Marquis de Lafayette Hotel

If you’re travelling with a dog few places on the Jersey Shore will be as inviting as Lafayette. Everyone was super friendly.

Enjoyed our stay here back in April. The room was large, clean and came with the basic amenities, but had a breathtaking view of the Atlantic. The only reason I’m giving them 4 stars is that the price for a stay in April during the week should’ve been a tad bit cheaper. Otherwise, perfect place!

I was only there for the breakfast buffet. It was absolutely awful. I was staying a few blocks away and saw the sign for their «famous breakfast buffet» so I decided to stop in one morning to check it out.
I walked through the gauntlet of smoker’s outside directly in front of the entrance, opened the door and saw and the place was dirty.
When you get to the buffet down the hall there is an immediate strong smell of must or mold.
The food was not good at all. Dry eggs, dry french toast. The layout is not inviting. There was no one there to pay or explain the process «grab a plate and then head to a table» etc.
When you could actually get someones attention they were polite.
I would never go back. The only thing about this particular place is that it is directly across the street from the beach. But then, there are a lot of other places, not dirty or smelling of mold that have better food for the same price on the same street.
I was sorry I ate there for a few hours after I was done.

This is our third stay at this moderate hotel and it seems to be really trying to get better. Check in was efficiently handled by a very jovial fellow and took about a minute. Our room 331 was very satisfactory, but had some minor issues, none show stoppers. The TV channel we wanted to watch the Eagles game on was very fuzzy — the others were satisfactory. The bathroom was immaculate and recently redone with a new tub and surround, with fluffy towels. The mattresses need to be upgraded, though, but acceptable. The room includes an iron, board, alarm clock, fridge, microwave and coffee maker. My wifi connection in the room was weak but workable.
We had the buffet breakfast that was included in the price and it was superb, with an omlette station and a large variety of food. Service in the buffet was also excellent, stopping by frequently to fill cups and check on us. Upon checkout, I reported the small problems and was mildly scolded for not calling immediately so they could fix them.
For the price we got in the Oct shoulder season which includes breakfast and convenient parking on their lot, Also, they will book you for one night, a rarity in Cape May.
We were pleasantly surprised and will be back.

Over priced, tired, shabby, and with ghastly food, though it does face the beach. In October the cold wind blows through a bathroom window that is an open grill set in glass blocks. Furnishing recall sidewalk finds.

My husband and I stayed at the Marquis de Lafayette this past weekend. We were in town for a triathlon, and being our first trip to Cape May, we really didn’t know anything about the town or where to stay. The Marquis was actually the only hotel I had ever heard of, and I received a recommendation from a friend.
We weren’t looking for anything fancy, so we chose the Abbey room, which was one of the less expensive rooms. It was very nice, located on the first floor with an outdoor entrance. Each room on that level has a private little porch with rocking chairs, which was nice to sit on to relax, read a book, listen to the ocean, and watch the world go by.
The room itself was a little on the small side, the king sized bed taking up most of the square footage, but it had everything we needed. It was conveniently located only a few blocks from the Washington Street Mall, a very nice outdoor Main Street type shopping area, so we pretty much walked everywhere when we wanted to do some shopping or had to eat. Our last morning we did take advantage of the complimentary breakfast buffet, which offered a variety of fruits, granola, yogurts, eggs (including omelet bar), pancakes, french toast, meats, and more. I had several helpings of the granola and fresh fruit.
One complaint we did have was about the parking. We were provided a parking pass, and told to park either out front or in the lot behind the hotel. The front lot was full, and the back lot was MOSTLY full, but the few spaces that were open were coned off for a piece of heavy equipment taking up almost an entire row of parking. A hotel needs to assure that every guest has a parking space.
Now that we’ve been to Cape May and know our way around, we’ll probably stay somewhere else next time, perhaps one of the nice looking B&B’s, but would not be opposed to the Marquis.

OK this place has seen better days … but its right at the beach. If you book the rooms on the top floor you’re in for a treat. the view is amazing! Strangely enough, the picture that is advertising this amazing view is shown in the lift and its gloomy indeed, with a grey and overcast sky. Makes you wonder what kind of guest they try to attract!
It has the usual breakfast choices, which for me as a European are not very good, but … nah, its not good.

