Motel Status Master List

[MMM]

Guest-Wild said:

Exciting new properties are attracting new customers to Wildwood, according to real estate broker Rita Broomell. Wildwood inventory has hit an all-time high, she said.
"Our rental activity is better than it was last year, probably because there are so many new options for people," said Broomell, who manages Century 21 Alliance offices in North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest.
"You just have to drive into town, and boom! all the new construction hits you in the face. In one spot, they put in 25 units where there used to be just three," said Broomell. "They will tear down one old house and put up a quad."
High-end rentals make it possible for vacationers to live for a week like millionaires. These units include whirlpool spas, elevators, widescreen TVs, and computer hook-ups. Some properties feature ocean or bay views, many of them with accommodations for eight to 12 people.
In addition to the new posh rentals, tenants in Wildwood may select from two-floor townhouses, one-floor condo flats - and something called "condotels." "That's a former hotel that's been made into condos," explained Broomell.
"Things that people never could have had before, they can have now, such as their own pool on site, cabanas, bay views and ocean views."

www.courierpostonline.com/news/business/b022005a.htm

That article seems to me to be speaking more of condos going up in the location of former houses, instead of former motels, with the comments about "old house", a pool on site - the motels, for the most part, already had a pool on site, though she does mention the condotels. She personally might be doing fairly well selling/renting a few condos, but that doesn't mean there isn't already too much of a surplus of them within the Wildwoods, not to mention too many out of character condos, or condos just plain out of place. She's exactly right though about the new construction hitting you in the face as you drive into town, but that's not necessarily a positive. Although Rio Grande Avenue as a whole has been looking nice lately, drive over the George Reading bridge and "boom!" you'll see a generic looking condo built in what seems to me to be a commercial area that also happens to be a flood zone (the old Urie's Reef & Beef/Teddy's).

As far as nice new televisions, internet connections, jacuzzi's, etc. go, there's no stopping motel owners from installing these items in their motels. Some have already offered these types of "luxuries".

[FlyinGN]

exactly martin.. No surprises here actually..

Frank

[novacancy]

Add Kathy's Motel to the list of goners.

[shoregirl]

Hi Al, my husband and I have been coming to Wildwood since 1949 for him and 1953 for myself. I wrote an article that a local Wildwood newspaper printed back in October. Earl and I are furious over the total destruction of our island!!! As I stated MANY times , this corporate GREED has got to stop. If these developers think they are going to make a fortune by building all of these condos and townhouses, they better soon wake up and realize that it's not going to work!!! People are not going to pay $2,500 to $4,000 a week to rent a place and then spend money at the restaurants, bike rentals, and on the boardwalk!! It's cheaper for them to go to Florida for 10 days or 2 weeks!!!! I videotaped the whole "destruction" of the Satellite Motel from start to finish!!! We are down at the shore from April thru late Oct, this year we were there yet for New Year's even!! My husband even remembers the game on the boardwalk where they used "live piglets"!!! I don't remember that one, but he does as well as his parents and mine did as well. Wildwood got a bad rap back in the late 70's through the early 90's. Of course having all the bars and clubs didn't help, but as we "clean up" the downtown and get rid of the elements that ruined the reputation of our resort for those years, we can see that this resort will blossom once again just like it did in the 50's and 60's!!!! We get furious when we hear the "yuppies" talk about how they would rather go to OC, Avalon, Sea Isle, Stone Harbor, etc. Why would you go to a seashore resort where you have to "PAY" to go on a beach that is no bigger than some playgrounds, and the kids have nothing to do but play minature golf and eat pizza!!!!!! We go over to Stone Harbor for an hour or two just to shop, and then that's it - you can't even ride along their street closest to the beach and see the water!!! Who wants to look at sand dunes and ugly wooden stairways up and over the dunes just to get to the "playground" beach!!!! No other seashore resort can hold a candle to Wildwood, ever!!!!! We support Jack and the rest of the Morey Organization, thank God we have them!!!! The Fabulous 50's weekend last year was a tremendous success!!! They had to open up more space in the convention center to accomodate the crowd for Jerry Blavat's show Friday night and the big concert on Saturday night too!!!!! My husband and I are very good friends with several motel owners, they do not want to see the island taken over by "corporate greed" . It's all about $$$, they think if they keep building these townhouses and condos that people will buy them up and that way there is electric, heat, phone, tv, water and sewer $$$ coming in to the boroughs all year round. They didn't stop to realize that with the over-priced places they are constructing, the owners will NOT be able to keep them!! People will not pay the "idiotic" rentals they are asking, they can vacation elsewhere cheaper. Therefore, the owners will not be able to meet their mortgages and foreclosures will be at an all time HIGH!!! We laugh about it, because even realtors have told people to sit back and wait until the "yuppies" that bought these places lose them, and we can "sky up" on them CHEAP!!!! What the developers fail to realize is families aren't going on vacations now like they did years ago - they still love the shore, but alot of them might only go now for 3 to 5 nights instead of 2 weeks straight. The owners of these condos and townhouss need rentals every single week in order to meet their mortgages!!!! Because we know EVERY INCH of the island and ALOT of people that have businesses there as well, we see the toll this destruction is taking already in the last 3 years. Maids will lose their jobs, Wildwood Linen is losing alot of clients, restaurants HAVE BEEN hurting, (people are eating in - if they have to pay these crazy rentals), bike rentals are down, the NJ Firemen have already stated if this destruction of the motels that they stay at continue - they will take their convention elsewhere!!! There's MAJOR $$$$$$ that will be LOST for the resort!!!! We MUST ban together and get the word out to stop this horrible, senseless destruction. They are slitting their own throats.

