The Chalfonte Hotel

Loved our stay at the Chalfonte! Had the corner suite on Howard St with private balcony directly above the nightly live music on the porch. Great spot if you’re ok with noise late into the night (screen door right next to room leading to open balcony). Front desk staff was hot/cold—a bit apathetic or bothered; others were very helpful. It feels like you’re really experiencing the full history of the town staying in such storied hotel. Food options at the Magnolia Room are very good for an in-house restaurant. Felt like they were always understaffed, despite the hard work of the servers. Billing to your room is super convenient.

We had an amazing Breakfast on the porch at the Chalfonte Hotel. The food was delicious! Omelet with cheese and tomatoes, yummy home fries and huge blueberry pancake. Our server Emma was attentive and very sweet. We were not staying there (we are locals) but the porch is open to everyone for breakfast. It was very busy but we were served quickly. Looking forward to returning to this charming landmark Hotel!

We could not have been happier with the wedding reception at the Chalfonte Hotel. It was a dream come true for our daughter and son-in-law. The food was fabulous, the Magnolia Room was so elegant and the exterior of the hotel was the perfect meeting spot for the families to hang out and enjoy the graceful Victorian wrap-around porch. Furthermore, the highest accolade we can attribute to the Chalfonte was the staff! Guest after guest complemented both of us with the efficiency, friendliness, and attentiveness of the entire staff. Ellie coordinated every last detail, responded quickly & enthusiastically to every question and alleviated all of our concerns (namely, the dance floor was plenty large enough for our huge, dancing family!) Since we were from out of town, Ellie provided us a list of great local vendors. Her assistance throughout the year leading up to the wedding date was so valuable . The day of the wedding, Kaylie and the staff kept the party humming - water glasses were filled rapidly, meals served timely and with abundant smiles! This is a direct reflection of the management and leadership at this hotel! We would recommend the Chalfonte for a wedding reception, a party or just an enjoyable brunch. Thank you for exceeding our expectations!

This was an unfortunately left a very bad impression of not only the hotel but also the people. The hotel itself was old, fairly clean. The food was way overpriced especially their breakfast. The sink in our room dripped the entire time we were staying there. It was impossible to shut off. The rooms were very close to each other our room shared a door with our neighbor Who we could hear speaking in an average tone of voice we had to whisper at night in order to not wake other people up. They require you to sign a contract of $500 upon checking in that you will not smoke in the room. At no time did the staff ever make any sort of complaints to us about a smell of smoke coming from our room. We absolutely never smoked anything in the room I did however, leave the premises onto public property to smoke we even made sure to gather all of our cigarette butts and throw them away so that we didn’t litter in front of their property. It wasn’t until almost a month and a half later I realized they had charged us 500.00 penalty claiming that we smoked inside the room, which anyone who’s stayed their knows how cramped and tiny the rooms are there’s no way to hide Smoking the smell as the doors all have cracks underneath them. The smell would permeate the entire floor and we stayed for 3 days….. so I should believe the hotel knew we were smoking and disturbing the other guests for 3 days and said nothing to us? I then discovered that they had run a $500 charge on my account without any sort of notification. The manager is claiming that one of their employees who lives in the building smelled marijuana. Well it’s possible that the smell lingered on our clothing when we went for a walk to Smoke as it’s legal to do so and that’s the state and we purchased it from the dispensary in Cape May. We never smoked anything in the room because you’d have to be an idiot to do so. I feel actually that Some of the staff did not like us immediately as we do not look like their typical elderly Caucasian clientele and I had a negative interaction with two of the cleaning ladies which I did not understand as we had just checked in the night before. This is an erroneous charge that I believe the hotel makes money off of running this type of scheme on some of their guests they’re lying when they say that there were complaints from other Guests as in the manager’s response, he admits that it was only the employees, and he states that it required expensive deep cleaning to remove the smell, which is also a complete and total lie as there would have only been a faint smell attached to our clothing at the worst. I know for a fact nothing was smoked in that room and I plan on not only disputing the charges with my credit card but opening a case with the better business bureau.

In my opinion, based on my experience, I'm sorry to say, I would not stay or recommend this place. First, while I appreciate Victorian charm, I agree with other people who in their reviews, commented about peeling paint. The air conditioner was noisy, and I never figured out what the buzzing sound was. Also, as others commented, I noticed peeling paint. There was not a mini fridge in the room, or an elevator. They might consider budgeting to make these improvements, even if they did it little by little. My biggest gripe, though, is the parking situation. Right now, as I am writing this review, I am in my car, it is raining buckets, and there is no where, even on Sewell, to park. I'm on a street called Kearney (spelling). Thats a long way to walk even if it's not raining. While I'm sure that they wish they had more parking, still it's not fair to the customer, who now has to hike in the rain to the hotel. Hopefully, they will be able to address these issues for the good of the business as well as for their guests.

