Reges Oceanfront Resort — Hotel in Wildwood Crest

My review below is provided grudgingly, as I'm ruining a best kept secret.

This place is heaven on earth. That being said, to believe what I just said, you must be a fan of the Jersey shore, because Reges is very typical of what one expects at the shore. The rooms are not fancy but they all face the ocean, they have serviceable mini-kitchens, and tiny bathrooms. At $300/night, you'd better be aware of what you're getting or you'll be disappointed. The Jersey shore provides a family experience that is unique, and Reges delivers on this better than most. As I said, ALL rooms face the ocean, and the views are SPECTACULAR, 24 hours per day. All rooms oversee the pool, but if you close the balcony door and there's plenty of quiet for a nap. The check-in experience is very nice - it feels like a family operation. But the lobby is bigger and more nicely appointed than almost all NJ shore hotels. They were VERY professional about COVID. The parking lot is very small, which is the norm at the shore hotels. This part of Wildwood Crest, however, causes little problem with parking. It's a very quiet part of Wildwood Crest. One will be happy to know that there are a few places within walking distance that provide adult fun, and maybe a bit of family fun. There's a beach bar a quarter mile south. A liquor store and bar a 1//4 mile west. Good food delivery (wait times a bit long). Before Covid, the coffee shop on the ground floor was a dream in itself, what a Jersey shore vacation is made of. Again, lower your expectations as to what that means, but having a "diner" in your own hotel is a beautiful thing. That same diner provides a window to the beach and pool until 3 pM daily for excellent fast food and ice cream. Very nice staff. Pool is outstanding. Small but so friendly and so jersey shore. No drinking but fuggetabooutit. In years past, towels and service (not this year). You'll see the same families every day you're there. The pool has no lifeguard but it is five feet deep max. The sun shines on the pool until four after which there are hours of shade. You'll see fans of sun and shade, and those in between throughout the day. There's a small private beach area but in the years we've been there, it has been little used. Rather, the guests go to the waterfront about 300 meters away, to the best beach in the world. For those that don't know, Wildwood Crest is the best beach for families ever. Shallow and deep, waves and calm. The best lifeguards in the world. No drinking (fuggedaboutid). At night, when you're ready to hit the boardwalk, you can drive or take a tram. The tram is kind of weak, so driving is best. You can park within blocks of the boardwalk for j$5-20 or away from the boardwalk for less. You can't walk from the Reges unless you're doing a workout walk, which is not a bad thing. I've done it but it's not a family thing. The boardwalk is a mile or two and it's a pleasant walk or run. The Reges offers all kinds of travel excursons, and they're fair deals (not rip-ooffs). Whale/dolphin watching, meal=deals, mini-golf, restaurants. These guys are players in the neighborhood and well respected.

So yes, you can go to Disney for the same price, but if you're creating a Jersey family tradition, GO...

Great location, friendly front staff, mediocre rooms in need of upgrades. I’ve stayed at the Reges in previous years and looked forward to visiting again as the location & pool was perfect for a mini summer getaway

However, operations and management of the hotel is terribly deceptive.

Intentionally unresponsive Inconsiderate Sets up guests to loose booking deposit.

A hurricane hit the NJ shore days before my trip that was booked in January. I called the hotel to discuss my options to reschedule or cancel as I was not willing to risk the safety of my family by driving into a flood zone which also was under tornado warning.

I was told that management would not even review my questions regarding my deposit until AFTER my reservation was cancelled. We waited until 24hr before our arrival date in hopes of a change in the weather reports. I again called the hotel and asked if management can be reached so we can discuss a possible resolution. I again was told that I had to cancel my reservation.

We canceled due to a SEVERE WEATHER ALERT with warnings of floods, high winds, etc… This was not jut an inconvenient rain storm.

I followed up in writing, made calls to the hotel, and even send a photo of the weather reports.

NO RESPONSE! I finally filed a claim with my credit card company and that’s when Management finally reacted by telling Master Card that I did not cancel within policy to be refunded my deposit. MC suggested I speak with the hotel directly. That is exactly what I tried to do. My intention was to have a conversation to discuss options that would satisfy all parties.

1- Management instructed hotel staff to tell guests that questions about deposit would not be reviewed until after the reservation was cancelled. This is called ENTRAPMENT

2- even after I followed instructions management didn’t give me the courtesy of a phone call or an email response

3- Hurricanes don’t give 14day...

12 years in a row staying here and for good reason; it's one of the few family owned places left on the island. You can tailor your stay to your likes not some management company hired to watch the place. Most rentals are Saturday to Saturday. Here, I come Friday and leave 10 days later on a Sunday. MY schedule, not anyone else's. Also proximity; I can step out on my balcony and practically fall into the pool that's how close it is. Then the BEACH is just over the dune. The cafe has THE best breakfast sandwiches on the island, served on a brioche bun. I've had the same housekeeper, Joanie, for 12 years now, and she always fills requests, not to mention being just plain kind; several years ago my kid was under the weather and Joanie provided her with coloring books to pass the time in the room. At her own expense. To this day she still leaves a small trinket in the room for her, just because. Then there's the big pool man Thomson. He has provided a watch over my daughter since she was 3 years old. That piece of mind is worth the price. And make no mistake you will pay through the nose for the convenience and location of this place. My efficiency that sleeps 6 is 300 bucks a night with taxes. They constantly keep improving the place little by little this year they have safes in the room now. New LG TVs and Kenmore refrigerator's. So they do reinvest the money you pay back into the place to keep it up. I wouldn't come back here for more than a decade if they didn't. We love it here....