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Newsletter | February 2017
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Daydreaming of Summer in Cape May
 Though summer seems like a lifetime away still, I felt I would be remiss if I didn’t get you thinking about making your plans for your next summer visit to The Queen Victoria.
Many of you have already done so, of course, taking advantage of our “Earlybird” discount for year-in-advance return bookings. While we have taken LOTS of these reservations, you might recall that we have a fair number of rooms, so we still have plenty of availability for nearly every month of the coming year. That’s the good news. The bad news, at least if you don’t like to plan ahead very far, is that we are taking several reservations every day and our “inventory” is shrinking, so it gets a little more limited every single day.
We really would love to see you again in the coming months, so start making your plans soon! The sooner you book it, the sooner you can start daydreaming about it.
We’re always happy to assist you
find the best possible room for the dates you want to visit, or the best dates for the room you want to stay in. Call us at (609) 884-8702 to get started.
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I don’t often get the chance to feature a completely renovated room as my “Room of the Month”, so I’m particularly excited to share the new Kew Garden suite with you!
Kew Garden has long been one of our most popular rooms, with its ground floor location, fireplace, and cozy feeling. I’ve got to say that it is a MUCH nicer room now than it was just a few short weeks ago.
First of all, we’ve completely changed the look. As you can see in this photo, the room, which used to have quite a “country” feeling to it, now has a very rich, bright feeling. I love the new color scheme, and the way that the heirloom quality hand silk screened Bradbury & Bradbury borders at the ceiling and above the chair rail define the space, giving it a wonderfully welcoming and comfortable feel. The chair rail that you see is new, and matches the beautiful oak fireplace. I think you’ll agree that the new window treatments and matching bed skirt are simply beautiful, really giving the room a wonderfully finished look. It’s pretty convenient to have a professional interior designer in the family (my aunt Nancy, who many of you have met).
Beyond the room itself, we’ve completely renovated the bathroom as well (see the photo in the “More New Stuff” feature). In fact, we’ve managed to increase the size of the bathroom without sacrificing any space in the room, which is not normally something you can do in a renovation. We started out by replacing the one-person whirlpool tub with a beautiful, large step-in shower. You’re going to love the tile work! That allowed us to replace the pretty, but not particularly practical pedestal sink with a gorgeous, large granite vanity counter. The decor of the room was carried into the bathroom as well, with matching border, a handsome oak vanity skirt, which matches the fireplace & chair rails, and a magnificent custom valance which was made of the same fabric as the room’s window treatments. The refrigerator was also moved into the bathroom, which makes the room feel bigger, and moves the “humming” sound of the refrigerator compressor into the bathroom where you won’t hear it at night.
And finally, we’ve given Kew Garden a parking space! What has been most surprising, and quite welcome, to our guests that have recently been booking Kew Garden for the coming months, is that despite all these wonderful changes, we have not increased the rate.
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The Ultimate Valentines Gift(s)!
Sure, you just made it through the Christmas holiday gift giving season, so you’re ready to take a break from racking your brain for the perfect gift for your favorite person in the world.
Every year about this time it occurs to me that I need to start thinking about a Valentines gift for my lovely bride (it is all the more important for me, as we were engaged on Valentines Day).
I’m sure you’ve done flowers, chocolates, and a nice card before. You could do those again, of course, but maybe it is time to step it up a bit this year and give that special person in your life a memory that will last forever.
There are a few ways to proceed. Firstly, you can still reserve a room for the weekend after Valentine’s Day, which is Fri/Sat Feb 17-18, or even on Valentine’s Day itself. You could also book a room for a future date and present it on Valentines Day. The other option is to purchase a gift certificate to present on Valentines Day and then start the exciting process of planning and looking forward to your next trip to The Queen Victoria. The last two options are the smart way to go for those of you who were already planning a return visit to Cape May in the coming year!
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Discount Packages at The Queen Victoria
The Savings Season
Yes, we are officially in the “Savings Season” right now, offering our guests great discount packages in a couple of different ways. If you need a visit to The Queen Victoria, and want to save a lot of money, then this is the time to do it!
