Ala Moana Tiki House: The Beach Home Away From Home
Alex Park
Ala Moana Resort Motel remains sincere to its name; In Hawaiian, Ala Moana means ‘path to the sea’ and the family-owned resort is just that –– a newly-renovated resort located only a block away from the beach and the beginning of the Wildwood, New Jersey boardwalk.
After 30 years of hospitality management experience with two other smaller motels, Patricia and Michael Polizze saw a favorable circumstance in the shores of New Jersey to create a modern, family-friendly motel in a classic beach town. At the time, the Ala Moana was run-down and in need of serious renovation, having been designed and engineered by a contracting team in 1977 with its first owner. A favorable opportunity presented itself, and the Polizzes took over the establishment in 1999 by redesigning the interior and exterior of the motel. The last 18 winters were spent refurbishing the Ala Moana Motel to the modernized resort it is now with new balconies, ceramic tile floors, brand-new kitchens with granite countertops, central air conditioning and flat screen TVs.
In that time frame, Michael and Patricia continued to buy the other four adjacent houses to expand the Ala Moana Motel Resort. The four houses were turned into suites and special motel selections known as the Ala Moana Tiki House, the Quiet Cottage, the Beach House and the Coconut House. Each house offers different features to accommodate guests and their party, such as amenities, number of bedrooms and overall size. All of these houses are only a block away from the beach as well as the boardwalk, where guests have the option to go to water parks, the Seaport Aquarium, and a selection of restaurants and grills.
The Digest team went down to Cape May over the weekend and spent time in the Ala Moana Tiki House –– a unique two-story house with large spacious rooms, high ceilings, decorative molding and three private balconies. The kitchen came fully equipped, the bedrooms were pleasantly comfortable, and the gentle waves of the Atlantic shore filled the silent space for a serene outing. Amidst the rows of old beach motels in Wildwood, the Ala Moana Tiki House and the rest of Ala Moana property emanate a stark presence of pleasure and modernity on the beachfront.
Summertime is in full effect and Ala Moana can be reached at (609) 729-7666 for bookings. The Ala Moana Tiki House requires a seven-night minimum in season from Saturday to Saturday, but the motel offers nightly stays. Check out more here, at the Ala Moana website for more information and details.