Chalfonte Hotel

The Chalfonte Hotel has welcomed guests in Cape May, New Jersey since 1876, making it the oldest continually operating hotel in the nation's first seaside resort. A National Historic Landmark, the Victorian property sits two blocks from the beach and has been shaped by four eras of stewardship, most recently by the Mullock family since 2008. Weddings and private events unfold across several distinct settings. Guests gather on the sweeping verandas for hors d'oeuvres and cocktails before moving into the Magnolia Room ballroom — a grand dining and dancing space that seats up to 150 and can accommodate up to 200 when the adjacent outdoor porch and first floor are included. The Secret Garden provides an outdoor setting for ceremonies. Seventy guest rooms and three adjacent cottages allow visiting parties to extend a celebration across the full weekend. The Magnolia Room has earned a reputation as a Cape May dining institution through generations of Southern-inspired cooking, including recipes from Miss Helen Dickerson, the kitchen's head chef for more than 60 years. The venue has received the Knot Best of Weddings recognition every year from 2012 through 2023 and holds Hall of Fame status.