The good: free beach chairs and umbrellas, room AC, nice porch with rocking chairs and friendly staff and residents, a restaurant (didn’t use) and bar. Entertainment. There are some things you expect from a Victorian hotel in Cape May: no parking, small rooms, few places to put stuff, few outlets in the room. The bad: No grab bars in shower, no AC in public spaces, very poor WiFi. Things we knew about but rented anyway: no TV, no Safe, no fridge or microwave. Other curious things we spotted: lamp cord stapled to wall (fire hazard) and an interesting ancient urinal in Restaurant!

We come here every year. Beach umbrellas and chairs are provided and set up. Music and drinks flow. Just wish the mattresses were a little softer. We will be back again!

My family first vacationed at The Chalfonte in 1956, and returned every year for many years to follow. I worked at the hotel in the late 60s and early 70s as the night watchman, and my sister worked there from the 60s into the 90s, back when it was owned by the Satterfield family, and later by Anne LeDuc and Judy Bartella. Words can’t easily describe how magical this establishment is, and how grateful I am that the Mullock family, the current owners, have kept the history and spirit of the hotel intact as they gently nudged it into the twenty-first century on its way to its 150th year of continuous operation. When I worked at the hotel, there were no keys provided for the rooms. There was no air conditioning, but the sea breezes kept the sparsely-furnished rooms cool night and day. The rooms had gorgeous marble-topped Victorian furniture (many still do), a jute rug on the floor, sagging beds, and not much else. But that was all we needed since the point of being in Cape May was to get to the beach. Guests returned year after year, so each summer was like a family reunion. Few rooms had a private bath, so guests congregated outside the bathrooms on the hall after a day at the beach, and made the best of it by turning it into an impromptu cocktail party while awaiting their turn in one of the several showers available on each floor. The Mullocks have worked their incredible magic by providing air conditioning throughout, as well as private baths in most guest bedrooms. The furniture and fixtures are a delightful mix of old and new. The food was, and is, one of the highlights of the experience. There’s a great bar, The King Edward, off the lobby, usually with terrific live music. The hotel is famous in town for the live music that is performed by a variety of bands on the front porch on Thursday nights. You won’t find many amenities that typically exist in seaside resort hotels. There are no TVs or coffee makers in the rooms (both are available in a lounge off the lobby). There are no elevators. It’s like staying in a museum of seashore history from almost 150 years ago. For those who find it hard to unplug, WiFi is available throughout the hotel. If you want accommodations in a bland, hermetically-sealed room that feels like every Holiday Inn you’ve ever stayed in, you should look elsewhere. If you want to experience a charming bit of what Cape May was like in the nineteenth century, The Chalfonte is the place for you.

Always love coming here for a drink. Really great dirty martinis! On Thursday evenings they have the Ramble where there's a live band playing on the porch. Make sure to get there early for a seat outside. Great atmosphere, great drinks, great staff! Highly recommend!

This was an unfortunately left a very bad impression of not only the hotel but also the people. The hotel itself was old, fairly clean. The food was way overpriced especially their breakfast. The sink in our room dripped the entire time we were staying there. It was impossible to shut off. The rooms were very close to each other our room shared a door with our neighbor Who we could hear speaking in an average tone of voice we had to whisper at night in order to not wake other people up. They require you to sign a contract of $500 upon checking in that you will not smoke in the room. At no time did the staff ever make any sort of complaints to us about a smell of smoke coming from our room. We absolutely never smoked anything in the room I did however, leave the premises onto public property to smoke we even made sure to gather all of our cigarette butts and throw them away so that we didn't litter in front of their property. It wasn't until almost a month and a half later I realized they had charged us 500.00 penalty claiming that we smoked inside the room, which anyone who's stayed their knows how cramped and tiny the rooms are there's no way to hide Smoking the smell as the doors all have cracks underneath them. The smell would permeate the entire floor and we stayed for 3 days..... so I should believe the hotel knew we were smoking and disturbing the other guests for 3 days and said nothing to us? I then discovered that they had run a $500 charge on my account without any sort of notification. The manager is claiming that one of their employees who lives in the building smelled marijuana. Well it's possible that the smell lingered on our clothing when we went for a walk to Smoke as it's legal to do so and that's the state and we purchased it from the dispensary in Cape May. We never smoked anything in the room because you'd have to be an idiot to do so. I feel actually that Some of the staff did not like us immediately as we do not look like their typical elderly Caucasian clientele and I had a negative interaction with two of the cleaning ladies which I did not understand as we had just checked in the night before. This is an erroneous charge that I believe the hotel makes money off of running this type of scheme on some of their guests they're lying when they say that there were complaints from other Guests as in the manager's response, he admits that it was only the employees, and he states that it required expensive deep cleaning to remove the smell, which is also a complete and total lie as there would have only been a faint smell attached to our clothing at the worst. I know for a fact nothing was smoked in that room and I plan on not only disputing the charges with my credit card but opening a case with the better business bureau.

I am not reviewing the hotel since I did not stay there, There are many reviews for the hotel on Yelp. We attended a jazz evening performed in the newly decorated music room venue. The jazz was off the chart, performed by pros who have been playing together off and on for 38 years. They need to add more high tables and get another bartender to handle the crowd, Top notch and worth visiting to hear this amazing music on Tuesday night at 8PM.

