By now most of you are well aware that we closed The Queen Victoria on March 17 in response to covid-19. We originally planned on reopening on April 9th, then on May 1, then on May 22, and ultimately on June 1. We are THRILLED to announce that we were finally able to open on June 1, and have been cheerfully greeting and welcoming guests back since that happy day. I'm also very pleased to announce to you how smoothly and well things have been going here. We've made many changes throughout the inn in an effort to help ensure the safety and well being of all |
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of our guests. In each of the changes we've made, however, we endeavored to maintain the relaxed feeling of charm and ambiance which you've always expected at The Queen Victoria. Yes, you'll notice some new and different things around the inn (like hand sanitizer and wipes dispensers). You'll most certainly notice that the way we serve your favorite breakfasts has changed, but those breakfasts are as delicious as ever. We've also streamlined our check-in process to eliminate the line you might have experienced at the front desk in the past (our frequent guests are truly appreciative of that change!). And of course, our already extensive cleaning routines have been significantly upgraded to include sterilization of all surfaces in each guest room prior to arrival. We've even installed HEPA air cleaners in each room, and are sanitizing each room prior to arrival with an ozone treatment to help ensure that your guest room will be one of the safest places on the planet when you step through the door. We are truly grateful to those of you who excitedly joined us for our reopening week, as well as those of you who continue to make reservations for the coming weeks and months. We were thrilled to meet several new guests for the first time during our reopening week. We truly couldn't be happier with our "reawakening" experience. We understand that some of our guests are uncomfortable travelling at all during this strange time in our lives. We wish you well, and hope that one day soon we'll have the pleasure of your company again at The Queen Victoria. |
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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, or click the link below to reserve your room. |
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The Perfect Gift for Father's Day (and Anniversaries & Birthdays!) A Queen Victoria Gift Certificate (plus a Bonus!) |
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With Father's Day fast approaching, many of us are challenged to come up with a great gift for those we love most in the world. There are a few reasons that I can think of that make a gift certificate to The Queen Victoria the perfect gift for virtually anyone and any reason: - After weeks and months of home confinement, most of us are eager to get away to somewhere relaxing, safe, and comfortable. What better way to while away some of this time than dreaming of and planning for your next visit to The Queen Victoria after receiving this gift certificate.
- Shopping is challenging these days, to say the least, and purchasing a gift certificate to The Queen Victoria is as simple and fast as it can possibly be, either online or on the phone.
- Queen Victoria Gift Certificates are now the gifts that give twice! Through June 30, 2020, we will be issuing an additional "Queen Victoria Gift Shop Gift Certificate" worth 10% of the value of each gift certificate purchased. Think how fun it will be for the recipient of your generous gift to have a shopping spree in The Queen Victoria gift shop during their visit!
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Room of The Month Regent's Park |
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From a practical perspective, we really don't need to highlight and promote Regent's Park, as it is already one of our most popular rooms. I simply couldn't resist, however, because I haven't featured it since we remodeled the bathroom, and I'm so excited with how well everything came out. At top you can see the stunning granite vanity with double sinks (a first for us here at The Queen Victoria). For those who have been in this room before, you'll notice that we had to move the toilet across the room to where the refrigerator used to sit to facilitate this, which I believe was an inspired decision (it is hard to see it in this photo, but the refrigerator is now under the middle of the vanity). Though it doesn't really jump out at you in the photo, the varnished mahogany trim beneath the counter top is absolutely stunning, and matches the new window sill that is also slightly visible. The other new feature that adds such warmth (literally and figuratively) to the room is the new (vinyl) wood plank flooring, I love how it came out. By the way, this is an iPhone photo, not