It’s time to kick summer up a notch and a new resort down the shore aims to help you make that leap.
Madison Resort Wildwood Crest — 7201 Ocean Ave., https://madisonresortwildwoodcrest.com — brings together the historic doo-wop stylings of the Oceanview Motel and combines it with the Royal Hawaiian property next door, for one giant resort.
This new place features 200 guest rooms, three restaurants, two pools, cabana and poolside seating for 100, two hot tubs, beachfront weddings, two fitness centers, five conference rooms, two rooftop event spaces and pet-friendly accommodations.
“We’re thrilled to bring our Madison Resorts family to the Wildwood Crest community,” founder Dan Alicea said. “With this opening, we’re excited to help save and preserve an important piece of Wildwood Crest history, while bringing the Jersey shore its largest new resort. We’ve invested more than $52 million in this project as we’re feeling bullish about the future of Wildwood Crest, Cape May and the Jersey Shore.”
Madison Resort Wildwood Crest is a project more than two years in the making, with a major investment in the community that grew from $12 million to over $52 million.
The ambitious project started with the purchase of the Oceanview Motel, a beachfront building that was built in 1964 and was the largest motel in the Wildwoods.
Over recent years, members of the Doo-Wop Preservation League, Wildwood Historical Society and the Greater Wildwood Hotel and Motel Association lobbied to keep the property intact to retain its architecture. In 2022 Madison Resorts stepped in to save the shuttered midcentury gem from being demolished.
After two years of renovations, the finished design incorporates the retro era into the modern culture, giving the property a look and feel that blends with Wildwoods rich doo-wop-era history.
After work was fully underway on the site of the Oceanview in 2023, Madison Resorts purchased the Royal Hawaiian, located across the street at Orchid Street and Ocean Avenue.
This property was in operation until the prior year and didn’t need the same amount of overhaul that the Oceanview did. Madison Resorts decided to add this property to its portfolio and aimed to create a super resort unlike anything in Cape May County.
“Buying the Royal Hawaiian was an easy decision for us,” Alicea said. “It was another great restoration project and the location was undeniable. Being able to operate both resorts as one by combining amenities is going to be a game changer for Wildwood Crest.”
The Royal Tower — formerly the Royal Hawaiian — is adorned with a large Madison logo cascading down the face of the building.
One block up you’ll come to the Madison Tower, formerly the Oceanview.
The Madison team created a modern marvel in Wildwood Crest with this building. The signature blast-off roof and lobby have been rebuilt from the ground up, the pool is brand new with the addition of a hot tub and children’s pool, cabanas have been added for a chic lounge vibe along with a flex space filled with umbrella-covered seating and hammocks.
Upon entering the lobby, visitors will see vintage touches like a Crosley record player and refurbished midcentury TV set playing classic beach movies.
Once past the check-in area, guests will enter the second-floor conference area and continue on to the future home of the restaurant. They can then head up to their room to be wowed at the level of detail that has been used to keep the rooms vintage and modern at the same time.
“The complete restoration of the iconic and historic lobby of the former Admiral East is a huge victory, not only for the historic preservation community, but for the entire island of The Wildwoods,” Doo Wop Preservation League President John Donio said. “Dan Alicea and his team have proven that doo-wop can be modernized and kept exciting for an entirely new generation of travelers.”
All rooms in the Ocean Tower were brought down to the studs and rebuilt, redesigned and feature new furniture, mattresses, appliances, decor and more. They feature the signature modern doo-wop styling with vintage colors and retro-style micro appliances to add to the vibe. The Royal Tower is designed to be family and pet friendly.
“On behalf of the Borough of Wildwood Crest, I look forward to the opening of Madison Resort Wildwood Crest,” Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera said. “We have watched the progression of a once dilapidated motel evolve into a first class resort in the hub of our community right before our eyes. Its transformation maintains some of the original architectural features with a modern day feel. I wish them much success.”
