The Queen Victoria: Loyal Customer Profile

Cape May Bed and Breakfast

Published on July 13, 2015

Through the years we’ve had the fortune of hosting wonderful people from across the globe in our Victorian bed and breakfast, and sometimes we get the opportunity to host these amazing guests more than once. In this blog, we’re going to introduce a couple that has stayed with us for more than 175 nights over the span of 11 years!

Meet Wayne & Joyce! They were kind enough to write about their experiences over the years at The Queen Victoria, so we invite you to read their story.

How did you find out about The Queen Victoria?
Over 11 years ago, we wanted to give Cape May a try. We always went to Ocean City with our son and, now that we were retiring we wanted someplace quieter. My cousin had stayed in Cape May before so we asked her if she could make any recommendations. She recommended The Queen Victoria and another local establishment.

We went online and looked at the rooms. The QV seemed to have nicer rooms and we were looking for a larger room. The Windsor seemed to fit the bill. We called to make our reservations for Victorian Week (it was a whole week back then) and Anna Marie helped us. We didn’t know at the time that they had just purchased the Inn on Memorial Day and would soon become very dear to us. The one important item of information she gave us was:  Make your dinner reservations 2 to 3 weeks before you come or you will be eating pizza every night. We still do this to the present time unless we know we’re going off season and it won’t be busy.

What’s your favorite thing about The Queen Victoria?
Our favorite thing about the QV is the people.  It starts with Doug and Anna Marie and their staff. They meet our every need and are very attentive to every detail. They treat all their guests equally, spending time getting to know their new guests at breakfast and tea and making sure they have dinner reservations, know how to best enjoy Cape May, and see if there is any way they can help them enjoy their stay. The next is the guests. We enjoy talking with previous guests as well as new guests who are visiting Cape May for the first time. We have made many, many friends over the years and many we see at the same times every year.

What’s your favorite memory at The Queen Victoria?
We have so many memories over the years that it is hard to have a favorite.  It might have been our very first time for Victorian Week as it has started a love affair between us and the QV. We feel very much at home there and are always sad on our last day as we never want to leave. Then, we remember that very soon we will be returning and that makes it all better.

Do you have a favorite room at The Queen Victoria?
We started out in the Windsor and really liked that room so much that it was the only room we would stay in for a while. Then, we came down just for a night and had to take what was available. It was one of the smaller rooms on the second floor.  It was fine for one night but we really like a couch. We continued to explore and try new rooms. We have stayed in every building but not every room.

We tend to like Gilbert and Sullivan the best as it has two rooms and the sitting area has a comfy couch which is great for an afternoon nap. It, also, has a wonderful fireplace that is great on cold mornings in the winter. We, also, like the King Edward Suite which is huge and comes with your own parking place (great for busy times) and private balcony.  It, also, has a bathroom so huge that you could dance in there.

How has The Queen Victoria changed over the years, or has it stayed the same?
The QV is the same as it was 11 years ago in the staff and the attention given to you. They still treat everyone the same giving us any news since we were last there and offering to help us in any way. What is different is all of the upgrades that Doug and Anna Marie have made. They usually make an upgrade every year over the winter. There have been new rooms added, bathrooms upgraded, new awnings, new rugs, new wall paper, new eating areas outside of the Prince Albert, and last year a generator.

What’s your favorite breakfast menu item?
We love breakfasts, tea, and any other meal for special occasions at the QV.  Our favorite breakfast is the homemade biscuits with honey butter, and if Bill has made his sausage gravy, you are in for a real treat. The bananas foster is to die for and the stuffed French toasts and cheese blintz are excellent too. I know I picked more than one but it’s hard as all breakfasts are excellent.

What season is your favorite to stay at The Queen Victoria?
It is hard to pick our favorite season at the QV. We come five to six times a year and have come in every season. We love September and October so that must be our favorite but Christmas time is a close second. Winter is nice as it is very quiet. When we first went in the winter, I thought it would be too cold but it wasn’t. It’s a little warmer than home (we’re in central Jersey) and it’s a great getaway. We’ve been down when it snowed and it’s like a winter wonderland. We’ve even seen people cross country skiing on the beach.  Now, we are beginning to enjoy summer too as they have a wonderful concert series. We are not big beach lovers so we tended to stay away during the busy summer months.

What drew you to visiting Cape May?
We came to Cape May originally as a close place from home that we could come to at any time of the year. We were drawn to the Victorian buildings and the Victorian way of life. We love that we can park our car and walk everywhere or bike to the lighthouse area or sunset beach.  We love all of the events that MAC has, still enjoy the trolley rides, birding, monarch migration, the World War II museum, concerts, plays, the zoo is wonderful (It’s free. They only ask for donations. It’s a great place to go on your way in or out but you do have to drive), and the best thing we look forward to is our meals. Cape May has wonderful restaurants and we consistently have great meals there. Cape May is a wonderful place to visit. We travel all over the country but enjoy returning to Cape May.