a professional job, as evidenced by the glimpse of my hand and phone if you look closely at the mirror on the left. We also redid the shower, keeping it as a 2-head/2-person step in shower. We ran the curb all the way across the shower this time, so rolling in isn't an option any more. The gorgeous mahogany trim wrapping around the shower and making up the shelving to the right of the shower is much more evident in this photo, adding an incredible richness. You really have to see it to appreciate it. In response to our need to space people out a bit for covid-19, we just added a fun touch to the front porch of Regent's Park. We guessed that lots of you would enjoy having your own breakfast seating area on your private porch while staying in Regent's Park. It has certainly worked out that way so far! A final new addition to Regent's Park, which was not photogenic enough to share with you here, is the new 2-zone heating and air conditioning system we just installed in the room. This new whisper quiet, super efficient system is sure to keep you comfortable all year long! The final photo illustrates one of the many reasons that Regent's Park is such a popular room. Regent's Park is one of seven rooms which have their own dedicated, off street parking space. Regent's Park is almost impossible to reserve on short notice most of the time, but for those of you that need a getaway in the next few weeks, I'm pleased to share with you that it is available quite a bit in the coming weeks. This is your big chance! Click Here for more great photos of Regent's Park. |
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Upcoming Events & Activities |
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Exit Zero Jazz Festival November 6-8, 2020 The Exit Zero Jazz Festival has been rescheduled from it's original April time frame due to the covid-19 shutdown. The Fall series lineup is not yet complete, but the acts already booked are really impressive, including the headliner Madeleine Peyroux, an adventurous Jazz innovator, pictured here. - Madeleine Peyroux Trio
- Joey Defrancesco's Philadelphia Reunion Band (Kevin Eubanks, Lil John Roberts & Orin Evans)
- Eddie Palmieri Jazz Sextet
- Carol Riddick & Gerald Veasley "I Got Life, the Music of Nina Simone"
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Cape May Music Festival A Completely New Format |
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Cape May MAC (Museums+Art+Culture), formerly called the Mid Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities, was forced to restructure their traditional elongated May music festival due to the covid-19 closure. Rather than cancel it, they've postponed it and stretched it out over the course of several months. This means that it will be possible for you to enjoy one of these concerts during this year's wonderful fall season! Here is the schedule: - 9/1 NJ Symphony Orchestra
- 9/8 NY Chamber Ensemble
- 9/9 Bach's Lunch*
- 9/16 Paula Johns*
- 9/17 Bay Atlantic Symphony
- 9/22 NY Chamber Ensemble
- 9/23 Bach's Lunch*
- 9/29 NY Chamber Ensemble
- 9/30 Bach's Lunch*
- 10/25 George Mesterhazy Tribute Concert
- 10/29 Backtrack Vocals (free!)
- 11/21 Atlantic Brass Band (free!)
- 11/29 Champagne Jazz Brunch*
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As always, Anna Marie and I will be pleased to present our guests (staying at least 2 nights) who wish to attend with complimentary tickets to most of the concerts, with a few exceptions, as indicated with a " *" (these are events that involve food, for which the tickets we have to share with you are not valid) Pictured above is Paula Johns, a frequent performer at the Cape May Music Festival. Paula is a Jazz singer of amazing talent, who Anna Marie and I have loved for a long time. She'll be performing at the Willow Creek Winery on Wednesday, September 16, which is the concert we are sponsoring once again this year. If you love great music, I highly recommend you plan your next visit to The Queen Victoria to include one or more of these wonderful performances. Give us a call or book your room online using the button below. Be sure to request complimentary tickets! * complimentary tickets are not available for Bach's Lunches, Champagne Jazz Brunch, Musical Desserts, or Paula Johns at Willow Creek Winery Learn More |
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More New Stuff! The Queen Gets a New Crown! (and new garden seating) |