We’ve stayed here several times but ONLY because of the location and the balcony that faces the ocean. There is absolutely nothing about this place, other than location and the balcony, that warrants your consideration. The building is musty, horribly dated décor and poorly maintained. The staff lacks any sense of polish, opting too often for surliness or resorting to antics from a local trailer park yard sale.
This last visit, ending today, was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back for me. We were assigned a first floor room which was really problematic. It was disgustingly small and smelled so musty that I’ve had to air out my luggage on my deck once I returned home. The common area outside was in poor repair with uneven sidewalks, chipped paint, strewn litter, shabby lighting, neglected landscaping, tattered awnings and, my gosh, need I continue?
So, what are the positives? An ocean view. Free breakfast. Free parking.
The realities of these positives?
The Ocean View: The ocean view is an undeniable benefit. But not on the first floor.
Free Breakfast: The breakfast, no doubt, appeals to those who believe in quantity. Judging by the guests, quantity is their criteria for a good life. Quality is clearly not a criteria in this freebie.
Free parking: Can’t really complain here because we’ve never had a problem finding a space.
I am not a east coast girl. I grew up in Colorado. But as I’ve lived in the eastern seaboard since 2003, I’ve come to realize that there is a «shore lifestyle» that is pervasive and accepted. I’m just not sure I want to accept what this place offers.

This place was amazing! Felt line a was home. First time in cape may. The staff was friendly and the breakfast was so good. The view from my room was breath taking. I will def. come back again In The summer.

We stayed here with a large tour group. It has a great location, but the whole facility is terribly dated. The breakfast food was adequate.

Located within walking distance to everything is its best asset. Stayed over two nights, room not ready at checkin, had to wait. Asked for compensation, staff basically ignored us, told to see manager next day. Room not cheap given it was after Labor Day. Never stayed at a hotel where staff could not discount or provide something complementary for being inconvenienced. Staff should have informed manager to contact us. Rooms clean, doors stick, not sure how older guest could open.

This place is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it has a wonderful location. The rooms are adequate. The porches are nice. You can do some great people watching. It is pet friendly without alienating the people staying there who don’t like pets. One staffer was great at explaining the ins-​and-​outs of Cape May and how to maximize my time there.
On the other hand, the lobby is incredibly dated. One staffer seemed to be constantly irritated as if she could not be bothered. You can’t smoke on the balcony. The hotel is generally old. And the lay out requires much walking around the building. Parking is sparse.

Stayed here over the weekend. This hotel is not the best nor is it the worst place to stay. (Décor is old and tired) It is conveniently located at the traffic light across the street from the beach. The parking lot is in back of the building — it’s clean, well lit and you can enter the property through the rear door, which by the way has a nice wheelchair ramp. There are plenty of restaurants near by and the shopping district is a short walk away. The free breakfast buffet is a nice bonus — but the food is just average, if that. The front desk staff is a bit rude (thus the 2 Stars) and possess zero customer service skills especially the gentleman working the night shift. Each time we called for assistance he answered the phone as if we were annoying him and responded in a weird sarcastic and condescending manner. There is no one to help with baggage and the staff won’t tell you about the self serve luggage racks hidden near the vending machines. Instead they prefer to watch as you struggle along. Overall the place is neat and clean and a decent place to stay — that is if you’re able to ignore the idiots at the front desk

Completely outdated, feels as you are walking into a time warp. Very old tvs, shag carpet… Then there’s the dirty feeling. Had to put sheet over the couch, was so grungy it didn’t seem sanitary to sit on. Beds need to be burned, woke up itchy and with back pain. Great location on the beach but not best by far.

Whatever you do, do not book on-​line. I had decided to take my family down to Cape May for the Christmas festivities but was disappointed by the reception and lack of information I received when I booked on line. Apparently when you book on line, the cost for the pet does not automatically add to the price of the room. This I did not know. When I arrived at the hotel and was told that I had to pay additional for the extra person and pet, I was taken back thinking I had the room all paid for and I had selected the correct number of persons. The individual at the desk, Steve, was not accommodating and continue to say that I could look at what I was charged. I know what I was charged to my credit card, but did not understand why I was not charged correctly in the first place. When I explained how I had made the correct selections, he made me feel like I had royally screwed up and that it could not possibly be a computer glitch. We could not use our AAA discount since apparently we had the lowest price. I didn’t realize thats how it worked.
This hotel makes it hard to understand what you are being charged for, what is the best deal and what additional charges may be.
We stayed in the first floor rooms right across from the beach. It was clean, but was not stocked with towels, or sheets for the pull out bed. There was no liner for the ice container, wireless went in and out and the TV had poor reception.
Breakfast in the AM was okay. They had two large buses that came in with not enough staff. The omelet cook was more interested in sitting down and looked sloppy.
Will not stay here again.

