The Harrison and Pharos at the Harrison Bed and Breakfast are neighboring homes on the shoreline of Cape May, New Jersey. The homes are identical and were built in 1867 by wealthy families from Philadelphia. The bed and breakfast has sixteen guest accommodations between the two homes. The rooms vary in size and amenities, but all include a grande ensuite bathroom, private air conditioning, and LED flat-screen television. In the Harrison house, there is a small home store. Breakfast and afternoon tea are served daily, free of charge. Additional amenities include free bicycles, beach towels, bags and chairs, and access to any of the property's guest pantries. The Harrison and Pharos at the Harrison Bed and Breakfast is open year-round.
The Harrison and Pharos at the Harrison Bed and Breakfast are two separate homes located next door to one another. Built in 1867, they are two of the first homes constructed in the historical downtown area of Cape May. Both bed and breakfast homes are within walking distance of the nearby beach, local shopping areas, and non-chain restaurants. Each of these inns is part of the Diamond Collection Bed and Breakfasts.
The exteriors of the homes are similar; each rises three stories high with a Victorian-style exterior. Some Italian touches are also implemented on the exterior, such as large arched windows, hanging light pendants, and cobblestone pathways. The exterior of the home is similar to its original architecture; the inside, however, has been completely transformed by the owner, Andrew Bare, and his wife Kelley with the help of an interior designer named Evan James.
The interiors of the homes are decorated with varying themes. At the Harrison Inn, there is a Hollywood, Victorian-style. This includes colorful wallpapering, white and silver decor pieces, and more modern elements. In the Pharos at the Harrison, the home is more French Provincial and Victorian. The modern take on French Provincial includes antique furnishes with modern chandeliers and original wall art. On the main floor of each home, there are two parlors and a large dining room.
On the second and third floors of both homes, there are guest pantries where guests are welcome to store their leftovers, keep their wine cool, and hold other food necessities. A variety of luxury amenities are included in every room and around the home. Afternoon tea, as well as a full breakfast, is served every morning and afternoon to guests, high-speed internet access is available throughout both homes, bicycle rentals, as well as helmets, locks, and chains, are offered to guests free of charge. If a guest intends to visit the nearby beach, they can take the bed and breakfast’s complimentary beach bags, beach towels, and beach chairs.
The inside of each room varies depending on its size and location on the floor, but every room has an ensuite bathroom, in-room USB chargers, private air conditioning units, ironing supplies including an ironing board, hairdryer, flat-screen televisions with cable, and toiletries. The toiletries included in each room are part of the Beekman Collection. Select rooms also have fireplaces and jacuzzi bathtubs as well.
There are eight bedrooms in the Harrison Bed and Breakfast, and seven in the Pharos at the Harrison. All of the rooms are located on the second and third floors. None of the rooms are handicap accessible due to the stairs. Two of the rooms in The Harrison are king bedrooms with jacuzzi bathtubs, while the remaining six are queen rooms. In the Pharos at the Harrison, there are five king rooms and three queen rooms.
Breakfast is served daily at the Harrison and Pharos at the Harrison Bed and Breakfast. The menu changes quarterly throughout the year and includes a combination of both sweet and savory menu options. All of the dishes served during the morning meal are inspired by the tropics. Each main course or entree is served with a buffet of yogurt, granola, fruit, baked goods, juice, cereal, tea, and coffee. Any guests who have dietary restrictions or meal preferences can be accommodated if they provide the chef and staff with extra notice. Guests can eat their breakfast in the dining area or on any of the patios in the bed and breakfast. The meal is served from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Afternoon tea is also served on the patio or common areas before dinner hours.
There is also a store on the ground floor of The Harrison home. This store sells a variety of home goods such as accent pillows, mirrors, art pieces, small lamps, and statement décor items. The store also sells a variety of jewelry.
