The Golden Inn in Avalon, NJ

The Friday after Thanksgiving, we packed a couple of bags and made our way to the Jersey Shore for a fun-filled weekend at the Golden Inn Hotel & Resort. Elizabeth, the Party Planning Professor, invited us – along with several other bloggers and their families – to experience what the Golden Inn and the city of Avalon have to offer.

All I ask for from a hotel is that it be clean and have comfortable beds, and The Golden Inn provided me with that and more! Just steps from the beach, this Avalon hotel is fairly small, with only 3 floors and 154 rooms. The seashore-inspired decor in the rooms is warm and inviting, and I found ours (a standard room) to be quite spacious. Two queen beds, a big dresser, a desk, a couple of chairs, and the requisite TV filled the room. I requested a Pack ‘N Play for my toddler, and we received it in less than 10 minutes. The staff even offered to set it up. The free unlimited wireless Internet access was fabulous! As a blogger, you know I’m always looking for that! 😉

I didn’t get a photo of the room, as my husband and daughters jumped into bed before the door even closed behind me, but did take a photo of the toiletries. Bath & Body Works! And one of my favorite fragrances – Coconut Lime Verbena. Two sinks, lots of fluffy white towels in the bathroom. Good stuff.

My favorite part? We could literally walk out the back door of our room, up a dune, and on to the beach. It was beautiful!!

We braved the cold to search for sea shells and to just take in the beauty and sereneness of it all. The girls met Grace, my friend Tara’s daughter, and made sand castles together.

Loved sitting by the fireplace in the lobby! We met such lovely people there.

There is so much to do in that area of New Jersey! The quaint little shops and restaurants in Stone Harbor are nearby. We would have walked if it were a little warmer. The famous Cape May lighthouse and Wildwood boardwalk are only a short drive away. The Cape May County Zoo was about a 15 minute drive, and we saw the Wetlands Institute on our way there.

Ate breakfast in the Golden Inn Dining Room both mornings. The buffet was delicious! Dinner at another of the hotel’s restaurants – Luigi’s Pasta and Vino – though pricey, was yummy as well. It was a much different atmosphere than the dining room; nice and quiet (at least until we arrived!). Drove into Avalon and ate at Bobby Dee’s Rock ‘N Chair one night and it was amazing. I was craving seafood, and my creamy crab risotto hit the spot! I noticed that restaurants were hit or miss – definitely call ahead, because many that have seafood on their menus were closed for the season.

There’s room for improvement at the Golden Inn – the carpeting in the hallways looks a bit outdated and parts of the building need repair, but we’d definitely return to this hotel. If you’re looking to get away, for the month of December there’s a special Weekday Sneak-Away deal for only $79 a night, with breakfast for 2. There are also fun, discounted ‘Girlfriends’ Weekend’ packages and dance getaways. The weekend we were there was “Sinatra @ the Shore” weekend; Jonathan’s Big Band was fantastic!

A view of the resort from the beach:

The fun ended with a party sponsored by Cabbage Patch. Storytime, snacks, doll adoptions, and cupcake-decorating made for a perfect afternoon! The girls each got to choose their very own Cabbage Patch doll to take home – Maya, one of the new Pop ‘N Style dolls, and Maura, an adorable Surprise Newborn.

Here’s Elizabeth reading to the kids. She asked them “Are any of you loud?”
Of course, my daughter was the only one to raise her hand!

As soon as the party was over, we rushed to make it to the Cape May – Lewes Ferry in time, the very last car to board! I was able to catch a glimpse of the sunset…

It was a weekend that we won’t be forgetting anytime soon! A few of the other bloggers in attendance:

• Teresa – Elebelly
• Kelly – The Centsible Life
• Tara – Feels Like Home
• Valerie – Life As We Know It
• Sarah – Chester County Moms

A huge thanks to:

• The Golden Inn for the complimentary breakfast and accomodations.
• Elizabeth for inviting us! Visit www.partyplanningprofessor.com and check out her party ideas!
• Jennifer of Fairytale Entertainment, a party entertainment company, who helped Elizabeth out.
• Jakks Pacific for the Pop ‘N Style and Newborn Surprise Cabbage Patch dolls that my daughters LOVE.