222 Discount Package
From November 1 through April 30, excluding holidays, the week between Christmas & New Years, and President’s Day weekend, we offer two nights in a standard room for $222 (plus tax), for reservations Sunday through Thursday evenings. The “222 Discount” can be expanded to a 333, 444 or even 555 for 3,4 or 5 night reservations. Upgrades to larger rooms are also possible, simply increasing the cost of the room by the incremental difference between the class of room chosen and a standard room. If you’re able to travel mid-week, this is a fantastic deal!
Winter Escape
Starting January 1 and running through March 31, the Winter Escape package features ANY two nights (including weekends, but excluding President’s Day weekend) in a large standard room, a complimentary cheese tray and a complimentary wine tasting for $325 (plus tax). This is a great opportunity for those of you who are limited to weekend travel, and are looking to enjoy discount savings on Winter weekends. Like the “222”, upgrades are possible for premium rooms and luxury suites for the incremental difference between the class of room chosen and a large standard room.
These discount packages cannot be combined with any other discounts or promotions. Third Party gift certificates (like bedandbreakfast.com) cannot be used for payment.
There is no bad time to visit The Queen Victoria, and when you consider these great discounts, the cooler months of the year become very attractive. I hope you’ll be saving lots of money on your next reservation at The Queen Victoria.
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Upcoming (and current) Special Events
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Birthday Weekends
We’re not done celebrating birthdays yet this winter! Our January Birthday Celebration weekend was a huge hit; fun for everyone in attendance, whether they were celebrating a birthday or not.
We still have a lot of celebrating left to do, though. Through the end of April we are hosting a birthday celebration weekend once each month at The Queen Victoria. If you or your loved one are looking for a fun way to celebrate your birthday, and an excuse to escape from the house and chores for the weekend, this is your ticket!
It is always a fun afternoon, celebrated during Afternoon Tea. We bake a big birthday cake, we have gifts, we sing Happy Birthday to anyone that it applies to, and a good time is had by all. We won’t be checking IDs, so you’re welcome to participate and join in the fun even if you aren’t celebrating a birthday in that month.
Booking Tip: For those of you lucky enough to have birthdays in March, take advantage of the “Winter Escape” discount package that we offer to save some serious money on your fun filled Birthday Celebration Weekend!
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Wine Lover’s Weekend
Last Minute Valentine Idea!
If your Valentine is a wine lover, then have I got a suggestion for you!
This year’s Valentine Weekend, which falls on the weekend before Valentines Day, also happens to coincide with our annual Wine Blending Party being held on February 11, 2017. That Saturday afternoon, our fun loving, participating guests will join us at Cape May Winery to craft the perfect blend of red wine.
We’ll break up into teams of 4-6 people at a table laden with bottles of the various red wines right out of the barrel and trays of cheese and snacks. Each team will craft & document different blends, ranking them among themselves. Once each team has selected its “finest blend”, we’ll all break for a tour of the winery while the winemaker creates the blends we’ve chosen. Following the tour, we head back to the blending room and do a “blind” tasting of the chosen blend of each team. We’ll all vote on the best blend, which will then be bottled for us with a special “Queen Victoria Cellars” label.
Each participant will get a bottle of the final blend (2 per couple), the labels of which will be customized with your names and the blending details.
This exclusive event is only open to guests of our bed and breakfast and will only occur once this year. Anna Marie and I LOVE this event. I know you will too. As always, this event is open to guests with reservations at The Queen Victoria that weekend.
Don’t wait, as participation is limited and there is only room for 4 more couples!
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Big Cheese Weekend
Our annual Cheese Tasting party is a wonderful event and we’re really looking forward to it again.
Anna Marie and I will once again be filling The Queen Victoria® dining room table with a wide assortment of cheeses from all over the world. There will be about 16 cheeses for us to taste and each one will have a write up about its origin, how it is made and any other fun tidbits of information. We’ll also have breads from one of our local bakeries along with an assortment of specialty olive oils and other tasty goodies.
This event is held during Afternoon Tea time on Saturday at 4:00. Now I know that for some people it is impossible to eat cheese without having a glass of wine in your hand, so we’re welcoming everyone to bring their own wine and make an afternoon of it. The wine tends to become communal so bring something you feel comfortable sharing.
