Best Beach Hotels in Cape May

Overlooking the New Jersey shoreline from the state's southernmost point, The Virginia Hotel in Cape May offers guests a classier alternative to the area's kitschier digs. Guests praise the hotel's efforts to make your trip stress-free, which includes providing complimentary beach chairs, towels and umbrellas for those looking to soak up the sun on the property's private stretch of sand. The hotel's 24 guest rooms win travelers over with their plush furnishings and beachy decor, and each accommodation comes stocked with deluxe amenities like a flat-screen TV, complimentary high-speed internet access and BVLGARI bath products. What's more, all guests are treated to a complimentary continental breakfast daily. Out on the property, you'll find a bevy of facilities, including the guest-lauded Ebbitt Room restaurant, which serves decadent American cuisine (and plenty of seafood).

Situated on nearly 2 acres of gardens in Cape May, New Jersey's historic district, The Southern Mansion is just a short walk from nearby beaches, shops and restaurants. Originally built in 1860, the Victorian-style mansion boasts a large front porch with rocking chairs and guest rooms with hand-painted tile showers, flat-screen TVs and antique furniture. In the morning, guests are served a complimentary gourmet breakfast. Wine lovers will appreciate access to the hotel's nearby Willow Creek Winery, which has more than 50 acres of vineyards and a 9,500-square-foot villa for wine tastings. Overall, recent guests said the breakfasts are worth a return visit alone, while others mentioned the attentive staff, comfortable rooms and landscaped grounds as reasons to book a stay.

Along the shoreline of New Jersey's Cape May, you'll find Congress Hall, a historic hotel with boarding house origins dating back to 1816. Today, Congress Hall pays tribute to its past by maintaining much of its Victorian charm – a particular draw for recent guests. The Brown Room, with its Prohibition-era lounge setting, offers nightly entertainment and friendly bartenders that reminds visitors of a bygone era. But not all of the hotel's features are throwbacks to yesteryear. Accommodations feature in-room amenities like complimentary Wi-Fi access, Aveda bath products and Belgian cotton sheets. Of all the perks, recent guests put a high value on the hotel's free parking, large outdoor pool and near-immediate beach access. (Many travelers recommend splurging on a room with an ocean view.) If the nearby shoreside eateries don't suit your fancy, dine on premises at the Blue Pig Tavern, which serves American comfort food all day long.