For Bridex-my Hotel Icona, Diamond Beach Review!

I know you are going and were awaiting my review! We just got back.

I have to say the Hotel is really top notch. It is clean, modern, totally renovated, totally has an upscale feel, which is rare on the Jersey Shore. Most of the hotels we passed in Wildwood looked like they hadn't been touched in 40 years.

Rooms are beautiful. Full kitchen with granite counter tops, glass tile backsplash, and stainless steel dishwasher and mini fridge, microwave, flat cook top surface, fully stocked with dishes, pots, pans, utensils, glasses, even a cocktail shaker!

Nice sized balcony with a nice view of the beach.

Bathrooms are small, but very clean and updated. High quality toiletries and they even give you a lip balm, which I have never gotten in a hotel.
Just know that it's tight in there- only room for one person to get ready at a time; tiny vanity and sink.

Beds were comfy

The whole place just SMELLS clean and fresh. It was totally immaculate from the lobby to the rooms.

Pool is on the smaller side and basic but very nice, it was heated and felt nice and warm. Small 1 foot deep kiddie pool for the really little ones.
Waitress service at the pool for drinks and/or lunch. Towel service and comfy padded lounge chairs

Beach was so nice. Huge though- long walk to the water, but the sand was powdery and white and so soft. Not like the beaches in long island.
It's a private beach so you will need to wear yellow rubber bracelets they give you at check in while on the beach and at the pool.
They rent umbrellas and lounge chairs but we brought our own and that was fine as well.

There is a beach bar and grill...Bungalow No 7- where you can get lunch and cocktails sit outside or in a covered area if it's windy. At night, they have fire pits and outdoor seating there and live music.

The ONLY bad thing I have to say about the place is that we had bad experiences in the restaurants (both the main one, Coastal Blue, and the Bungalow beach bar) every single time we went.
I won't get into long details here, since that's another post, but it seemed to me like when you go to a restaurant the first night it opens and they are still working out the kinks and totally overwhelmed. Except they aren't new. And they are expensive. I am NOT one to ever send food back or complain, but I had to on one occasion.
And the service at the beach bungalow was just as bad and they messed up the order too.
I don't expect that from an expensive hotel and in restaurants that are not cheap at all.

I would recommend not eating at the hotel. Maybe lunch at the pool, but that's about it.
I can give you some restaurant recommendations in the area if you want.

Other than that, the hotel experience was wonderful and worth the splurge of the price.
I think you will love it!

Let me know if you have any questions or need recommendations or tips for the area.

I would totally go back there in a heartbeat!

Re: For Bridex-my Hotel Icona, Diamond Beach Review!

I am just starting to sort out details of our upcoming trip so this review is very timely. Thank you so much.

I read that Diamond Beach gets crowded and happy to hear that the hotel beach is actually a private beach. I read on another website that neighboring Wildwood can be seedy.

Are there any close restaurants that you can recommend for dinner?

We will be there Fri-Mon and probably leaving early on Mon in attempts to beat out traffic.

Some things I have on my list. Nothing is yet booked except for the actual hotel.

1. Cape May Zoo
2. Dolphin Boat Tour (have not yet researched which company)
3. Few hours at the boardwalk - do you have a recommendation on which one is best?

Rest of the time will be spent at the resort pool and beach.

Re: For Bridex-my Hotel Icona, Diamond Beach Review!

Sure, no problem.

Yes, Wildwood can get seedy. Very. It's fine, and I didn't feel unsafe, but after leaving Diamond Beach, I saw the difference right away.

The beach by the hotel still has a lot of people on it, but it's so big and you can really spread out. I didn't feel cramped at all. It is shared by the brand new condo building next door...that building is stunning and looks as if it belongs in Miami, not the Jersey Shore.

Restaurants- for breakfast I recommend a place just a block away- called Jamaica Me Hungry. Typical diner menu but good service, good food and reasonably priced. Kids menu too.
We ate at Coastal Blue for breakfast and like i said while the food was good it was EXPENSIVE and the service was just spotty. Wrong orders twice, slow, cold coffee etc.
Not bad, but not worth the price

Dinner- one night we ate at the hotel at Coastal Blue. Bad. I had to send my food back due to a bad smell- as did the family next to me. Long story but not at all worth the prices they charge.

Second night we ate at Little Italy in Wildwood. BYOB. Nice place, huge menu, good standard Italian food. Only issue was the wait. They dont' take reservations and the wait was about 45 min- an hour at 6:45 pm on a Sat night.

The next night we wised up and checked Open Table for a place that took reservations. Found a place called Pacific Grill in Wildwood. VERY nice. Nice atmosphere,good menu, good service they have wine but limited so you can bring your own again. Food was great. They even had a kids menu. On the pricey side, but worth it. They have free parking in a lot around the corner that they share with a breakfast place. That , as I found out, is huge. Parking in Wildwood is challenging as I will get to

For lunch, one day we ate in Cape May at Stewarts, one day at the Beach Bungalow on the beach (bad service, good food) , one day we skipped lunch after a late breakfast and some snacks from our room.