The really good news is that this is a free event for all of our guests staying with us that weekend.
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Singer Songwriter Cape May
Each March Singer Songwriter Cape May returns to Cape May, bringing with it an amazing lineup of musical talent. This March they’ll be featuring over 150 musical performances in 17 different venues all over Cape May. The event showcases Singer/Songwriters of all genres. The best part is that you can attend most of the performances for FREE!
For the last 2 years, one of the event’s perennially most popular performers, and a good friend of ours, Avi Wisnia (pictured here on the right), performed an exclusive concert for the guests of The Queen Victoria. It was a great performance and a good time was had by all. We put out a nice buffet of hors d’oevres, many guests brought bottles of wine, and everybody enjoyed themselves immensely. Avi has graciously offered to perform for us again this year, so we’re doing it all again! On Saturday March 25 we’ll turn our regular afternoon tea into a concert reception. I know it is going to be another great event. I hope I’ll get to see you there (here). Once again, this concert is free for all guests staying at The Queen Victoria that weekend.
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Exit Zero Jazz Festival
Twice each year The Exit Zero Jazz Festival brings world class jazz to Cape May. This year’s spring event has been moved up a month or two, giving you another great excuse to visit The Queen Victoria at a really beautiful time of the year.
Spring will be in full swing by then, of course, with blooms abounding everywhere. The weather will most certainly be turning in our favor by then, and all your favorite shops and restaurants will be anxiously looking forward to your return.
But let’s get back to the music. This 3 day festival featuring 45 shows in venues all over town is truly becoming world renowned. There are several different ticketing options for admission to the various shows, ranging from $30 for the Sunday Pass to $195 for the VIP Pass, with several options in between.
If you’re a Jazz fan, then you truly have to start making plans to attend this year’s Spring Exit Zero Jazz Festival.
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As you can see from this quickie i-Phone photo (our professional photographers are due back in May), the new Vanity in the Kew Garden bathroom is quite beautiful. In my previous “Room of the Month” feature, I described it generally, but now I get to start bragging in detail.
First of all, at 65” wide, this wonderful granite counter has enough room for ALL of your toiletry items, unlike the pedestal sink that used to be in the room. I think that the ladies are really going to love it! Along the face of the counter you can see the custom crafted oak “skirt”, which matches the oak fireplace and chair rails in the bedroom.
We also added lots of new lighting to the room, so it is much brighter than it ever was before, including lighting in the shower, in the center of the room and above the vanity.
The border at the top of the wall in the bathroom really defines the space and gives it a special feeling, which the custom valance above the window ties into perfectly.
The large step-in shower features a high ceiling, giving it an even more open feel, and beautiful tile work that you’re going to love. To finish the shower off, we installed a granite threshold which matches the vanity on the other side of the room.
I’m sure you’ll agree, especially if you stay in Kew Garden some time soon, that this is certainly one of our nicest bathrooms now.
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Full Moon at the Lighthouse
The old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is certainly proven here.
I’ll just leave it at that!
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Bayberry Soap
Are you one of those people whose memories are sometimes triggered by a scent? If so, then I’m thinking that one of our 3-bar bayberry soap gift packages (pictured here in a Valentine’s Day themed photo) might be the perfect gift shop treat for yourself as you depart your next visit to The Queen Victoria. Imagine it, the first day you wake up after returning from a fun filled visit to Cape May, you can pull out one of your bars of bayberry soap, which are larger than the ones we put in your guest room, and you’ll be brought right back to Cape May!
The bayberry soap 3 pack is also a wonderful “Thank You” gift for whoever might have been watching your pets or children during your time in Cape May.
I’m pretty sure that the bayberry soap would be on the top of my list if I were shopping in our gift shop.
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Fun Things to do in Cape May
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I’m probably not breaking new ground with a suggestion that you partake in some wine tasting on your next visit to Cape May. The wine industry really started taking off in the Cape May area just about the time that Anna Marie and I purchased The Queen Victoria in 2004. Ever since then, wine tasting has been one of our favorite “go to” forms of entertainment when we have a few moments to ourselves, especially in the non-beach seasons.