We needed 2 nights during my Sons Coast Guard graduation and enjoyed the hospitality, charm and location of this Victorian gem. So close to the main shopping street, we walked 5 minutes to get to restaurants, boutiques and trolley tours. Extra bathrooms on the upstairs hallway were handy. Coming from San Francisco and a career in hotels, this was a refreshing break with less distractions than a modern hotel. Comfortable beds and ceiling fans + air conditioning, updated bathroom, real keys and helpful staff make this a reason to return to Cape May soon.

So great that this hotel hosts the ramble on Thursday nights. It's a great way of supporting live music and bringing the community together. Very well done!

Place is classic awesomeness!!! Great service and staff. From checkin through out my stay. Highly recommend!!

30 years of traveling, worst hotel only to be bested for worst by the one we stayed in which had a recent murder in it. The details are what the reader is needing and I hope this review is found helpful enough to deter you. Exterior charming, near the shore and along a quaint street, that's where it ends. No carpark, parking on street only that you need to find yourself which could be blocks away. King room size 10 x 10 at best. No closet No luggage rack No TV No central air, wall air unit that tried its best. charging station consisted of old extension cords under bed that you had to find and dig out. Lighting by 2 floor lamps from your grandparents days with bulb wattage of 30 max. 2 bath towels, 1 hand towel, never received any new towels from housekeeping, when they showed. Furniture in room from the early 1800s Rooms directly over porch where live music played both nights till 10pm. No blinds, curtains only in both bedroom & bathroom. Zero insulation between rooms, heard everything! cough, bathroom experience, conversation from both sides. The hotel is advertised as historic and is recognized as the oldest original hotel in Cape May and they have not done a thing to it since the 1800s. When we asked for ANYTHING...luggage rack, more tissues, the answer from the front desk was always the same "Sorry, we don't do that, sorry we only have enough for some rooms and they are all out, sorry, sorry.... My husband and I were so sorry we stayed there, we left early and just ate the $300 plus dollars just to get away from the place. If only 1 person finds this helpful enough to stay way, I'll feel like I've done my best. Please see pictures so you can experience the nightmare thru us before you spend a penny on this nightmare.

I strongly recommend their signature Southern Fried Chicken. It was absolutely delicious, throughly enjoyable meal. We dined on the porch on a warm day, enjoying the weather and outside music the hotel offered.

What a cute hotel in one of the cutest vacation spots! We stayed at this hotel for my brother-in-law's wedding. The menu they created for the reception was absolutely amazing. Whoever the cook was is skilled! I love that the owners have kept up with maintenance, but they didn't take away from the character of the hotel. The appropriate updates have been made so guests are comfortable. Every employee we spoke with was extremely nice, helpful, & educated about the Chalfonte. Truly a great place to stay! I left 4 stars, because the separate guest house (at the end of the gravel driveway) has an ant problem downstairs. We saw the ant traps in the guest house, but they do very little to nothing.

Staying takes you back a hundred years, but with central air. The bar is quaint and eating on the veranda is relaxing as horse drawn carriages go by. Food is excellent (we had fresh scallops and pork chops). So much food...my wife and I could have easily split a meal. We experienced some excellent live music. Staff are all very attentive. There is no parking at the hotel, but after dropping off bags, park on a side street and plan to not drive anywhere. That is easy because it is in Cape May where everything is walkable. Note that it is not necessarily a kid appropriate venue. Bottom line: Come as adults, plan not to drive while there and just slow down.

After 4 summers of The Chalfonte being the only Place I stay in Cape May, I decided I had to try to their dinner. Wow, I am so glad I did! I ordered the crab cake, and it was so good! Definitely the biggest I've seen with no fillers and fried but not at all greasy. The string beans were perfectly sautéed in butter and garlic, and the mashed potatoes were simple but definitely homemade and tasty. A piece of cornbread comes with the meal, and it was flavorful but also not greasy like some can be. 5 stars on my dinner because of quality, quantity, and a simple yet elegant presentation. I really didn't want the added calories of dessert, but I had to try their homemade pecan pie. As a baker myself, and one who specializes in pecan pie, I have to say that theirs is better than mine. It was thicker, sweeter, and the crust was great. I was very surprised as I've been rolling my own butter pie crusts since I was 9 yrs old. Really cant say enough about my meal there, I will definitely eat there again!

Victorian hotel and restaurant with a great little bar called the King Edward Bar. Known to locals as King Eddie Bar. Stroll around the enchanting garden in a courtyard thru the hotel. Rock on the porch with friends, have a drink at the bar, dinner at a wonderful restaurant which has in and outside tables or stay a night or two. So we found out why seating ends at 8:30. If you sit outside for dinner you have to remember most hotel rooms have no AC and keep their windows open. Voices carry upward from the porch, so those trying to sleep may hear chatter from below. We had a great meal. $36 for a 3 course. Appetizer or soup, salad and entree . Great size portions and friendly service. Lovely porch to have dinner outside. Would definitely return to this charming historic hotel. Gluten free options available - restaurant will work with you.

