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Madison Resorts will open its second Jersey Shore resort in Wildwood Crest on Thursday, May 16, the company said in a news release. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m.
The Ocean Avenue resort is a massive renovation for the Oceanview Motel, which was the largest motel built in Wildwoods when it opened in 1964.
"We’re thrilled to bring our Madison Resorts family to the Wildwood Crest community," Madison Resorts founder Dan Alicea said in a statement. "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."
Alicea said Madison has invested more than $52 million in the project, which also included "top-to-bottom" renovations at Oceanview and the neighboring Royal Hawaiian property. Madison Resort Wildwood Crest will have 200 guest rooms, three restaurants, two pools and hot tubs with seating for more than 100 people, two fitness centers, five conference rooms, and two rooftop event spaces.
The renovations also keep the historical doo-wop style that made Oceanview Motel memorable.
“We made a promise to preserve the architecture of the past with our renovation of this property," said Alicea. "2024 marks 60 years since this property was built. There’s no way that we would stand for anything but a full restoration of this iconic structure.”
Madison said the Doo-Wop Preservation League, Wildwood Historical Society, and the Greater Wildwood Hotel and Motel Association pushed for Oceanview to be restored. Madison purchased the property in August 2022 for $10 million and the final design "incorporates the retro era into the modern culture," paying homage to Wildwood's doo-wop history.
Doo-Wop Preservation League president John Donio said the renovation kept the character of Oceanview, which was once called the Admiral East Motel.
"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," 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."
Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera praised Madison's work to find a new purpose for Oceanview.
"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," Mayor Cabrera said in a statement. "Its transformation maintains some of the original architectural features with a modern-day feel. I wish them much success."
Across Ocean Avenue at the corner of Orchid Street, Madison bought The Royal Hawaiian in December 2023. The resort had been open as recently as 2022 and the newly named Royal Tower needed much less work than Oceanview.
Alicea said the combined resort will be "unlike anything" in Cape May County.
"Buying The Royal Hawaiian was an easy decision for us," he 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 former Oceanview Motel will be called the Madison Tower and the rebuilt lobby includes a Crosley record player and a retro TV set playing classic beach movies. The pool was replaced, a hot tub and children's pool were added, and new cabanas will create "a chic lounge vibe."
DAS Architects from Philadelphia helped design the resort. The group also worked on the Boarding House hotel in Cape May and The Reeds at Shelter Haven in Stone Harbor.
Madison Resorts also owns Montreal Beach Resort in Cape May.
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