Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Let's get away to someplace special

For couples or singletons looking for luxe options, with no plans to cook, why not a bed-and-breakfast?

Poolside at the Sand Castle in Barnegat Light. “There are no teddy bears or screaming children here,” its owner says. (TOM BRIGLIA/For The Inquirer)
Poolside at the Sand Castle in Barnegat Light. “There are no teddy bears or screaming children here,” its owner says. (TOM BRIGLIA/For The Inquirer)Read more

NORTH WILDWOOD - So it's Memorial Day weekend and you haven't quite nailed down all the details of that Jersey Shore summer vacation - like precisely where you're going to land after you hit the beach and the boardwalk and want some sans-sand time with your partner.

Sure, there are plenty of hotels and motels with various prices and amenities. And the most common accommodations from Long Beach Island to Cape May may be the summer-rental house - the tens of thousands of single-family homes, duplexes, and condos that line the neighborhoods of beach towns.

These homes offer vacationers a glimpse of what Shore living is like, including washers and dryers and trips to the local grocery store for necessities. But most beach-house rentals also come with multiple bedrooms, kitchens, and other trappings more suited to families or groups than to couples on a romantic getaway, who may be looking for more luxe options with no plans to cook their own breakfast.

Enter the bed-and-breakfast.

In beach towns such as Barnegat Light, North Wildwood, and Cape May - considered the bed-and-breakfast capital of the U.S. - quaint inns and boutique hostelries have become de rigueur over the last couple of decades for travelers wanting to stay someplace with unique character.

Many of the nation's most successful of these places cater to couples looking for a distinct alternative to the usual places to stay, according to Frances Kiradjian, founder and president of the Boutique and Lifestyle Lodging Association, a hospitality trade group based in West Hills, Calif.

Such year-round inns and bed-and-breakfasts are offering "intimate and often luxurious and often upscale" experiences and environments for discerning travelers, Kiradjian said.

That's what Wanda and Michael O'Brien had in mind when they bought a North Wildwood bed-and-breakfast last summer and took over operations midseason from the previous owners.

So, in a place more often associated with the gleam of 1950s-style neon than the glow of a flame, the O'Briens' unlikely named Candlelight Inn has become a beacon for just such vacationers.

"People have been coming here for years and years because it is different than anyplace else they could choose to stay in the Wildwoods," said Wanda O'Brien. "I think that is the true draw of the place."

The well-preserved 1906 four-story former home of the Rice family was converted to a bed-and-breakfast in the 1980s and features architectural details from the period, including gas chandeliers that are original to the house and an inglenook - a kind of intimate courting corner that includes a gas fireplace and cozy benches. Filled with antique furnishings, the house also has all of its original built-in cabinetry and staircase balustrades.

The inn's 10 rooms range from $189 a night for a relatively small standard room with a queen-size bed in the main house, to $279 night for a carriage house suite that offers a king-size bed, a large Jacuzzi, a gas fireplace, and a kitchenette.

There's a large outdoor deck with a Jacuzzi and plenty of beach chairs, coolers, and other items that allow guests to arrive with just their luggage, but still be able to enjoy the full beach experience.

O'Brien said her North Wildwood location offered vacationers a more affordable alternative to staying in similar bed-and-breakfasts in nearby Cape May, where many Victorian-style inns have rooms that cost more than double what the Candlelight Inn charges.

Rooms at the Candlelight also come with a full breakfast, which features a sweet or savory entrée, along with a buffet of fresh fruit and muffins and scones baked on the premises by Michael O'Brien.

"It is a lot of work, but it is also a lot of fun for us to get to know the guests and see that they are happy and accommodated," Michael O'Brien said. "I think that is what really distinguishes a place like ours. We really care when we recommend a place and hope that you go out and enjoy it."

That's what Nancy Gallimore had in mind when, in 2000, after a divorce, she converted her family home in Barnegat Light, Long Beach Island, into a seven-room inn called the Sand Castle Bed & Breakfast. The style is more contemporary beach house than froufrou B&B.

"There are no teddy bears or screaming children here," said Gallimore. "There are plenty of places to go with kids on Long Beach Island, but there are not so many that cater to a quiet romantic atmosphere, and this is that place."

You won't find creaky floors or squeaky beds in Gallimore's place, but high-thread-count smooth-as-silk sheets and plush mattresses.

"We want people to feel as if they are staying in a fine hotel," she says, "but with the personal touch that an inn like our offers."

The Sand Castle sits across the street from the bay and offers a unique rooftop deck that is perfect for bird-watching and sunset-viewing. There is also an outdoor pool with an adjacent Jacuzzi.

During the summer season, costs range from $350 a night for a room with a queen-size bed and a harbor view to $525 a night for the inn's best suite, which features a four-poster king-size bed, a two-person Jacuzzi, gas fireplace, and dramatic vaulted ceilings.

For Robyn Wendt, operating the Stickley/Craftsman-style Rhythm of the Sea bed-and-breakfast in the Victorian capital of the country, Cape May, isn't at all like a fish swimming upstream.

"People who may want to come to Cape May but don't necessarily love Victorian architecture often seek us out," Wendt said. "We offer an alternative to what the other bed-and-breakfasts are about."

The nine-room inn, which sits on Beach Drive and is a little bit Swiss country chalet and a little bit Tudor-style bungalow, was built as a summer home in 1915 for Philadelphia lawyer Norman Grey and his family. It was converted to a bed-and-breakfast in the 1990s by an owner before Wendt, who operated it for only one season.

Prices range from $285 a night during the high season for a room with a queen-size bed, to $395 a night for a two-room suite with a king-size bed.

"I think that people who seek out bed-and-breakfasts vs. other types of places to stay at the Shore are looking for a more unique experience," said Wendt. "They want to come here and unwind and connect with the place that is much different than their usual day-to-day."

Kelly Gallimore-Sayers, who helps her mother operate the Sand Castle in the summer, agrees.

"I think all the guests take a little piece of here with them when they leave, and we keep a little piece of their heart when they go," she said. "It's what keeps them dreaming about this place all winter and coming back every summer."

609-652-8382

@JacquelineUrgo

www.philly.com/downashore