So beautiful! So vibrant with interesting clientele. I love the decor of the upstairs bar. Great textures and architecture. Who knew I could like brown and white so much?

The Chalfonte Hotel was recommended to us by a number of tour guides in Cape May. There's a nice blurb on their website about their Southern Fried Chicken dish and why it's so important. The fixed price, three-course meal for $39 is a great deal. I opted for the soup of the day, which was a carrot ginger soup - surprisingly refreshing in early summer. My fiancee got the Strawberry Bruleed Goat Cheese Salad that was well worth the upgrade. Everything was so fresh! There was complimentary cornbread for the table as well. We chose the Pimento Cheese Potato Puffs and Baby Back Ribs. You get two of the potato puffs and they're pretty big. Very flavorful. The glaze on the Baby Back Ribs was delicious, but the ribs themselves were a little tough and difficult to eat. Our entrees were Miss Dorothy's Skillet Fried Half Chicken and the Black Diamond Steak. The sides were mashed potatoes and the vegetable of the day was broccoli. Both were much better than your average sides and not an afterthought. I'm not a big fried chicken fan, but really enjoyed this one. My fiancee's steak was cooked exactly as ordered and was also very good. I really liked the chocolate mousse cake, but my fiancé thought it was too crumbly. TJ waited on our party of four and took great care of us. We were never short on anything. We enjoyed the long dinner on a table on the porch. Even if indoor dining were available, I'd choose outside.

I love the very haunted hotel, the food and entertainment will forever be remembered as one of my favorite nights out in Cape May

I came here to decompress and it was the right choice! I love staying in historical hotels, and add in a beautiful wrap around porch, a fun bar, restaurant and music, it's fabulous. A short walk to the beach, and an umbrella and chair set up for me, wonderful. It was a 10 minute walk to congress hall, less to the shops. Everyone I encountered was super helpful and friendly. Will be back annually!

My wife and I came in September and made reservations for several nights, My uncle was an avid fan and took me there 50 years ago when there was a dress code- we called to see if it was still in force (it was not) We arrived and there was a convention of rug hookers. The bar was not open, the room looked like something in the cowboy hotel movies. The AC malfunctioned and buzzed all night and they were unable to fix it or turn it off. Despite the fact they were serving meals to the convention of rug hookers, everyone else was told there would be no meal service (we would not have come if we knew that) I gave the front desk material from my uncle from 30 years ago and never heard from them. They had one TV in a common small room and none in the hotel room. There was little evidence of southern charm, and it is a place we have no reason to return to. It might appear to those who desire a room from the late 1890's at rather high prices. We were very disappointed,

The location is great. After spending 400 a night we were disappointed upon arrival. The staff at the desk had an attitude, the room was ok, no tv, and certainly needs some fixing up, my husband almost broke his toe going into the bathroom at night with a very high step into room and no lighting ... major safety hazard. We were looking forward to a nice breakfast on the porch Sunday morning before church. there was no one waiting for seats in shade, but they wanted us to sit in the hot sun seat. They could have at least offered to move the the table into the shade after we explained that one of us had melanoma and could not sit in the sun -- but they would not budge. No customer service involved whatsoever. It was more about following a rule. The customer is always right and a true customer oriented business would train employees to be sensitive to the needs of a customer. There were 2 tables for four people available and our group of four was not able to make it so we were down to the two of us. They would not serve us until the other couples came to the table and then refused service. Our only other option was to sit in bright sun with cancer as explained. Shame on your staff. Very disappointed in the customer service all around and I believe that they need to bend their rules a bit at the time of day and when nobody is waiting revisit the situation . Feeling penalized as a customer for not having for people showing up and then holding back on serving us we had no choice but to leave. I think it's time to change the rules a little bit and assess the situation and not penalize customers for wanting to have a nice breakfast on the porch. If the whole party doesn't show up, I never saw anything like it in my life and it was an extremely disappointing, ending to what was a nice weekend all around, I probably would now not recommend this place. I think you to revisit your rules it's 2023 and we are not children figure out how to accommodate and cater to your customers if you plan to charge those prices with a very adequate room and environment. There are plenty of places to stay in Cape May. Unfortunately, we will not go back. Think twice before heading here.

don't stay here noisy after 9pm, small bathroom, dirty, and to top it off -- after spending $300+ per night on room, they would not let us have breakfast on a 4-top table because we were only a party of 2. and there was no line for tables -- as it was late morning. they told us we could sit in direct sun on other side of porch where they had a 2 top table. they did not offer to move table into shade where everyone else was eating. very nasty staff won't stay here again.

Hard place to review. In some respects- it's epic. This place has the bones to be the high end alternative in Cape May to Congress Hall. On he other hand... it's not the high end alternative to Congress Hall. With, admittedly a significant amount of inessential, this place could be amazing. Beautiful building. Great location. Not that it's bad. It could use some paint but it's clean and the staff cares. It's hard to maintain an old building like this. And that's apparent when your there.

