I know that our regular readers will remember our story in March about the change in ownership at the Sandpiper Beach Inn at the corner of Beach and Grant streets. So many of you wrote in to inquire about the status of their favorite vacation inn and so many of you still write us – that we said to ourselves…hmmmm let’s do a follow up.

 Here are some basic Sandpiper details for you: As you recall the Sandpiper was built in the early 80s, the 65-room, adults-only oceanfront hotel owned by Ruth and Bob Escher, was sold in January of this year to Cape Advisors, Inc. owned in part by the Bashaw family of Congress Hall, Star Inn, and Virginia Hotel fame.

The bad news is that the Sandpiper was not open for business this year. The good news is that renovations are nearing completion.

 According to Tracey Martin of Cape Advisors, the Sandpiper will open for occupancy on March 31, 2006.  She advises potential guests to monitor the website www.sandpipercapemay.com  for updates.

 “We will start taking reservations around December 1, 2005 at our call center.  The number will be 800.732.7816.  Units vary in the number of bedrooms, etc., but the reservations attendants will be able to describe the various units to potential guests.”

 “We’re redesigning now,” said Bashaw in March, “to upgrade the décor and the amenities. We’re putting in new bathrooms and upgrading the kitchenettes. The goal is to bring the Sandpiper up to the same standard that we provide in our other properties the Star Inn, the Virginia Hotel, and Congress Hall.

 The newly improved Sandpiper will be open year-round and will welcome families with children.

 There are only five Units left for sale at the condo-tel Sandpiper. Most are available for rentals.  Those interested in purchasing one of the remaining units can call Tracey Martin for further information at 609.884.6513.  They would then be forwarded to a sales agent.

A condo-hotel or “condotel” sells individual rooms to be either rented as a regular hotel room or used by the owners themselves. Some restrict the number of days the owner can occupy the room, thus maintaining an ambiance of a hotel rather than a condominium.

     For all the Sandpiper’s loyal customers who have written CapeMay.com inquiring about its status and lamenting its loss, Bashaw has these words of solace, “We intend to run (the Sandpiper) pretty much as it was and it will pretty much function as it has.”

  He emphasized the Bashaw family’s desire to bring the same standards of excellence to the Sandpiper as they have brought to Cape May in the past.