[wildre]

shoregirl, first let me welcome you to our group!!

Yes there are rental properties for rent in the $2,500 to 4k price range but I must also add that there still exists affordable rentals below 2k a week. If you think about $800 week for a single, crammed motel room, sleeping 4, to a 3 bedroom rental sleeping 8-10 for under 2k, which would you choose for a vacation?
Motel renters don't go out to eat as much as you may think, most motels offer grills which are used morning to night.

I own rental property and some folks expect to pay the same as they did for a motel room to rent my 3 bedroom property.
I also know that some eating places have upped their prices and reduced their portions, so where's the value?The restrurants that give you a fair priced, tasty meal are still very busy. It's the mediocore ones with no value that are suffereing.

Might as well give you my take on the NJ Firemen, here goes. I greatly admire them for what they do, however...... For the most part the only ones who make money on them is the motels/hotels. They bring their own food, booze and beer. I watch every year as they unload trailers full of it. The only thing that you can be sure they buy on the island is ice, and lots of it. The motels gives them hospitality room and they cook or grill all their own meals.
So I don't see how you can say they spend big $$$$$!

If I get slammed for this post, so be it. It's my opinion and observations from spending the last 10 summers in the Wildwoods.

re

[AnthonyV]

According to restuarant industry report made in New Jersey, taken in and around The Wildwoods back in 2001, it was estimated that almost a combined 43% of all those who vacationed in Wildwood go out to eat or order take out at least once during a weekend stay and at least twice during a week long stay - whether it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But that was back in 2001 and I'm sure the figure has changed since then. But still it is hardly a unimpressive figure however you look at it!

I'm very familiar with how the motel industry is run, both past and present. Very RARELY do motels provide gratuity rooms anymore to any organization, though it was true of the Fireman's Convention many years ago. By doing so not only would it be foolish for these motel owners but it was contradict the unwritten but largely accepted law of business which states "make the most money, whenever you can, however you can at any cost." If anything they might lower the price of a room slightly (while raising it at the same time for special weekends) for group bookings.

Also, the summer rental business for property owners is very distinct and unique from the professional motel and hotel business and rarely can they even be compared.

[AnthonyV]

And those opinions are based on my being part of a family who have been longtime summer residents, business owners, and vacation property "renters" since 1963 in the Wildwoods.

[AnthonyV]

Damn! Do I know my FACTS!

