Anyone on the East Coast will tell you this past weekend was unseasonably warm. It was the perfect time to take advantage of off-season pricing and bypass the summer crowds at the New Jersey shore … or so I thought. Upon seeing the forecast, I began searching for hotels in Cape May midweek, only to find almost all were sold out. One kind reservation agent gave me an insider’s tip: the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May has a list of rooms available and recent cancellations you can request on a daily basis. So when Friday rolled around, I gave them a call. Sadly, none of the openings were quite what we wanted. So I checked my favorite site of all, Cape Resorts, one last time and, what luck, a room was available! The price was more than I hoped, but I threw caution to the wind and booked. We stayed at the Beach Shack, a low-key, beachfront hotel. One of the main perks of this hotel is the location. It is directly across the street from the ocean and a short walk to the main shopping area of Cape May. It also features the Rusty Nail, a popular bar and restaurant that has great food and outdoor seating as well as a bonfire and live music every night. Additionally, it offers complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas on the beach, and guests are able to order food and beverages from the Rusty Nail directly from their beach chairs. It is something else! The only disappointment of the stay was the room itself. Though it was perfectly clean with fresh bedding and towels, the layout was a bit odd. It actually had two bedrooms, with an area air conditioning unit in only one of the rooms. Some updates were obvious, including new floor paneling and furniture, but there were other areas, like rusty bathroom fixtures and very obvious unfinished paintwork, that really looked shabby. This is of course to be expected at a true “beach shack,” but at rates similar to more luxurious properties, it was a bit of a letdown. Weighing all of the pros and cons, I still believe the Beach Shack is a great choice for overnight accommodations in Cape May. Some small improvements would make it my favorite place in town. — Danielle Hudena Pitonyak, executive vice president