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Anna Marie and I are very excited about the beautiful new roof that we installed this Spring on the Queen Victoria building. It was a huge undertaking, but something that needed to be done. We were thrilled that work was completed on it just a few days before our June 1 reopening. What we expected to take a week or two turned into a 2 month project, a significant portion of which was spent priming and painting each of the shingles individually! Another contributing factor to the length of time it took to complete the job was the custom cutting & fitting of shingles along all of the angles on the turrets and dormers. Of course, all of that cutting was done at the top of very long ladders. I'm very glad I don't do roofing for a living. The "Red Tomato" color is a little brighter red than the old roof, but we love the way it looks. I think you will too. Next time you visit, be sure to look up at the roof and appreciate this massive undertaking. Normally I only share 1 new thing with you each month, but there are so many new things at The Queen Victoria right now, that I couldn't resist sharing another. The bottom photo is of our new garden seating area at Prince Albert Hall. In response to our need to space everyone out a bit more during breakfast, we decided to add some additional seating. First we had our landscaper transform the garden into a garden seating space, partitioned by dwarf mondo grass borders. We were thrilled to find these beautiful stone topped bistro tables, which fit perfectly. As I look at this photo, I'm realizing that the terracotta colored stones in the tables match the color of the balusters on the porch. I don't think we could have planned for that to happen! Be sure to give them a try for breakfast on your upcoming visit. |
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Favorite Photo(s) What a Wonderful Time to Visit Cape May! |
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June truly is a wonderful time to visit Cape May. The pictures at right give you a pretty good sense of all the fun things you can enjoy in Cape May this time of year. As far as I'm concerned, there is no better way to while away an afternoon, or any part of any day, than to lounge on Cape May's beautiful beach in one of our classy beach chairs. Just looking at this photo makes me long to be there right now! Bicycling around Cape May and the surrounding area is undoubtedly one of the most popular things to do for our guests. Anna Marie and I love to jump on bikes and explore the streets of Cape May, West Cape May and Cape May Point. This photo was taken a couple of years ago when we rode down to the light house and had lunch at the Red Store. It was a memorable experience, which I still think of fondly. The 3rd photo is so iconic for me. I have always loved the Cape May life guard stands. I think they are by far the classiest that I've ever seen on the Jersey Shore. The photo also tells the story of how spacious and relatively uncrowded our beaches are. Have you ever explored the walking trails at the Cape May Lighthouse? There are 3 miles of walking trails that wind their way through the meadows and wetlands of this pristine state park. A walk along these trails, which are mostly empty even in the busiest of times, is a wonderful way to connect with nature, get some pleasant exercise, enjoy the fresh air, and see some wonderful wildlife. This June is an especially nice time for a visit to The Queen Victoria because there are so few people in town. Even on the busiest days the streets and beaches are fairly empty. Imagine having Cape May all to yourself on a beautiful, sunny, (almost) Summer day! Insider tip ... Summer rates don't go into effect until June 19, so our lower weekend and mid-week discount rates are still available. View Photo Gallery >> |
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Featured Gift Shop Item
Artisanal Cheese Tray |
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If you're searching for a fun way to enhance your upcoming visit to The Queen Victoria, you might want to consider one of our "Artisanal Cheese Trays"! This tasty delight makes for excellent snacking during your visit to Cape May. It is also a wonderful accompaniment to your Happy Hour bottle of wine or beer. It is also the perfect lunch substitute on your arrival day, when you might get into town too late for lunch, but need something to hold you over until dinner. We'll be happy to prepare one of these trays for your next visit, either for your arrival or during your stay, but please be sure to give us a little time to prepare it, as we make them fresh to order. $25 |
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Fun Things to Do in Cape May
Take a Walking Tour |
