The Flanders Hotel in Ocean City, New Jersey, hosts weddings, banquets, conferences, board meetings, retreats and family celebrations in seven period rooms, from a wood-paneled Board Room to the Crystal Ballroom and its 2,800 sq ft oak dance floor. The hotel opened in 1923, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and stands at 719 East 11th Street, steps from the beach and the Boardwalk.
Seminars and company events
For business groups, the hotel books board meetings, conferences, retreats and company getaways. The Board Room, with wood paneling, hardwood floors and candle chandeliers, suits a smaller meeting and can be combined with the ballrooms when a working session turns into a dinner. The Terrace Room, with large windows, high ceilings and a mosaic tile floor, works for a workshop or a breakout group. Because the hotel is an all-suites property, delegates can stay on site and walk to the beach between sessions. Capacities are not published online: the catering office gives figures for each room and layout on request.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the hotel's main event activity. Ceremonies can take place on the beach, with the Boardwalk lights behind the couple. Guests then gather for cocktails on the Promenade, reached from the main lobby by a grand staircase, with a fireplace and a baby grand piano. The Hall of Mirrors leads into the two ballrooms for dinner. A certified wedding coordinator is on staff, and the bar team builds custom drinks menus with local suppliers, with one bartender for every 75 guests. The hotel also hosts bar and bat mitzvahs, bridal and baby showers, anniversaries, birthdays and class reunions.
Rooms and capacities
The Candlelight Ballroom keeps a 1920s look, with candle chandeliers, tea-light sconces, cathedral ceilings, gold-rosette columns, large windows and tapestries. The Crystal Ballroom has crystal chandeliers, gold-trimmed vaulted ceilings, a marble fireplace, murals and the oak dance floor. The Garden Room is a skylit atrium with three curving staircases, a stone garden and a dolphin fountain, used for grand entrances and first dances. The Hall of Mirrors, with vaulted ceilings, medallions and crystal sconces, serves as the corridor between the ballrooms. The Promenade is accessible by elevator. Ask the catering office for the guest count of each room, since the website does not list them.
Accommodation
The Flanders is an all-suites hotel. Its suites have private bedrooms and full kitchens, which suits wedding parties and families staying several nights, as well as teams on a retreat. The website does not give the number of suites.
Catering
The hotel has a full catering kitchen and banquet facilities, with its own chef and trained service staff, and a catering office that prepares each event. Two restaurants operate on site: Emily's Ocean Room for family dining and Supper Club 1923.
History and setting
The Flanders opened in 1923 and has kept its period ballrooms, sconces and staircases. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel sits a few steps from the Ocean City Boardwalk and the beach on the Jersey Shore.
Getting there
The hotel is at 719 East 11th Street in Ocean City, New Jersey, a barrier-island resort town south of Atlantic City. Most guests arrive by car.