My husband and I recently stayed at the Marquis for the weekend. Our room was dated but adequate and kept clean by the housekeeping staff. We booked ahead of time via the internet and received the «Internet Special» pricing. Unfortunately that priced ended up being $ 50.00 more per night than what people who came without a reservation paid. There was a sign in the lobby with «Fall Getaway» prices listed which were lower than what we paid The wifi connection within the hotel is spotty at best. It was virtually nonexistent in our room. The hotel had a note in their room notebook stating to please go to the lobby on the 4^th or 6^th floor for better wifi reception. I wish I would have known about that problem before booking. The omelet chef in the restaurant was a bright spot. He was friendly, helpful and showed a genuine interest in the guest. I contacted the hotel after returning home about my pricing concerns. The manager emailed me back later in the week acknowledging my message and said she would respond in about a week. I recently heard back from the manager and will be receiving the requested price adjustment on my bill.

The location and cleanliness were great. Wi-​fi connection was spotty at best. I stayed in one of the ground floor pet-​rooms and it was small but quite tidy, with not a trace of dog hair, etc. I appreciated that. It’s right across from the beach and centered near the heart of the beach strip. Other than the wi-​fi, my biggest gripe would be the rudeness of the front desk clerks. I had two or three employees seem indifferent or even slightly hostile when I approached asking for a few explanations (why the internet reception was so poor, where is the ice machine, where is the best place to lock up my bike) …I think it might just be a regional thing as I am from the South and am used to politeness, especially from people in the service business.

My husband and I decided to spend a night in Cape May at the last minute on our return from a trip to NC. We called around the day we were arriving to find an available hotel and after we almost started giving up hope we found a room at this hotel. The prices were still the low-​season prices. It was one of the last weekends before memorial day, when things become more expensive.
The hotel was clean. The sea-​view from the balcony of the room was very nice. The room was spacious and there was a small kitchenette. Considering the lack of good food around and the difficulty in getting a table without a reservation at the few places that do serve decent food (and this was at low season), I think the kitchenette might actually come in handy here.
The breakfast was included though I did not appreciate how we were approached to give our breakfast-​ticket. I felt like the staff-​member was trying to catch us trying to get a free meal, rather than just seating us. If I were paying the high-​season prices that would have seemed especially déclassée considering the steep price-​point. I would not pay the high price they charge in the high season anyway. If I had, I would have rated this hotel lower.

Although this hotel is not the «look» that I like in Cape May, It is so fun every time we stay here! We have gotten to know the staff and we always hang out and the outside gazebo bar — love that polish bartender Yonnie! It is in the perfect location whether you are walking around or just taking in the sites. They have half-​price appetizer for happy hour which we order and take out to our room, the bar or the pool area — good food. Breakfast buffet is included which is pretty extensive, although when you stay a few days I would rather venture out and find some crabmeat omlets in other restaurants! There is a late-​night band bar right by the hotel which you can just walk to, and there are a few other places to to go. We love to walk around during the day and find the perfect victorian home-​restaurant to have dinner at at night. We brought our teenage kids last summer as well as the dogs & even the grandparents and everyone loved it in their own way. The hotel is nicely kept and very accommodating, the only thing I don’t like about it is that is a very warm and kinda wintery feeling with all the rugs, dark colors and velour everywhere… and for a summer vacation, I like open and airy.

I stayed at this hotel with my family and my dog. The website states that the hotel is «the most dog friendly hotel in Cape May.» This is a lie. They only allow dogs on the first floor and not even in the hotel lobby. The manager threatened to kick us out of the hotel for bringing my dog through the outside of the hotel (rickety rusty staircase) to my brother’s room. She obviously was incredibly rude and the majority of the other staff were indifferent college age people who were not very helpful. The hotel itself was clean mostly but kind of dingy. The breakfast was alright — definitely not gormet — more like Denny’s buffet. The wi fi was down during my stay — plus it was quite annoying that I had to go to the 5^th floor «library» — more like hallway — in order to access the internet. I think 2 stars is generous for this overpriced beachfront property.