I never write any reviews. But I was looking into taking a long weekend in Cape May for no other reason than to be able to stay at The Macomber. My google landed this website & it's review page where I read the 1st review by a guest who was positively offended by the place. Apparently it was so bad that you couldn't even find a vending machine to buy a bottle of water. It's hard to know where to start. Unless things have changed since we visited it twice during the first several years it was reopened in the '90's you also don't get any TV's. But if you had the great good fortune to have stayed at The Bluffs in Bay head a half century ago before it was demolished for Condos (!!!!!!!!) or The Hilltop House in Harper's Ferry overlooking the Engine House & the confluence of rivers you wouldn't have been able to get any vending machines or TV's either. How many pristine examples of turn-of-the-century Stick and Shingle Style architecture is a person fortunate enough to experience during their lives? Anyone considering the Macomber: Look at the photos of the place. Could you possibly even approach the quiet elegance, the serenity, the timelessness - the sheer mind numbing beauty of a jewel like the Macomber at ANY modern day facility? I'm dumbflumoxed. I suggest that any person considering the Macomber subject themselves to the following acid test. Would you prefer to spend several hours watching American Idol or Kurosawa's Roshomon? If it's American Idol you won't like the Macomber.
ps: the family from Lancaster Cty. PA who purchased and renovated the Macomber in the '90's missed by a month or 2 the auction where all of the original Victorian furnishing and accouterments of the place were completely liquidated. Everything was lost for good. Admittedly a tragedy. And I don't know and don't care about how obsequious or efficient the current owners/staff are. I find this order of issue insignificant in comparison to the joy of staying in a huge, old frame hotel over a hundred years old. And you need to know that the hotel is located at the only angle point in the beachfront road. There is one of only 2 "boardwalk" pavilions in the town immediately across the street. One of the family owned eateries offers those amazing pork roles that rank w/ the Kohr's orange and vanilla custards and fresh saltwater taffy that you are required by NJ law to enjoy while you are at the beach. Don't miss Sunset Beach and collect some Cape May diamonds. The wreck of the concrete freighter from WWII is probably no longer even visible. When I saw it when I was 8 most of the hull was still intact.

Intersting.. I've heard that beach hotels are a bit relaxed given it's their off season but hotel macomber, in cape may leaves a new meaning. Beach front .. with no amenties! Start with having no hotel staff "whatsoever" after 9pm until 9am! pretty much says it all.. no vending machine to even buy a bottle of water, no one to ask where to go get a cup of coffee (as no restuarant on premises but for dinner). As for safety in general. No phones in rooms! so if you forget your cell or your battery dies and there's an emergency.. you out of luck! as there is no employee after 9am nor a phone to use. There is no place to leave a key.. would have been better off leaving it in room.. the town of cape may should close it down. There should be a law against having no phones nad no employees on the premise! Rooms.. you don't get your monies worth.. as they don't beleive in amenties past a couple of bars of soap! I've seen better rooms.. and the bathroom is very rustic - small, if you should have a couple of extra pounds.. an extremely small shower, smells musty & floors quite moldy.. STAY AWAY! plenty of nice b&b's there.. if you don't want to spend money for 4star hotel.

The Macomber is neither great nor terrible and, like most of the reviews say, it has its ups and downs. The sad part is that the Macomber is in a prime location on Beach Ave and it should be a premier destination, yet it is decidedly lower tier for Cape May. If I had to describe the current situation, I'd call it stale. Maybe the owners are complacent and satisfied with what they have, but it frustrates me that they don't do more.

Check-in was nice. We arrived a bit early and the room was ready, but the guy behind the desk was less than personable. Not rude, not nasty, not even unfriendly, just not real personable. We stayed a few days and every time we passed the front desk, this person (or anyone else) never so much as smiled at us or said hello. Is that a requirement? No, it isn't, but would it kill them to be a little friendlier? We asked for advice a couple times and got nothing but monotone, unhelpful responses.

The front porch is nice, but on this particular weekend it was crowded with beer-swilling and smoking patrons the entire time. In the morning, their trash and coolers were still out. It was less than classy, and a tad trashy. If I wanted Wildwood, I'd stay in Wildwood. This is Cape May.

The irony is that in addition to sitting in The Prime Location of Cape May, the Macomber houses Union Park, a leading fine dining restaurant. Visitors need to climb past the Bud drinking crowd, through a lobby, and back into a dining paradise. It is really strange.

The hotel itself has some charm and everybody thinks the hauntings are cool, but would it kill them to fix it up a bit? The showers are terrible and the wallpaper is peeling. Despite having space, there are no tables or desks in the rooms, so forget eating or trying to write. They offer no wireless internet access, which is really somewhat of a staple offering these days. The only building access is through the front, which is a travesty considering the parking lot is in the back and there are no elevators. A rear entrance could and should be put into place. A lack of an elevator is understandable, but multiple employees standing around watching as you struggle to lug your bags upstairs is annoying. Again, service is not strong.

The good thing about the Macomber is that you can usually get a room and the rates aren't bad. The question they need to ask themselves is this: why is it so easy to get a cheap room on the beach in Cape May at the Macomber when motels and motor lodges charging almost twice as much are booked?

In my opinion, this could be a premier location. Clean it up a bit, freshen the rooms, add some services like afternoon tea and concierge, keep the beer-swillers out of view, add luggage and valet people, and just be a little friendlier. The Hotel Macomber could be SO MUCH MORE, but they don't seem to appreciate that. Its really ashame.

I had a nice stay at Hotel Macomber over the Labor Day holiday.
PROS:
Location, location, location
Beautiful front porch w rocking chairs-perfect for people watching.
Tremendous restaurant!
CONS:
Fairly uninterested hotel employees ( except for Sarah!)
Loud door slamming at all hours.
Air conditioner was extremely loud.

I believe the location makes up for all the cons at this hotel.