[wildre]

Anthony,
The hospitality room is alive and well in North Wildwood. I live on a corner with 3 motels on the other 3 corners. I know they do this every year, the motels owners tell me.

"According to restuarant industry report made in New Jersey, taken in and around The Wildwoods back in 2001, it was estimated that almost a combined 43% of all those who vacationed in Wildwood go out to eat or order take out at least once during a weekend stay and at least twice during a week long stay - whether it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But that was back in 2001 and I'm sure the figure has changed since then. But still it is hardly a unimpressive figure however you look at it!"
Interesting but agree it isn't impressive. Bet that could be said for any community, vacation or otherwise? Guess the other 57% ate in?

re

[wildre]

Oh, yes Anthony, you have the facts, love it!

re

[FlyinGN]

I guess we are not the norm... When we vacation in WW, we eat out EVERY BF, lunch & Dinner. every day.. For 3 of us we prolly spend $600-700 a week on eating out.

[AnthonyV]

I stated a FACT as printed in a professional publication in December 2001 and that number (43%) by all estimations IS quite impressive for ANY resort destination the size of The Wildwoods in general no matter how one looks at it! Ocean City, NJ had a 45% dining-out rate which was reported to be a "spectacular percentage" according to industry standards for that year.

As for the 57% that might cook and eat in, I am sure the local Wawa's, Acme, and Shop-Rite on RIo Grande appreciate that number tremedously!

By comparison the percentage of people dining out in Wildwood or OCean City is slightly below but comparable to the percentage of people who visit NYC and go out to eat which was a remarkable 48% for 2001 according to Zagats.

I'm sure that whatever hospitality room any North Wildwood motels provide are as I implied - RARE! I did not say that it did not happen I said that it was done "rarely" in the motel industry these days. Because such an allowance is financially more than most motel owners can bare, it is not a common practice these days as much as it once was.

Hospitality usually means that the people who occupy such room enjoy a different type of service as offered by whatever motel provides such service.

I will try to contact some friends who STILL own motels in Wildwood Crest (though the number has decresed to about 12 or 13 these days) to see exactly what their "hospitality" policy might be pertaining specifically to firemen during their convention weekend compared to other motels that apparently do. If I'm incorrect I certainly will say so and apologize for that error.

And yes. I agree about my having the facts whole heartedly.

[AnthonyV]

Other than that, I tend to totally agree and applaud a lot of what you've said a few posts ago. Like so many others here, it's nice to interact with you through productive, intelligent exchange!

Anthony

[wildre]

Anthony,
I agree, the facts you quoted, speak for themselves, I wasn't disagreeing with you. Just playing the devils advocate, sorry if I offended you.
Your right, the grocery stores seem to do doing land office business, even the damn Acme with it's uneven floors. Wawa has what 4 stores on the Island, think the fifth, in the Crest, had a fire and never reopened.
Wawa wouldn't be sinking all those bucks here if it wasn't a cash cow. They built 2 new Wawa's within a year, I think.
As far as hospitality rooms are concerned I can only speak to what I know goes on in some of the NWW Motels. These are smaller Mom & Pop Motels, that I'm referring to.
No ones right or wrong here, as I said in my post, these were my observations.
The free flowing interaction here is what makes this bb what it is...a great place to hang and interact.

re

[AnthonyV]

No offense was taken. You stated you points well and they made me go back and look up a few things.

But you're mostly right in what you said - especially about WaWa on the island. I usually go to the one over near where Ocean Drive begins in the southern most part of WWC (actually Diamond Beach) on Pacific Ave. Only passed the big one on Rio Grande. Most of my visits to WaWa are to satisfy my love for Tastycake Juniors which are rarely sold in stores here in northern NJ.

The only time I go to the ACME in Wildwood, which still brings back a lot of memories for me, is when I have to go pick up some beach toys - and that only happens really early in the morning! Other than that the small stoe can be a jungle during summer!

The Shop-Rite out on Rio Grande is best visited during the evening hours I've found out.