A Letter from Curtis Bashaw
June 2, 2019
I have been checking guests in and out of hotel rooms for half of my life. It was 30 years ago, on June 2, 1989, that we opened The Virginia, beginning what would evolve into Cape Resorts. I had worked in hotels since I was 15 and had dreamed of owning one since 17 — although that didn’t become a reality until 1989 with the renovation and grand opening of The Virginia.
I remember that first night as if it was yesterday, especially the sudden change in my responsibility and viewpoint. We had overnight guests! These folks were coming to my house to stay over. They were paying for a place to relax and unwind at my invitation. I was their host. I was no longer clocking out and going home from a job. It was different. And that feeling remains even today.
In the 30 years that have followed, company has been coming every day — and it remains my job to welcome you and make you feel at home.Fortunately, we have a much larger team now. Our initial merry band of 40 back on June 2, 1989 has grown to an army of more than 800 co-hosts. And our offering of 24 rooms has increased to more than 300.
Since opening The Virginia, we have added an iconic historic landmark, a beach motel, town and farm cottages and condominiums. We’ve also added houses and apartments for the many seasonal team members who have joined us as we began to offer year-round hospitality in a variety of formats. We have also grown geographically, from Cape May to New York’s Long Island, where Baron’s Cove sits proudly on the waterfront in the lovely village of Sag Harbor.
Milestones make us pause. And reflect. For me, 30 years is significant. But in reality, milestones are just that — stones along the highway that were used to mark each mile. The Romans started it. We still have them — mileposts now, instead of milestones — along the Garden State Parkway. As you head south, they tick off each tenth of a mile all the way to Exit 0. What a journey it has been.
Welcome from all of us at Cape Resorts. We are your hosts and our job is to create a vacation for you to enjoy and remember. So, please, do make yourselves at home.
CURTIS BASHAW