Beautiful Hotel, all turn of the century decor. We did have a couple of issues with the room that were quickly addressed by management. Dylan (one of the owners), thank you for your quick response to our concerns. The Magnolia Room was incredible, I mean how good can fried chicken be? Pretty darn good and some of the best I ever tasted with dining on the outside porch. Plenty of parking on the street was available and a short 2 block walk to the beach. We will definitely be going back again.

Stayed at the Chalfonte Hotel for a girls weekend for my friend's Bachelorette Party. I have never been to Cape May before but after visiting it will not be my last. The neighborhood is so quiet and quaint--not like the other beach towns on the jersey shore. You definitely don't feel like you're in New Jersey anymore. The hotel is surrounded by cute Victorian Homes. The front of the hotel is a large porch with rocking chairs all around. You definitely got that home vibe. One of the cons--probably my only one is it is street parking. And with the location being only 2 blocks from the beach...parking was difficult. Ended up finding a parking spot 3 blocks away. Not a big deal but luckily the hotel has a 15 minute loading area and was able to drop my belongings off and then find parking. We were able to check in early which was a plus because we wanted to get to the beach. The room was a decent size for 4 guests. I will say the bedroom was very neat and clean when we got there. It was a simple room--no tv no phone. Definitely not needed, we were hardly in the room. With our reservation we had a pass for beach chairs and umbrellas, which were definitely needed on that day. The staff at the Chalfonte Hotel were all very kind and welcoming. The front desk was helpful and gave us great suggestions of nightlife bars nearby. And we also got the number for the local buggy that pick up/drop off around the Cape May area. Definitely loved the front porch area. We were able to grab drinks at the bar in the hotel and just relax. There was also a live band which was great as well. There were tables on the porch as well and we played games and hung out there until we called it a night. Overall I had a great visit. The hotel was clean and very simple. But had all that you would need for a comfortable stay. I would definitely come back!

The hotel desperately needs to be updated--painted, cleaned, etc. --inside and outside. We stayed for a week in the Southern Quarter, room 1. It's a quite noisy room to be in as it's right in from the front door, and everyone passes the room, mostly not very quietly. If you're tall or large, you will find the toilet to be very unaccommodating as it is literally inches away from the bathroom door when it is shut. The door to the room does not even open very far as the floor slants upwards and then slants down, so it feels as if one is on a rocking boat. It looks as if the furniture was picked off the streets on trash day. It would just take a little sanding and paint to make the furniture better. I don't know why the owners don't put in the effort to make the place better. There is no parking except street parking, which is inconvenient. We had been booked into the Dormer House, which is owned by the same owners as the Chalfonte Hotel, but we couldn't stay in our room due to a powerful smell of mildew and mold. I would not stay here again, and I could not honestly suggest it to anyone else. The location is good, and the staff was very nice.

The fried chicken was out of this world, but don't sleep on the broccoli, cooked to perfection and seasoned with just the right amount of butter and salt.

Front desk staff were great and attentive. Hotel is very charming. Hotel is 2 blocks away from beach. Few blocks away to the pedestrian mall.

Prepaid for ocean view room but was put in side building with rooms advertised for 1/3 what I paid. Two times discussed with management the room rate discrepancy and was stone walled both times. Not told ahead of time the restaurant was closed for the week.

ahhhhhhhh, wonderful dinner on porch with live music and terrific service (shout out to erica) couldn't think of better way to bust out of 3 month covid slumber

Only had the pleasure of having a drink here & listening to music! It is such a lovely place & porch!!! Everyone should come experience it for one night!!! Xoxo

Everything was so bad it almost made me cry. I love this old hotel so I go there once a summer. This year it was an expensive mistake. Everything was small except the price. Ordered a NY strip steak, but it looked like a cheap Jersey diner ribeye. Fatty and not good. My wife's chicken was supposed to be fried, but it had no coating on it. The desserts weren't worth the calories. The entire meal just made me sad. It obvious they just don't care anymore about their food quality, it all about the money, and they will never get anymore of mine.

We just had the Thursday night dinner special. Scallops $25. Excellent! Great warm yeast rolls. Mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. The meal filled us so full that we had to say no to the chocolate cake. I am sure it would have been good, as well. We want to make a special shout out to Alex. He was a great waiter and according to my fiancée has a really nice smile. Actually, we had great service from all the staff. They work together, making a much more efficient operation. Plus, because we are staying at the Inn, we got a fifteen percent discount. We'll be back.

Super cute quaint hotel, it's what you expect of a historic hotel. You get actual keys for your room haha! The front desk was super easy and a breeze. Only downside was no programmable air conditioning in your room as it was old! Central air. But there's a ceiling fan. Loved staying here.

Lovely historically set. Food was good. Yogurt was amazing! I was expecting a little more of a spread, but everything was very good and clean.

