Serving guests since 1885, the Marquis de Lafayette Hotel is the grand seaside hotel of Cape May, New Jersey — America’s oldest seaside resort. Fully renovated in 2004, and with 10 new penthouse suites added in 2008, we continue to offer the finest oceanfront accommodations and most central location in Cape May, NJ.

With all that lofty history, you might expect Cape May to be stuffy, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find exactly the opposite. Perhaps it’s the proximity to the beach that encourages the easy-going warmth of the locals, or the pride that comes from having your town designated a National Historic Landmark, but whatever the cause, you’ll fit right in strolling the streets, shops, and oceanfront of Cape May, New Jersey.

It’s no surprise that the main area attraction in Cape May, NJ is the beach, followed closely by the historic Victorian homes and mansions that date back well over a century. The Cape May beach is meticulously manicured, and great pains are taken to preserve the scenic beauty, inspiring heritage, and Victorian charm of this National Historic Landmark. With one of the country’s largest collections of 19th century frame buildings still in existence, Cape May, New Jersey is truly an echo of an earlier time.

In spring, the shorebird migration turns Cape May, NJ into a real treat for nature lovers, as hundreds of thousands of birds make a stop on our beaches for a snack of horseshoe crab eggs.

Of course, there are birds aplenty any time of year, and among the dunes are other treasures. In addition to the fascinating shells the Atlantic tosses on shore each day, beachcombers might turn up some collectible beach glass or even a surf-polished piece of quartz, known locally as a Cape May diamond, treasured for hundreds of years since they were first collected and traded by the area’s native American residents.