The Harrison and Pharos at the Harrison Bed and Breakfast are owned and managed by Andrew Bares and his wife Kelley. The couple also owns the entire Cape Collection, which is a group of multiple properties located in the area. As they created the bed and breakfast, their goal was to put together an environment for their guests to relax and unwind in luxury. “I want our guests to feel like they are in a luxury resort from a magazine,” says Andrew. In order to meet this goal, the couple has spent a sizable amount of time renovating the Harrison and Pharos at the Harrison Bed and Breakfast to provide each guest with notable amenities, living spaces, unique decor pieces, and other unique additions. In doing this, the couple has brought their dream to life.
A wide large amount of the guests at the Harrison and Pharos Bed and Breakfast are visiting the area for wedding parties, anniversaries, or honeymoons. The typical age group of the guests visiting the inn ranges from thirty to sixty years old. Since its establishment in 2015, the Harrison and Pharos at the Harrison Bed and Breakfast have seen many return guests for summer vacations and anniversaries. No smoking is allowed on the property and neither are pets. Any children in the bed and breakfast must be of sixteen years of age or older.
The Harrison and Pharos at Harrison Bed and Breakfast is known for being a luxury bed and breakfast. Guests often leave reviews regarding the breakfast meal, the attention to detail in design, and the hospitality of the hosts. For example, one guest left the following review: “What a wonderful experience we had at The Harrison. My husband and I searched for a place to stay in Cape May, and I came across their site. When we went to check-in, we met Andrew, who was so nice and accommodating; he even upgraded our stay to a larger room since we were there for a long period of time. The room was beautiful and very clean. The breakfast was fresh and delicious each morning, and Andrew and the entire staff were just so nice and wanted to make everything perfect. It was also within walking distance to Washington Square and a block from the beach."
Cape May is a coastal town, and so many of its attractions involve the outdoors. Most guests at the bed and breakfast can be found spending time at the nearby beaches or walking through town. Tours are provided through the local vineyards, breweries, and farms. Often the beach resorts in Cape May host live music and festivals. Cape May is home to several of the United State’s oldest seaside resorts.
Recently, Andrew and Kelley, the owners of the Cape Collection have started their own restaurant named the Provence. The Provence is located inside the Peninsula Bed and Breakfast at the center of Cape May. The restaurant is upscale and serves multiple course meals in marble encased dining areas. Other popular restaurants in the area include the Washington Inn and Jardin At the Hugh. Each restaurant is high-end and offers prefix-tasting menus. Jardin at the Hugh focuses on sustainability and offers nine courses.
Andrew Bares and his wife Kelly purchased The Harrison Bed and Breakfast in 2015. Two and a half years later, in 2017, they purchased the next-door home, called the Pharos at the Harrison Bed and Breakfast. Both were originally family homes built in 1867 by wealthy families from Philadelphia. The homes were both built by the same architect and contractors. The family homes were transformed into bed and breakfasts in the late 1900s and have functioned that way ever since. After purchasing the homes, Andrew and Kelly spent months doing a complete renovation of the interior. They gutted each home adding bathrooms, breaking down walls, redoing staircases, and adding new flooring. The exterior of the homes could not be altered as much due to their historical nature, but they were repainted. The couple does not plan to make any more changes to the property in the future.
Andrew was in Cape May hunting for a beach home for him and his wife Kelley when they came upon the idea of starting a bed and breakfast. After purchasing their first beach home they wanted to rent out each room for when they weren’t staying in the home and decided they wanted to expand their real estate to more properties that they could keep open year-round. Their first property was open a year before they decided to get bed and breakfast licenses and expand their business to more properties under the name: The Cape Collection. Since then the couple has acquired four more properties. Primarily, the couple enjoys meeting new people and interacting with their guests daily at breakfast and afternoon tea time.
The Harrison and Pharos at the Harrison Bed and Breakfast is open year-round, with an increase in guests during the summer months. The summer months are most popular for spending time on the warm beaches, observing the blooming plants, and experiencing the many music festivals and other summer attractions in the area.
613 Columbia Avenue
Cape May, New Jersey
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Andrew Bares