I feel compelled to write this based on the experience we had last week at The Chalfonte. There is a certain charm and mystique you expect from an old-world hotel that comes along with cracks in the walls, stucco on the ceilings, and lack of most modern conveniences (think elevators, mini fridge, or TV) so we weren't entirely surprised when we arrived and found none of them. My Husband, almost 3-year-old and I planned to be at the beach over our 5-day 4-night stay, and we glad of a TV free room to "detox" and have more quality time together. We loved the proximity to the beach, and the town. What we didn't plan was to end up quarantined in our room for one of our hard earned vacation days midway through the trip with a violent case of Noro-Virus. I was the first to get sick, followed hours later by my daughter, who unfortunately spit up on the linens. If you are wondering what this had to do with the hotel, read on. The first strike for the Chalfonte staff was that there was no one available at the front desk after midnight to help us get a fresh set of sheets. Nor was there a phone number posted for emergencies. With no help from the hotel my husband drove several miles to Wildwood to a 24 hour CVS for bleach wipes, garbage bags, water, and Gatorade. We stripped the bed and laid our sick shivering baby on our clean beach towels until the morning. Strike two came when the cleaning service came by around 11am the day after to exchange the sheets and mentioned what a strange coincidence it was that just five days ago someone staying in the same room also had a stomach virus. The norovirus can survive for long periods outside a human host depending on the surface and temperature conditions: it can stay for weeks on hard surfaces, and up to twelve days on contaminated fabrics, and it can survive for months, maybe even years in contaminated still water. I will note that my daughter and I had been exclusively sharing a twin sized bed in our suite while my husband had stayed in the Queen. We suspect the germs were either in the mattress or pillows, or even the cracks in the headboard. Strike three was when I confronted the front desk to seek answers for the above. The immediate response by the assistant manager was to be defensive - that I had to be mistaken because there had been (one) occupant (and 5 days) between our family and the prior case of Noro. She was insistent that the room had been thoroughly cleaned. There was no apology as she rudely offered to cut our stay short and let us check out a night early and they would waive the fee. As my daughter and I were zombified and in no position to drive home three hours I declined the offer. To the hotel's credit, I will say, my husband later went downstairs and spoke to someone who comped us a day and let us stay our final night. According to him it was the same woman who I spoke with earlier, who was far more apologetic and accommodating to him. I still give the hotel two stars because it was charming, and had it not been for the unfortunate turn of events halfway through it was not wholly unpleasant. It would also have been nice to be able to access drinking water during our sick hours, but alas they do not supply any bottled water (it's 2.00/bottle in the lobby). ***edited to add that Gerry, who was on staff the next morning was very helpful and accommodating in tracking down ice and crackers for us the next day. Anyway, you live and learn. This is not a great hotel for a family with little kids.

Back to back weddings through the weekend. Doesn't seem there is any guidelines for these events. Three nights in a row, there was loud and drunken disturbances lasting until 3 AM. The staff was mostly absent throughout the weekend. Trash piled up on the porch and in the Tv room. Unkempt supper dishes left in the hotel..leftover pizza boxes and trash on the porch. Allowing the wedding parties to trash the place until the wee hours of the morning (3AM) without regard to their other guests. Knocking pictures off the walls....There seems to be no rules for parties and staff is invisible after 8pm....Don't expect a simple cup of coffee before 8AM. The kitchen is perpetually closed. Don't expect to eat or sleep here. There's a reason the locals call this the "ghetto" of Cape May. My advise....find someplace else

The Chalfonte is a beautiful historic Victorian hotel just a few blocks from Howard Beach. It was my parents' favorite place to stay when I was a kid, so I have a lot of great memories from back then. The Chalfonte is 130 years old, and it retains it's historic, almost quaint, appearance and decor. It also retains it's oldness. There are no televisions in the rooms, or even phones! They just installed air conditioning a few years ago. Some rooms (not many) don't even have their own bathroom--they share bathrooms in the hall. My most recent stay had a few issues. We had our reservation changed but they didn't actually change it, so we had to get a room for the first night and then move to our real room. That was a bit of a pain, and then the room they put us in was rather dark, and paint was peeling off the ceiling. Fortunately they upgraded the room for the second night as an apology, and the second room was much nicer, with a bigger bathroom and generally prettier--like a nice B&B. We went for the meal option, and had two breakfasts and dinners there. The food wasn't quite exquisite, but it was very good, and I loved the cheesecake dessert. Breakfast was a great buffet, with make-your-own waffles, fresh fruit, and chipped beef on toast, as well as the usual breakfast fare. The orange juice was fresh-squeezed, and very good. Overall I was happy with the Chalfonte. It's a beautiful hotel, at a great spot, with a lot of history, much like the rest of the neighborhood. The A must-see spot: The cupola/Widow's Walk, accessible any time of day as long as you don't mind the steep stairs. A great reading spot, and a nice quiet place most off the time, with a great view.

