Cape May is known across the country for its tastefully done and highly maintained bed & breakfast inns. CapeMay.com thought it would be insightful to get the answers to some basic questions from every innkeeper in town.
Andrew Jepson Innkeeper of Beauclaire’s Bed & Breakfast
Owners Joe & Joanne Giovanetti
23 Ocean Street
How many years have you been an innkeeper?
This is my first year
What did you do before?
I had been working the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC) in the Twinings Tearoom for four years and thought I might be laid off so enrolled at the West Kentucky University then I decided to come home.
Why did you want to become an innkeeper?
I was looking for a job and saw the ad in the newspaper. I was one of 16 people who applied for the job. I Had experience with everything they were looking for in an innkeeper from food service to customer service. For me, it was a dream job. Being an innkeeper is a lifestyle and for me it’s a good fit.
Why did you pick Cape May?
I’m from Cape May and I love being here.
What do you like best about Cape May?
I love the nightlife. Cape May has so much to offer year round and I absolutely love taking guests out so they can see what the locals do. Martini Beach, Cabanas, the Brown Room they’re all such fun.
Susan & Elan Zingman-Leith of Leith Hall
22 Ocean Street
How many years have you been innkeepers?
Elan: Seventeen years
What did you do before?
I was an historic preservationist and Susan was a systems analyst.
Why did you want to become an innkeepers?
There are so many reasons. It’s nice to take winter vacations. We go to Europe in January and February. We’re the owners of a big house near the beach. We have no bosses. We can live in Cape May. And we could restore a Victorian house.
Why did you pick Cape May?
This is the only place we considered. I’m an historic preservationists and Cape May has 1200 Victorian or Edwardian houses. There’s no town like it and it’s such a nice town.
What do you like best about Cape May?
The houses. The architecture.
Lorraine & Terry Schmidt of The Humphrey House
29 Ocean Street
How many years have you been innkeepers?
Lorraine:This is our 20th season.
What did you do before?
I worked for Merrill Lynch and Terry worked for the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.
Why did you want to become an innkeepers?
We wanted to own our own business and we wanted to live in Cape May. Owning an inn was a good way to stop what we were doing.
Why did you pick Cape May?
Because it’s a year-round community. And we wanted to be near the beach.
What do you like best about Cape May?
The beaches. The people. The ambiance of the town. The Victorian architecture. The restaurants. We just love it here.
Robyn & Wolfgang Wendt of the Rhythm by the Sea
1123 Beach Avenue
How many years have you been innkeepers?
Wolfgang: Nine years in this location.
What did you do before?
I owned a ski lodge in Winter Park, Colorado for 20 years.
Why did you want to become an innkeeper?
It’s all I know. I owned a couple of restaurants in between the ski lodge and Rhythm by the Sea so for 50 years I’ve been in the hospitality business.
Why did you pick Cape May?
Cape May picked me. We were on a realtor’s mailing list and we received a mailing telling us of the availability of this property.
What do you like best about Cape May?
The beach, the sun, the tourists.
Barbara & Mary Morris of The Henry Sawyer Inn
722 Columbia Avenue
How many years have you been innkeepers?
Barbara: We bought the house in January of 1992 and opened in August of that year.
What did you do before?
I still teach at St. John’s University in New York.
Why did you pick Cape May?
My mother has owned a house here since 1976 and we’ve really enjoyed our time here.
Why did you want to become an innkeeper?
We’ve enjoyed all aspects of Cape May while we lived here and we wanted to share our love of Cape May with others.
What do you like best about Cape May?
I like the mixture of things – the community, the beach, the Victorian architecture and I particularly like the cultural activities we have here –the East Lynne Theatre and the Music Festival and all the other events.
Diane Clark Innkeeper of The Mainstay Bed & Breakfast Inn
Owners David and Susan Macrae
635 Columbia Avenue
How many years have you been an innkeeper?
I was the assistant innkeeper under Tom and Sue Carroll (the previous innkeepers) for 1 year and I’ve been the innkeeper under the Macraes for two years now.
What did you do before?
I was an x-ray technician years ago. I married and didn’t work for a while, then I worked at the Mainstay for a long time before becoming an assistant innkeeper.
Why did you want to become an innkeeper?
I enjoy being around people and when the Carrolls sold the inn, I was asked by the Macraes to run it for them so there would be someone familiar with the inn on the premises. The Macraes do not live in Cape May.
Why did you pick Cape May?
I grew up in Cape May My mother still lives down the street. I just love it here. There’s really nothing like it.
What do you like best about Cape May?
The people. The beaches, although I don’t get to go to beach anymore. It’s a quaint town. The people are very friendly, although there aren’t as many people living here years round as there used to be.
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