Congress Hall can seat 350 people in theater style in its Grand Ballroom, serve a banquet for 225 and host a wedding reception of up to 350 guests on its Grand Lawn, with more than 100 guest rooms in the same building. The hotel stands at 200 Congress Place in Cape May, New Jersey, the Victorian resort town at the southern tip of the state.
Seminars and company events
The hotel runs a meetings department that handles groups of more than 10 people through a request for proposal. Five indoor spaces cover a range from a 10-seat boardroom to a full ballroom. A company can hold a plenary session in the Grand Ballroom, break out into the Harrison Room and the Break-Out Suites, and keep Founder's Hall for an executive dinner. The hotel's own bars and restaurants can take the group in the evening, and the beach and the historic district are within walking distance for free time. Holiday packages also use the ballrooms for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, which shows the rooms in banquet use.
Weddings and receptions
Congress Hall hosts one wedding per day. Ceremonies can take place on the Grand Lawn for up to 250 guests, with the hotel's three-story colonnade behind the couple, or in the Harrison Room for 32. The lawn takes up to 350 for a standing reception or 250 for a seated dinner. Indoors, the Grand Ballroom takes up to 200 guests for a dinner dance. If the weather turns, the ceremony moves inside, and the final choice is made by noon on the day. A breakfast or brunch for the wedding party can be arranged the next morning. Packages are usually released 12 to 18 months ahead, and a site fee confirms the date.
Rooms and capacities
The Grand Ballroom covers 4,218 sq ft with an 11 ft ceiling: theater 350, classroom 125, banquet 225, dinner dance 200, hollow square 48, U-shape 40 and boardroom 30. The Harrison Room covers 1,259 sq ft, also with an 11 ft ceiling, and the meetings sheet gives theater 150, classroom 50 and banquet 100. Founder's Hall (415 sq ft) takes 20 seated or 30 for a reception. The Break-Out Suites (392 sq ft) take 10 around a table or 20 standing. The 1816 Room suits a boardroom of 12. Outdoors, the Grand Lawn is the largest space of the property.
Accommodation
The hotel offers more than 100 guest rooms, suites and apartments. For large weddings, Cape Resorts adds historic cottages on Jackson Street and cottages at Beach Plum Farm.
Catering
Catering is handled by the hotel. On site, guests find The Blue Pig Tavern, The Brown Room, The Boiler Room, the Grand Lawn and Veranda Bar, and Tommy's Folly coffee shop. A seasonal Veranda Dinner Series runs in summer. The Wedding Sales Manager supplies the menus and package details.
History and setting
Congress Hall opened in 1816 as a simple boarding house and calls itself the oldest seaside hotel in the United States. It is a contributing property of a district on the National Register of Historic Places. A full renovation was completed in 2001, during which workers found a box from the late 19th century. The building keeps its long veranda and white columns facing the lawn and the ocean.
Getting there
Cape May lies at the southern end of the Garden State Parkway. The hotel is in the center of town, within walking distance of the Washington Street Mall and the beach.
