How We Spend Our Winter in Cape May

How We Spend Our Winter in Cape May

How we spend our winter in Cape May is probably the most often asked question each year. Contrary to popular belief we don’t all close up in Cape May and head south for the winter. Many of us operate businesses open 365 days a year seven days a week. During the slower Monday to Thursday patterns in the shoulder season, is when we work on the infrastructure of our businesses. The Victorian Motel in Cape May has spent the past three winters renovating interior rooms of the motel, replacing windows and roof structures.

This winter is no exception to how we spend our winter in Cape May. It’s the lobby’s turn. On Monday we began tearing out the old front desk. System management teaches that changing one thing affects everything else. If you’re tearing out the desk in an operational lobby then you have to relocate the operations center. This means telephones, computer networks, and anything related to the front desk, all had to be relocated, temporarily.

 It only took an aggressive crew  a few hours to complete the demolition of the desk, surrounding wall areas and ceilings. Electricians waiting in the wings immediately began roughing in new recessed LED light fixtures, outlets and computer cables. All at a feverish pace. Air conditioning supply ducts and finish spackle were going in place by day three. The painter is due on Friday, so all the walls have to be up and finished by then. We’re on a tight schedule but it’s working, it has to, we’re open.

The new furniture, cabinets, for the front desk, will be delivered and set in place on Monday. The countertops will be installed a few days later. The two weeks before Thanksgiving are predictably the slowest weeks before the busy Christmas season. Our goal has been to remodel the lobby, so the once a year Christmas guests will have an opportunity to enjoy the new lobby. Someone once described winter in Cape May as a Hollywood movie set backdrop. It’s the time of year when all the stuff you can’t get done all year gets done. It’s how we spend winter in Cape May.