Cape May county boasts a surprisingly large number of wineries, all six of them within a 10 to 20 minute drive from The Queen Victoria. Our newest winery, Willow Creek, is on the island of Cape May itself, a long walk or easy bike ride from the inn. We have our favorites, of course, including Cape May Winery, Hawk Haven Winery, and Turdo Winery. All of them take their wine making very seriously and are producing some remarkably good wines.
Each of the wineries have their own character, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a winery in the area that has more comfortable, charming space than Cape May Winery, featuring a back patio with bistro tables that run right out into the vines, a 2nd floor deck overlooking the vineyard, and an amazing, large tasting room on the ground floor with a cozy fireplace, comfortable leather sofas, and lots of great seating options throughout. They also have at least 3 tasting bars, so there is always room for you to join in the fun.
If Cape May Winery is your destination, we suggest that you take lunch or some goodies (perhaps one of our Queen Victoria Artisan Cheese trays) to the winery with you and make an afternoon of it. Don’t try that at Willow Creek, as they are not BYOF (Bring Your Own Food) friendly, though they are eager to sell you some food. They also feature a weekly event called “Fire Pit Friday”, which is fun thing to experience.
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Restaurant Pick of the Month
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If you’ve ever asked Anna Marie or me for dining suggestions, it is very likely that we’ve mentioned Freda’s Cafe. I say that because Freda’s has always been our favorite restaurant in Cape May. Given how many wonderful restaurants there are in Cape May, that is high praise, indeed.
Freda’s has the feel of a neighborhood bistro. It is small and quaint, and certainly charming. The food, however, is at least as good as any that you’ll find anywhere in town. They always have two menus, their main menu, which hasn’t really changed in all the years we’ve been eating there (but that is OK, because it is such a great menu), and a “Specials” menu that is constantly changing. Anna Marie and I both have our favorites at Freda’s, of course. Anna Marie almost always orders the Crab Cakes, which I honestly believe are the best on the planet (my apologies to those of you from Maryland!). You’ll always find them on the “Specials” menu, perhaps because they’re so special! Lately I’ve been enjoying the various seafood specials that are featured on that same menu, including the Stuffed Salmon and Stuffed Swordfish (pictured above). Every meal comes with a complimentary starter salad (not very common in Cape May anymore) and home baked bread. Given that, it is rare for Anna Marie or me to indulge ourselves in dessert, but when we do, we’re usually smiling for a couple of days. ALL the desserts are wonderful.
Thankfully, Freda’s is a BYOB restaurant, allowing us to affordably enjoy a nice bottle of wine with dinner.
Freda’s Cafe is literally a few steps from the inn, located at the corner of Ocean & Carpenter streets, very near the mall. If you’re thinking of giving Freda’s a try on your next visit, I highly recommend you making reservations, as they are small and quite popular. Give them a call at (609) 884-7887.
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Great Reasons to Visit The Queen Victoria
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Upcoming Queen Victoria & Cape May Events
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Valentines Day Weekend
February 10-11 & February 17-18
Queen Victoria Wine Blending Weekend
- Craft & Collectibles Show
- Cape May Wine School (Sat., Feb 18)
- Cape May Wine Trail (Sat., Feb 18)
- Chocolate Lover’s Feast (Sat., Feb 18)
- Jazz Vespers (Sun., Feb 19)
The Queen Victoria, February 18
Queen Victoria “Big Cheesy”
Cheese tasting party, March 11
Sherlock Holmes Mystery Weekend
The Queen Victoria, March 18
Avi Wisnia Concert
The Queen Victoria, March 25
Singer Song Writer Cape May
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The Queen Victoria, April 22
Cape May Music Festival
May 28 through June 15
Cape May Restaurant Week
June 4-11
Cape May Designer Show House
June through November, 2017
Cape May Hops Festival
June 24
Craft Beer & Crab Fest
August 5
Cape May Food & Wine Celebration
September 15-24
Harvest Brew Fest
September 16
Victorian Weekend
October 6-9
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Make your reservations today for a romantic getaway at The Queen Victoria Bed and Breakfast. We are looking forward to helping you plan your next visit!
Doug & Anna Marie McMain, Owners/Innkeepers
The Queen Victoria Bed & Breakfast
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