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Yes, I know that the picture here contradicts the topic, but bear with me a moment and give me the benefit of the doubt. The booklet you see pictured is most certainly a Bike Tour, which was put together by Cape May MAC. As it happens, however, it makes a better walking tour than bicycle tour, for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is much easier to stop at each of the dozens of Cape May homes featured in the booklet when you are walking than if you are bicycling. Further, whereas bicyclists are supposed to follow traffic laws and obey one way streets, walkers have no such requirements. There are 57 properties listed in the tour guide (we're the 2nd house featured), all of which have a photo and a detailed description of the property and its history. Strolling through our beautiful village with this guide in your hand will be an experience that you'll never forget. I'm not really sure if it is possible to complete the entire tour in a single day, so this could well be the tour that keeps on giving, carrying you through your entire visit. By the way, it would probably be great as a bike tour too. Only $5 |
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Restaurant Pick of the Month
Prawn (BYOB) |
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This is the second month in a row that I have the pleasure of sharing a new restaurant with you. Fortunately, this month Anna Marie and I have had the opportunity to enjoy a meal at one of our new favorite restaurants. This wonderful new restaurant opened up operations in the former location of the Depot Market Cafe. So far they have only been able to do take out due to the restrictions coming from Trenton. On June 15 they will be opening their tables up for outdoor seated dining, something that both we and they are very excited about. Given the nature of their location/building, Prawn is a very casual dining experience. The food that you'll be enjoying at Prawn is most certainly of the highest quality, however. |
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On our first (take out) visit to Prawn Anna Marie and I decided to share our orders with each other. I ordered the Crab Cake and she ordered the seared scallops, both of which we divided up between us. Each dinner came with a wonderful salad of mixed greens with shaved parmesan, cannellini beans, calamata olives and a wonderful pesto based dressing. Both of our meals were served with an irresistible risotto and a vegetable de jour, which in our case was fresh French green beans and broccoli. Both of us LOVED our meal. The food was truly of fine dining quality, which seems so strange as a take out, but wonderful. The crab cake was huge, with my half of it easily as big as a typical crab cake anywhere else. It was also almost entirely lump crab meat. The scallops were cooked perfectly with a pesto drizzle that tended towards sweet. We also had a couple of very nice, high quality fresh baked rolls. It was an excellent dining experience. To be honest, I have no idea what the dish pictured here is, but I want to try it. They didn't have any pictures of our meals in their photo gallery, but the many photos they did have all looked incredible. I got hungry scanning them. Prawn will be a BYOB restaurant when they open for seated dining, something that we're thrilled about. We're thrilled about everything at Prawn. |
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Great Reasons to Visit The Queen Victoria
Upcoming Queen Victoria & Cape May Events |
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Preserve a Piece of History Art Show Jun 13, 2020 Spring Celebration Garden Tour Jun 13, 2020 West Cape May Strawberry Festival Jun 27, 2020 Craft Beer, Music & Crab Festival (2 days this year!) August 1 & 2, 2020 NJ Symphony Orchestra (CM Music Festival) Sep 1, 2020 West Cape May Tomato Festival Sep 5, 2020 NY Chamber Ensemble (CM Music Festival) Sep 8, 2020 Bach's Lunch Concert (CM Music Festival) Sep 9, 2020 24th Annual Food & Wine Festival Sep 11-20, 2020 Harvest Brew Fest Sep 12, 2020 Paula Johns Concert (CM Music Festival) Sep 16, 2020 Bay Atlantic Symphony (CM Music Festival)
Sep 17, 2020
Harvest Dinner (at Vintage restaurant)
Sep 19, 2020 |
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| Champagne Jazz Brunch (CM Music Festival)Sep 20, 2020NY Chamber Ensemble (CM Music Festival)Sep 22, 2020Bach's Lunch Concert (CM Music Festival)Sep 23, 2020NY Chamber Ensemble (CM Music Festival)Sep 29, 2020Bach's Lunch Concert (CM Music Festival)Sep 30, 2020Victorian WeekendOct 8-12, 2020West Cape May Lima Bean FestivalOct 10, 2020Lessons of History "Give 'Em Hell, Harry"Oct 11, 2020Halloween HappeningsOct 16-31, 2020Lighthouse Challenge of NJOct 17-18, 2020George Masterhezy Tribute Concert (CM Music Festival)Oct 25, 2020Backtrack Vocals Concert (CM Music Festival)Oct 29, 2020Atlantic Brass Band Concert (CM Music Festival)Nov 21, 2020
Queen Victoria Chocolate Lover's Weekend Nov 20-21 2020 |
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Make your reservations today for a fun, romantic getaway at The Queen Victoria Bed and Breakfast. We are looking forward to helping you plan your next visit! Sincerely,
Doug & Anna Marie McMain, Owners/Innkeepers
The Queen Victoria Bed & Breakfast
www.queenvictoria.com
(609) 884-8702 |
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