My husband and I stayed in the main house in the Henry Clay room which was absolutely gorgeous and meticulously clean. The room was decorated with beautiful furniture and had tall windows with lace curtains blowing in the breeze on a stormy day when we arrived. Definitely not a beach day so we headed to the Mall (shopping district) which was a very short walk away (took us 3 minutes). Lots of stores and restaurants were there and we returned to the wrap around veranda which was great for sitting and watching the storm roll in. The porch is also great for relaxing with a book (or a nook), watching the horse and carriages go by or just lounging on the hammock. Four o'clock tea was elegantly served in the dining room and it was delicious - we had to put off dinner for quite a few hours. Inside there was plenty of reading material and a puzzle for me to finish the evening along with a few homemade chocolate chip cookies which are always available. Breakfast was fantastic the next morning - fresh fruit, homemade breads and then a fritatta with tomatoes and scallions and bacon on the side - very yummy! This day was definitely a beach day and it is only a block to the beach. They also have chairs for you to use at the beach. The third day we went bike riding with rentals only a very short walk away. The Mainstay is in a perfect location for the best of Cape May on a tree lined street full of beautiful Victorian homes. The innkeeper, Diane, is extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgeable and after 20 years of inn keeping she knows the best things to do while in Cape May. We loved our stay and will definitely go back again.

Very nice getaway. We stayed here for our anniversary. It was great that the room came with a parking spot. Very close to town and the beach. The restaurants were in walking distance although we did use our car 1x to go to cape may winery. Very lovely rooms, nice amenities, very relaxing. Fresh cookies are placed in jars throughout the house- every time I turned around my husband had his hand in the cookie jar with a guilty just caught look smile on his face (the cookies were very yummy). Breakfast was good. I'm a vegetarian and there was plenty for me to eat for breakfast and for the 4pm tea. We have stayed at other B&B by Jersey Shore and those included beach tags. Those would have been nice instead of having to pay for that along with the chest for gratuities. We are paying enough for the room that those 2 items along with plusher towels should be included.

We spent two nights in the Brett Harte room which is in the cottage next door to the main inn and facing Columbia Avenue. We were very pleased with the accommodations. The inn's description (balcony) does not do justice to the fabulous private wrap around veranda that comes with this room. It is enormous! (like 8x64, solely ours to use and featured 4 rockers, a fabulous hammock for 2 and tons of space). We spent lots of time out there just sipping wine and watching the world go by.

The inn's location is great. If you get a room that has a dedicated parking space you will never have to move your vehicle. There also some other nice touches in the common room. like a fridge for leftovers and chilling wine, cards, delicious cookies and pretzels always available. It was wonderful to have beach chairs and towels available for use. We would have liked to use the bikes but every time we looked they were already being used. The afternoon tea was also a highlight. Iced tea and lemonade were perfect on a hot summer afternoon. They also make these delicious lemon coconut bars and pecan bars that I could be craving far into the future!.

The innkeeper we dealt with (I think Donna) was very courteous and efficient. Not over the top engaging but pleasant, which was fine with us because we don't always feel like chatting. :)

A few notes about Cape May....but not necessarily related to the Mainstay. Prepare yourself for the room taxes. I was a little shocked to find at checkout that my $360 per night room also had $50 per night in tax charges tacked on top. The shops have declined in quality after the recession. It's rare I go to a quaint town like this and don't find anything I want to buy. It was also surprising to me how many establishments (including the main liquor store) have a no credit card policy, so bring plenty of cash. I do love that many of the restaurants are BYOB!

My only negative (and the only reason I rated 4 vs 5) about the inn itself, is that the breakfast was disappointing. It was a buffet featuring items like lenders bagels, english muffins, fruit and yogurt, a coffee cake and one baked egg dish. Not exactly what I have come to expect from a b&b at this price point, We didn't even eat there on day 2.

That being said, we will still absolutely return and request that specific room and recommend the Mainstay to others.

The Mainstay used to be the very best inn in southern Jersey. It remains very good looking --people still gasp as they pass by --and has one of the best locations (and porch) in town. Yet the days of Sue and Tom Carroll's gracious enthusiasm are long gone, it seems. In fact, the inn is up for sale and has had to post a price reduction over the past months. The baton will pass, but until that happens the M is best characterized as lovely as an architecture and tired as an establishment. You can see the fatigue in the breakfasts. My husband and I stayed for nearly a week and faced exactly the same basic breakfast set out buffet style every morning. It consisted of one hot dish: a good but quite obviously thawed and reheated egg casserole. There was also fresh fruit, breads, cheese, sandwich meat, and juice. There's nothing wrong with this but it's not exactly innovative or lip smacking for a town that specializes in breakfasts. The 4-5:00 pm daily tea compensates for the lackluster morning fare, but relatively few guests are around on a summer day at that time. The too-sharp contrast between the main building and the drab, even depressing, colors and over-wickered feel of the cottage next door also needs attention. The Mainstay is still the rare beauty it has been since its extensive renovation in the late 1970s. Right now, though, it really needs a new owner to fire up its engines again.