Guests' Favorite of All Cape May Inns

What makes The Montreal Inn the perfect family hotel?

It’s been in one family for generations.

Because of our high standards for guest satisfaction, spacious accommodations and breathtaking ocean views, Montreal Inn has become a favorite among all other Cape May inns.

The Montreal Inn story starts as far from Cape May’s sandy shores as anyone could possibly imagine. Harry & Sophie Hirsch, a young couple in Poland seeking a better life after World War II, decided to leave the life they knew for the United States, and their chance at the American Dream.

Harry & Sophie arrived in a Philadelphia port via cargo ship in 1951. Having been raised

in the isolated villages of Poland, neither spoke a word of English. However, relying on good fortune and the kindness of strangers, they began to build a life for themselves in Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. Harry’s skills as a carpenter served him well, allowing him to work a series of construction jobs to make ends meet.

In 1955, Harry & Sophie chose to leave city life behind, and settle down in the countryside. Thanks to loan from his uncle, Harry set up a chicken farm in the small agricultural town of Tuckahoe, NJ. Years of hard work paid off, and the farm grew, prompting Harry & Sophie to open an Eggs & Poultry delivery service, providing provisions to local restaurants. Harry’s route often took him to the Jersey shore, and, at times, to Cape May – a town with which he and Sophie began to fall in love.

 

In 1965, beachfront property became available at the corner of Beach Drive and Madison Avenue. Harry & Sophie knew they had to have it, and planned to build a summer home for their family. However, only after buying the land and signing the contract, they learned they were not permitted to build a home there; they had to build a business. At first devastated by the news, they soon came to realize their error was actually an opportunity. In a matter of months, they would begin construction on a 27-room motel.

 

Being the youngest in a large family, Harry hoped to recreate the family-style atmosphere from the “old country” he loved so much. Visitors from around the country and the world began to flock to Cape May for its beautiful beaches and historic Victorian architecture. The small motel simply couldn’t meet the demand, so Harry & Sophie began to expand. A third floor was added, then a fourth – creating the 70-room hotel of the present day. Sophie passed away in 1975, but shortly thereafter, her sons, Larry & Joseph, entered the family business full-time. Nearly half a century later, the Montreal Inn is a three-generational family operation.

 

Today, the Montreal Inn is one of the premier Cape May inns, and one of only a handful in the area to be under the continuous management of a single family. But despite growth and changing times, the Hirsch Family never wavers from its core principle of treating customers like family. That’s what makes the Montreal Inn Cape May’s Most Accommodating Inn!

 

 (Left to right) Joey, Evan, Jonathan, Larry

Amy, Abbie, Miriam, Sophie

Harry Hirsch