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The Chalfonte Hotel
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3 reviews for The Chalfonte Hotel
The Chalfonte is a beautiful historic Victorian hotel just a few blocks from Howard Beach. It was my parents' favorite place to stay when I was a kid, so I have a lot of great memories from back then.
The Chalfonte is 130 years old, and it retains it's historic, almost quaint, appearance and decor. It also retains it's oldness. There are no televisions in the rooms, or even phones! They just installed air conditioning a few years ago. Some rooms (not many) don't even have their own bathroom--they share bathrooms in the hall.
My most recent stay had a few issues. We had our reservation changed but they didn't actually change it, so we had to get a room for the first night and then move to our real room. That was a bit of a pain, and then the room they put us in was rather dark, and paint was peeling off the ceiling. Fortunately they upgraded the room for the second night as an apology, and the second room was much nicer, with a bigger bathroom and generally prettier--like a nice B&B.
We went for the meal option, and had two breakfasts and dinners there. The food wasn't quite exquisite, but it was very good, and I loved the cheesecake dessert. Breakfast was a great buffet, with make-your-own waffles, fresh fruit, and chipped beef on toast, as well as the usual breakfast fare. The orange juice was fresh-squeezed, and very good.
Overall I was happy with the Chalfonte. It's a beautiful hotel, at a great spot, with a lot of history, much like the rest of the neighborhood. The
A must-see spot: The cupola/Widow's Walk, accessible any time of day as long as you don't mind the steep stairs. A great reading spot, and a nice quiet place most off the time, with a great view.
We stayed here six years ago and it is like one big family dormitory. It's a total family-style hotel, which we would probably enjoy now, as we've got a preschooler. Back then, it was a little annoying for us. But it was also a treat because it really felt as if you were going back in time, to this 1950s world of innocence and sweetness.
The hotel is a living antique and the history that oozes in the place is both sentimental yet comforting.
The accommodations are retro, as well. No telephones or TVs in the rooms that I can remember and some rooms don't have a bathroom. BUT, it's close to everything and the beach is a few blocks away.
There is a cottage for rent as well, which I might opt for these days. If you want to try living in another era, consider the Chalfonte.
We dropped in for breakfast and found they they only had a buffet. It had make-it-yourself waffles, never-ending coffee, juice, and all the usual good-breakfast-buffet offerings. The waiter informed us that if there was anything not on the buffet that we'd prefer, that he could probably obtain if in the kitchen. Great service, good buffet. A little pricey, but if you want a pretty good breakfast, it's worth the price.