buttonwood is hands down one of the best hotels in Cape May for couples looking for a romantic getaway. The boutique gem has just a few simple suites and cottages to choose from, all featuring breezy decor and crisp white linens. Plus, it’s only a 10-minute walk to the beach, making it the perfect spot for a coastal break.

The hotel has a little kitchen where you can cook your own meals and cosy up for the evening watching movies. Buttonwood runs without much fuss, and you can do your own check-in and ask for service if you need it.

There are also some lovely communal spaces, where you can meet fellow guests round the fireplace. If you were coming with a group of friends, you could easily take over the whole place and get some caterers in for a weekend to remember.

If you’re in the mood for a classic seaside holiday resort, Congress Hall is one of the best hotels in Cape May to book. Established in 1816 and set right on the beach, this iconic hotel is the grand dame of this little town, with whimsical guestrooms and suites (they also have a few flat-style suites across the street).

Last time I stayed I went for a Junior Suite, since I had to do some work during my trip – the desk with ocean views was definitely an upgrade on my usual office.

Blue Pig Tavern, their downstairs restaurant, uses the freshest of ingredients from Beach Plum Farm down the road. But my favourite spot is Boiler Room, the hotel’s underground pizzeria, which offers serious Prohibition vibes to go with your wild mushroom and turnip pizza. There’s also a lovely on-site spa where you can book treatments using OSEA products.

Nestled in the heart of the city centre, The Virginia is one of the best hotels in Cape May for location. Inside this quaint 1879 house you’ll find a handful of gorgeous rooms filled with antiques, all decked out in a soft colour palette. They also offer several luxury stand-alone cottages, all within walking distance.

If you’re travelling with family and friends (plus a dog), like we were, the quaint Gray Cottage sleeps up to eight people over three bedrooms and offers breathtaking ocean views from the first-floor living room.

The charming hotel has a farm-to-table restaurant, The Ebbitt Room, which serves dishes made with fresh ingredients from their very own Beach Plum Farm. Other fabulous offerings include their live weekly music series, plus beach service with chairs, towels and umbrellas. You can also book private tennis lessons with an actual pro, for a fee.

The Ocean Club is right across the beach with a giant pool, it’s the perfect place for a summer getaway.

The hotel has a wide range of rooms and suites, all with different levels of amenities. For instance, the penthouse floor has King Suites with little balconies for enjoying those stellar ocean views – I loved sitting out here watching the sun come up every morning. If you prefer to be right by the pool, book one of the Cabana Suites so you can maximise your hours in the sun.

At on-site restaurant SeaSalt, we ate fine local seafood and watched the beach crowds coming and going. There’s also a Tiki bar with full food service by the pool, if you can’t bear to leave your lounger.

Located right on the beach and offering one or two-bedroom flat-style rooms, this is one of the best hotels in Cape May for extended stays. Sandpiper has 51 suites to choose from, all with full kitchens, big balconies and fantastic views of the ocean.

Even though it feels like a flat, you still get all the amenities of a hotel, with twice a day service. I loved being able to order groceries and cook my own meals, and there are even washer/dryers in the suites.

The hotel is set in a great location, where you can walk or bike easily to town, or cross the road to the beach where they also offer complimentary beach service with towels and chairs. You’ll also find all the facilities you need for a great stay, including a games room, fitness centre, heated pool and dry sauna.

With just eight flat-style rooms, this idyllic gem is what’s known as a micro hotel. The Lokal is a great option if you’re travelling with a bunch of friends, as you can easily book up the whole hotel, as we did. Everyone in our party loved this place for its great location and stylish decor.

The well-designed rooms are equipped with full kitchens, making them the ideal choice for longer stays. Plus, the hotel is open year-round, so it also makes a perfect winter getaway.

In the summer, you’ll be spending most of your time on the decks outside the rooms, doing some outdoor grilling. You’ll also find the heated saltwater pool right in front of the house. But if you plan on heading to the beach, like we did every morning, the hotel offers beach service right across the street at Howard Beach.

The Beach Shack is one of the best hotels in Cape May if you want direct access to the sand and ocean. The rooms and suites are cheerfully decorated, and some are dog-friendly. They even offer a dog package with amenities to make sure your pup enjoys beach days as much as you do, including a little frisbee.

The on-site Rusty Nail is a classic surfer bar where you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with your toes in the sand. It’s also where you can play a game of shuffleboard or catch up with friends by the fire pit.

Exactly as the name suggests, the Beach Shack is a casual, relaxed spot, making it a perfect place to kick back with their live music series and meet some new friends. We loved hanging out at the bar and listening to stories from the local old surfer dudes.

Less than a block away from the beach, this boutique inn is one of the best hotels in Cape May if you’re looking for a nostalgic stay. From here you can walk to all the main spots in the city centre, including the Harriet Tubman Museum.

The seaside Victorian manse hotel has just a handful of summery guestrooms and suites, all done up in fun, playful colours. During my stay I went for one of the nautical-inspired, two-bedroom Carriage House Suites for extra privacy. They’ve all been freshly redone and come with full kitchens and washer/dryers, as well as giant balconies overlooking the ocean. If you’re planning a longer stay, these are the suites to book.

The Star doesn’t have its own gym, but since it’s in the same hotel group as Congress Hall, you can use their facilities. In the meantime, the big decks are perfect for a spot of yoga.

For a casual modern property with Hawaiian-style hospitality, the Mahalo is one of the best hotels in Cape May. This resort has oversized rooms and plenty of suites to explore.

If you’re travelling with family or a larger group, book up the three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse. It has an in-unit washer/dryer, as well as a full kitchen, which was ideal when we stayed for a week’s holiday and had family coming and going.

For me, it’s the laidback holiday vibes that make the Mahalo such a great place to stay. You can use the hotel’s golf cart service to cruise around town, but it's also easy to get there on foot. Beach days are taken care of, with the hotel providing beach tags, umbrellas and chairs, so all you need to do is walk over and soak up some sun.