We took a last minute to Cape May few days ago. This is our first time stating here. The place is beautiful and great location to the beach. I gave only 4 because of a COCKROACH and a DIRTY PILLOW. Thats right a roach running around in our room when we came back to the room at 11pm. Luckily all my bags were closed otherwise I could have brought home a pet. At the corner of the pillow has a black stain. Other than the two issues, every thing else is good. They have free umbrella and beach chairs for you at the beach BUT you have to tip the guys there. so it's not exactly complimentary. Other places I stay I just grab them and take it myself. I dont mind tipping the kids anyway. I dont have to carry it all the way to the beach. I wish the coffee and tea would be out all day or at least until late afternoon. Not sure when they take them away but at least before noon. other than those issues, I like the place. Staffs are very friendly. I love the rocking chairs and plenty of places to sit down to read or just relaxing. The bar is small but nice. I wish they have drink menu or wine list by glass. We stayed queen with private bath. It's a small room with AC but not adjustable. The temperature in the room is perfect. Will I stay here again? Im not sure at this point. Im not a fan of a roach running around in the room late night and a dirty pillow. I will have to think about it.

My husband and I recently celebrated our one year anniversary of getting married at the Chalfonte. To this day, so many of our guests still talk about how it was the best wedding they've ever been to! The food was AMAZING - the fried chicken is a must! The wedding coordinator was so friendly and easy to work with and the venue is absolutely stunning. The rooms are quaint and romantic, the bar is reminiscent of times gone by, and the entire space suited the needs of our many out of town guests. When I look at my pictures it feels like a Victorian beach dream. The nicest thing is you barely need any "decor" - this place speaks for itself with all of it's old time charm and character. Thank you so much to the staff who made our wedding so beautiful.

There are some times you want to visit a place and not feel like it's your everyday getaway. You can stay in a Hilton or Marriott any day and everyone's experience will likely be similar, but when you're at the chalfonte you know you are getting a unique experience in a historic space tucked away on a quiet street in Cape May. While I can't speak to the stays, the lobby bar is low key, often locals, and usually has a chill guitarist. It's simple, fun and memorable for sure.

Cape May is one of my favorite shore towns - hands down. It's goregous. Great beach, great food, and fun times. Chalfonte Hotel was not one of the best hotel experiences I've ever had. While it is far and away from the worst - it's not the best. I stayed at Chalfonte's queen suite - with a queen bed, two twin beds, and a cot. The room was not nearly as spacious as they made it out to be, and we were supposed to be happy that there was a bathroom. Apparently, some of the rooms here do NOT have a bathroom. The hotel is clean, and it is really very charming. The oldness of it is sorta cool, and like many other Cape May places, it does have a GREAT porch. Additionally, it is REALLY easy to access the beach from this hotel. Some of the rooms don't seem to have airconditioning according to the other reviews I have read recently, and the room we stayed in may or may not have had air conditioning, it was a little unclear. The hotel was nice, but just not the best maintained. Seemed they wanted to squeeze every inch of space they could out of it, so they built a LOT of rooms, and didn't choose to maintain them well. The hotel porch could have used a paint job, and there were some pretty dark rooms in the hotel's main floor. It is definitely safe, convienient, and friendly. Just not my fav hotel experience ever.

Love the Chalfont for so many reason - first its old school - with the hotel not catering to modern amenities such as central air or heat, TV's big luxurious bathrooms or beds for that matter but there is something lovely about the big southern charm especially in the restaurant. the food comes served in little individual dishes - its sweet and good we got married on the beach up the street and held our reception here ~ everyone loved it and so did we!!

My husband and I stayed at the Chalfonte for two nights recently and could not have enjoyed it more. Of course, Cape May is all about historic buildings and antiques and the Chalfonte is truly historic and charming, yet affordable and family-friendly. And what could be better than the Chalfonte's enormous porch lined with rocking chairs? It's the perfect way to relax and enjoy the ocean breeze, a good book, or a cocktail before or after dinner. We also enjoyed breakfast, especially those amazing biscuits. The staff was so friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed chatting with a number of the staff and found them to be helpful and pleasant. We found this hotel to be clean, charming, an excellent value. This was our first visit to the Chalfonte but will not be our last.

ROACH IN COFFEE it was in my mouth from CHALFONTE for guests!!! BEWARE Nancy Granick general manager Will not even respond to email or call! When I called she had her associate be very rude and hang up on me. Info@chalfonte.com Dormerhouse@gmail.com Drank a cup of coffee as a guest at Chalfonte... as I was drinking I felt something hard in my mouth and I spit it out in the sink. It was ROACH that I spit out of my mouth. It layed dead stuck to the side of the sink. I was in shock...grossed out...sick...I said OMG!!! I just spit out a ROACH! I immediately started vomiting.

Beautiful, historic and comfortable. My husband and I stayed here for a weekend when we were in town for a wedding, and just fell in love with the place. Highly recommended! Their food is great too.

