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| An
American Dream Hotel |
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CONGRESS
HALL
New Jersey, USA receives |
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Merit - Extraordinary |
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4 Stars
& 5 Stripes for an
Merit - Extraordinaire Hotel &
Service |
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The Ultimate
Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes ™ |
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Historic, priceless Cape May on the coast of New
Jersey is a special place, a place where we drew hearts in the sand, and
giggled like children. A very harmonious Cape May received the American Dream
Town award for New Jersey by people's vote in 2004.
We arrived in the
historic district of Cape May on a rather cool fall afternoon and were prepared
for far less than the reality. Majestic Congress Hall took our breath away,
with its prominent position overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, superbly restored
to her nineteenth century grandeur she glides comfortably on wide green lawns.
A huge, stunning red, white & blue flag was guiding us to the dignified
poster grand entrance.
The hotel's L-shaped design, a tradition among Cape
May hotels, grants most guests sweeping ocean and beach panoramas from their
rooms. The most spectacular feature of Congress Hall in our humble opinion is
its setting, the verandas and the pool in the summer surrounded by hydrangeas,
overlooking the undulating lawn, to the white, sandy beach and ever rolling
surf. Beneath the thirty-two foot tall colonnade, guests may enjoy an evening
cocktail from the bar at dusk. |
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| As we opened the doors the scent of a crackling pine
wood fire in the large open fireplace soothed our irritated senses from the
trip and invited us to stay. Check-inn was smooth and professional; at last we
were home. |
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Our
accommodations
were well-appointed and furnished with some antiques while others were custom
built. The plaster walls were painted in daring, feminine pastels and the
priceless antique window frames were lovingly decorated with understated (HGTV
style) elegance.
The original windows had been restored and are operable
now to allow the healthy sea breeze to enter. Versatility allows one to easily
turn the window into a door and enjoy the balcony.
The 1920's bathtubs and
matching pedestal sinks with original porcelain tiles inspired Ingrid to spend
quite some time in 'her' generously sized bathroom amid the notable fluffy
white towels, bathrobes and fine bath amenities. |
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"May your walls know joy; may every
room hold laughter and
every window open to great possibility." ~ Mark
Twain |
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| Open to the general public is the Blue Pig Tavern's
historic dining room at Congress Hall. We dined casually at the restaurant, one
of the first established taverns in Cape May and were seated snuggled up to the
heartwarming, cozy fireplace. Its name comes from a gambling parlor located in
Congress Hall back in the 1700's. We imaged that we were back in time, a weary
couple traveling by horse-drawn carriage, first to discover this lovely place
of good foods. Oh well, wasn't it Sigmund Freud who said, "Everywhere I go I
find a poet has been there before me." The Blue Pig Tavern's cuisine is
outright creative and delicious. The service was grand and well presented with
genuine concern and honest smiles. |
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| Seven Stars and Stripes Hot Tip: Do not miss
breakfast in bed, (and order the French Toast to die for) the mattress,
comforter and linens were of such high quality that we hardly wanted to get up
in the morning. |
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by
Ingrid & Sunshine Lemme
Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola
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