I was making travel plans for the upcoming months, and carved out a few days leading into a long…read moreweekend that I was looking to fill. One of the first places that came to mind was Cape May - I personally had not been here in over 20 years, but I know friends and family who regularly go and thought it would be a nice place for me to rediscover as an adult. The first question I asked myself was where I should stay - Cape May has no shortage of lodgings. Even though my first thought was one of the many inns along Beach Ave, I decided to look a little deeper and check out something more Cape May specific. The Virginia Hotel fit the bill, so that's where I booked.
The Virginia is a boutique hotel at its heart, housed in a restored building that sits on Jackson Street. The hotel is owned by Cape Resorts, which also operates several other hotels in the area (as well as a couple on Long Island, NY). In addition to the main hotel, there are four cottages that fall under the Virginia - note that the hotel itself is adults only, but families may stay in the cottages. Like my other hotel reviews, I'm going to separate this review into pros and cons, so here we go!
In my view, there are many pros to the Virginia - the first of which being the location. The hotel sits in the middle of Jackson Ave, a half block from the beach in one direction and a half block to Washington Mall in the other. The location really can't be beat - I walked everywhere during my stay. The exterior is lovely with sea blue sidings contrasting with striking red accents and flowers. They have an outdoor porch which is used for lounging (which I did) and seating for the Ebbitt Room (the onsite restaurant). Another pro are the amenities - the hotel only has 24 rooms, so you truly get that boutique hotel experience. My room was stocked with the essentials, the bed was comfy, and they offered complimentary continental breakfast. For the breakfast, you can either have it served in your room, on the front porch, or in the Ebbitt Room. Water and cookies are also served in the main lobby mid-afternoon - nothing fancy but a nice perk. The theming is also a pro - even though this isn't a B&B, the fact that the hotel is in a historic building gives the feel of being in one - the aesthetics and finishes are all high-end with interesting pieces, pops of color, and exquisite architecture.
As far as cons, there aren't many. The hotel doesn't have an elevator, so you'll need to do stairs - not a con for some but something to keep in mind. There aren't some onsite amenities that one would expect at a hotel, such as a pool and a fitness center. You do, however, have access to the pool at Congress Hall and the fitness center at The Sandpiper - two nearby hotels that are also owned by Cape Resorts. If you park your own car you'll need to do so at Congress Hall a couple of blocks away, but they offer valet service.
Finally, I want to circle back and give props to the staff - everyone I interacted with was super friendly and made sure that my stay was a great one. Even before I arrived, they texted to inform me of all the logistics, and I was able to communicate with the staff via text throughout my stay. Overall, I had a great return trip to Cape May, and the Virginia Hotel was an essential part of that. I would have no qualms staying here again in the future.