My wife and I attended a wedding at the Chalfonte this past weekend. We decided to make it a 4 day getaway. The Chalfonte is a sweet throwback to the 1800's. The entire staff is extremely nice. The building itself is really old with cracked walls and peeling paint throughout, but somehow that is part of it's charm. Remember, it is the beach. If you are looking for the Marriott or even a Holiday Inn feel, then this is not the place for you. The rooms are very clean. So are the towels. Our one and only problem was that the air conditioning stopped working in our room which is why I am giving them 4 stars instead of 5. The temps outside were well into the upper 80's and it was very humid, especially being so close to the ocean. Every night around 3:00am I would wake up in a total sweat with my t-shirt sticking to me. The front desk closes at 11:00pm so there is nobody around to do anything at that time. In the morning I spoke to someone at the front desk and she had it fixed within minutes. Ahhhh... A/C feels soooo good when it's hot and muggy out. We went through the day in and out of a wonderfully cool room! Then came the dreaded 3:00am shut down. The best way to describe it in a word is sauna. I probably lost a few pounds (which is a good thing) simply by being there. The third night ditto except it happened around 11:00pm. I was able to call somebody and he fixed the problem, but then it went off again around 3. Yikes! In the morning the front desk person again was extremely nice and told me they would be looking into it. The problem for us was we were leaving that day. We really enjoyed Cape May with all it's historic beauty. It is a great place to chill-out, take walks, play games at the arcade and stroll the beach. However, I also enjoyed getting back home to my air conditioning and a good night's sleep. Food in the Hotel's restaurant was average at dinner time, but the real deal is the daily breakfast buffet at $12 pp. Loaded with the regular breakfast items such as scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and home fries. They also serve-up authentic southern dishes that were really good! The southern dishes included a delicious spoon bread, crunchy fried cat fish, a dish they call "chopped chicken on grits, which was quite good and interesting. They also have "make your own waffles" too! When you add in coffee, juices, cereal and fruit, it's a great way to bulk-up for the day at a great price. Cape May is not an inexpensive place to begin with. Other breakfast places charge that much ($12) for coffee and pancakes alone. So the Chalfonte's breakfast can't be beat! Even if you are staying at another place I highly recommend the Chalfonte for breakfast. I would give the Chalfonte a second chance if we ever return to Cape May. I am almost positive the next time they will make things right. This Historical Landmark hotel did give us the feel of what it must have been like way back when...when air conditioning had not been invented yet! :-)

Stayed 2 nights. Very pleasant experience. Drawback- no on premise parking, but it wasn't a huge inconvenience. Always managed to find parking within a block or two. No TV except in TV room. For us this was a plus, as we didn't go to Cape May to stare into a TV. WiFi is free, but only seems to work in certain areas - again, we didn't go to Cape May to spend time on puter. Casual, easygoing, clean, charming place to stay. Would recommend.

Front porch is very appealing. The amenity of umbrella and chairs each day for the beach was perfect. Although the room was small, and the sink was in the middle of the room that was not a problem. However, we were not made aware that there was no air conditioning or TV in the room, and I could've sworn that the booking site mentioned that there was a hair dryer but there was not. There was a louvered door which would allow airflow, however it was only secured by a hook and eye latch. About 230 in the morning we were awoken by a group of drunk guests making a lot of noise amplified by the fact our door was not shut and only our louver door was in place. While this may not have been the fault of the hotel, we could not call to complain because there was no phone in the room to reach the front desk. We were disappointed, and most likely will not return.

Beautiful dining room of a Southern mansion. Brunch offers eggs, potatoes, etc with interesting choices like fish. You can make a waffle and eat it with the delicious whipped cream and fruit. Yogurt, cereals, etc. also are available. We only had one complaint: We came at 10:30 when brunch is listed until 11. They graciously said they could seat us but then seemed to not want to give us regular mugs, so we all got our coffee and the refills in Dixie-type cups. It was very odd.

Terry and her team provided wonderful accommodations, assistance, food, and service for our wedding weekend at the Chalfonte. Terry took the time to meet with us and for addressing our questions and concerns. As a hotel, we experienced fantastic front desk support and friendly staff up and down. As a reception venue, we could not have asked for a better combination of food and service. So many of our guests commented on how much they enjoyed the quaint and classic hotel, from relaxing on the porch to enjoying some post-reception drinks at the King Edward Bar. We also got very positive feedback about the food served both at our buffet dinner and at the breakfast we hosted the next morning. Tips: - The hotel has character. This is not a 24/7 chain hotel, so be prepared to go with the flow. Check out the widow's perch. - Forget if it seems a bit low-brow at first -- include the fried chicken in the menu. It is the best we had. - Use the porch. It makes a great place for hors d'oeuvres. - The reception venue can get hot when everyone is on the dance floor, but fresh air is only a few steps away.

This pertains to dinner only. In a phrase: overpriced and below average food. Their traditional southern fixed price menu includes choice of soup or appetizer, salad, and entree for $37/pp. I opted for the fried oysters and chicken salad appetizer. The chicken salad was okay the oysters were fried as you would get them in a local bar. Didn't taste much oyster only breading. The Caesar salad was just chopped romaine, croutons, and bland dressing. I got the supposedly famous fried chicken for my entree. It has an undeserved reputation. Not crispy or flavorful. Nothing special at all. Interestingly, the highlight were the fresh baked rolls. They provide one pp. I asked for more but was told only one per table (!). For $100 for two (including tip), no drinks, no dessert, I expected more. Nice to sit on the Victorian porch in a lovely hotel in a great shore town, but the food quality is sub par.