By MADDY VITALE
Memorial Day weekend is just days away and with it comes the much-anticipated grand opening of the first new hotel in Ocean City in two decades.
Impala Suites boutique-style hotel opens Friday at the corner of 10th Street and Ocean Avenue, just a block from the beach and the Boardwalk, giving families a new option for a vacation getaway in modern suites with many amenities.
Although there will be 15 suites in the hotel, the number of bedrooms will raise the total amount of lodging to 45 rooms. It also features a pool and panoramic views of the Ocean City skyline and amusements.
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, dignitaries expressed their congratulations to Christopher Glancey, one of the owners of the property, and thanked him, along with his partners, Frank Varallo and Bob Morris, who were not part of the ceremony, for investing in the city.
Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, called the hotel “a new jewel” on the island.
“This really is one of the new jewels of the city that highlights all that Ocean City represents as America’s Greatest Family Resort,” she said.
The suites include a kitchenette, dining room and living room, creating a type of home-away-from-home atmosphere that should be popular with families.
The hotel will offer a combination of one, two or three-bedroom suites, giving families the flexibility to pick and choose the type of lodging they need, depending on the size of their group.
Glancey said he is excited about the grand opening.
“On behalf of the three owners, we want to thank everybody,” Glancey noted during the ceremony. “Ocean City has been terrific to work with and it will be a great summer.”
State Assemblyman Antwan McClellan, of Ocean City, attended the ribbon-cutting and said to Glancey, “Welcome to Ocean City — the greatest city in the state. Congratulations.”
Mayor Jay Gillian and Councilmen Pete Madden and Tom Rotondi, Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio, who is also a Cape May County Commissioner, and Commissioner E. Marie Hayes also attended the ceremony.
Desiderio thanked Glancey for his investment in properties in Sea Isle City. Glancey purchased the LaCosta Lounge property in Sea Isle in 2018 and is renovating the old bar and nightclub into an updated version of the establishment.
“I wish you all the best and we appreciate and thank you for your investments in Sea Isle,” Desiderio said.
The COVID-19 pandemic stalled Glancey’s Ocean City hotel project due to delays with the delivery of construction materials.
Desiderio said that this summer may make up for it. “It will be like two summers this year,” he noted of the predicted busy season, judging by booked rentals to date and big crowds in recent weekends.
In addition to Impala Suites, Glancey’s hospitality company, Shorebreak Resorts, oversees a cluster of suites and condominiums, including The Impala Island Inn, the adjacent Ebb Tide Suites and Wild Dunes Inn, to offer a variety of lodging for guests within the same block of Ocean Avenue.
“We are so proud of this building and can’t wait for families to make special memories in Ocean City,” Glancey’s wife, Amy Glancey, who is chief marketing officer for Shorebreak Resorts, said after the ribbon-cutting in an interview.
Featuring a coastal, beach-themed design, Impala Suites is a mid-market property that is affordable to Ocean City’s typical family vacationers, Amy Glancey said.
“These are investment properties,” she pointed out. “If you want to buy here these are easy rentals.”
She noted that among the amenities is a cleaning service. Owners or guests have a choice of whether they wish to have their rooms cleaned or not. There is a checklist of things people may choose when staying.
“These are full-service units,” she noted. “We have a great cleaning crew.”
While there are three-night minimums, she explained that it could be any days of the week.
Owners can choose to rent out one or two bedrooms and stay in the other, if they opt to. Shorebreak Resorts will manage the rentals for the owners so they don’t have to worry about anything.
There is also room service for those who want to dine in. Kitchenettes give vacationers the option to cook for themselves.
Amy Glancey, along with her friend, Suzi King, a realtor from TI Realty who is working with them, stood on the balcony of one of the suites overlooking a Boardwalk amusement park.
“You can’t beat the views of the Boardwalk, just one block away,” Glancey said with a smile.
For more information and pricing, visit https://www.shorebreakresorts.com.