*If you are drinkers check if any restaurant you chose is BYOB. Some are strictly that, like Little Italy, some have limited wine selections but still allow you to bring your own. I kind of loved it because I could bring my favorite and not get charged 4 times what I paid for it in the liquor store like most restaurants!

As far as the Cape May Zoo- it's a MUST. It was the nicest zoo I have been too (but I've never been to the Bronx zoo as an adult) and it's free. They had so many great animals- I saw a tiger so close it was amazing. Lions, zebras, giraffes, bears, reptile house- you name it.
They have a small petting zoo where you can feed the goats.
They have a carousel and a small train ride.
A playground and picnic area. It was amazing and you could spend hours there.
Loved it
After that we drove to Cape May for lunch (Stewarts) and site seeing. Cape May on a Friday afternoon where it was cloudy and not a beach day was a ZOO! A madhouse. There was no place to park at all- even the paid lots were full. We parked down a side street about a mile away from the main drag. That is how bad it was. You crawled along in your car trying to get through an intersection- it was maddening
But the Washington Street Mall was great- tons of shops, boutiques, ice cream places...really nice.
Highly recommend that. Just be aware parking will be rough and plan to walk quite a ways. (Wear good shoes!)

I didn't do the Dolphin Tour so I can't speak to that but as far as the Boardwalk we ended up going on Sunday night after dinner at Pacific Grill because we had a spot in their lot. It was PACKED. Insanely packed where you could barely walk.
I recommend doing that in the afternoon one day- Morey's Pier on the Boardwalk is great for the kids- they have tons of kiddie rides but we felt rushed since it was late and we wanted to get back to our car before the restaurant closed and we got towed! But we said if we had to do it again we'd come like mid to late afternoon and do the rides there. It was just so packed on that Boardwalk at night.
They also have a water park at Morey's Pier so if I had one extra day I would have loved to take DD there too.
The boardwalk itself- kind of seedy- not unsafe again- just really cheesy shops selling cheap junk, bad food, you get the idea.
But a fun experience to see and walk around and go do the rides.

As I mentioned- be prepared about parking. Most spots are metered- and you need quarters - and it's like 2 buck an hour- so bring a lot of quarters. Closer to the Boardwalk are some paid lots- 5 and 10 dollars mostly.
There is also a trolley that runs from night near the Icona all the way into Wildwood and back- but only starts at 530 pm. That could be an option if you plan it right.

OK- I think I covered it!

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Message edited 8/11/2015 1:49:32 PM.

Re: For Bridex-my Hotel Icona, Diamond Beach Review!

Posted by NervousNell

Sure, no problem.

Yes, Wildwood can get seedy. Very. It's fine, and I didn't feel unsafe, but after leaving Diamond Beach, I saw the difference right away.

The beach by the hotel still has a lot of people on it, but it's so big and you can really spread out. I didn't feel cramped at all. It is shared by the brand new condo building next door...that building is stunning and looks as if it belongs in Miami, not the Jersey Shore.

Restaurants- for breakfast I recommend a place just a block away- called Jamaica Me Hungry. Typical diner menu but good service, good food and reasonably priced. Kids menu too.
We ate at Coastal Blue for breakfast and like i said while the food was good it was EXPENSIVE and the service was just spotty. Wrong orders twice, slow, cold coffee etc.
Not bad, but not worth the price

Dinner- one night we ate at the hotel at Coastal Blue. Bad. I had to send my food back due to a bad smell- as did the family next to me. Long story but not at all worth the prices they charge.

Second night we ate at Little Italy in Wildwood. BYOB. Nice place, huge menu, good standard Italian food. Only issue was the wait. They dont' take reservations and the wait was about 45 min- an hour at 6:45 pm on a Sat night.

The next night we wised up and checked Open Table for a place that took reservations. Found a place called Pacific Grill in Wildwood. VERY nice. Nice atmosphere,good menu, good service they have wine but limited so you can bring your own again. Food was great. They even had a kids menu. On the pricey side, but worth it. They have free parking in a lot around the corner that they share with a breakfast place. That , as I found out, is huge. Parking in Wildwood is challenging as I will get to

For lunch, one day we ate in Cape May at Stewarts, one day at the Beach Bungalow on the beach (bad service, good food) , one day we skipped lunch after a late breakfast and some snacks from our room.

*If you are drinkers check if any restaurant you chose is BYOB. Some are strictly that, like Little Italy, some have limited wine selections but still allow you to bring your own. I kind of loved it because I could bring my favorite and not get charged 4 times what I paid for it in the liquor store like most restaurants!

As far as the Cape May Zoo- it's a MUST. It was the nicest zoo I have been too (but I've never been to the Bronx zoo as an adult) and it's free. They had so many great animals- I saw a tiger so close it was amazing. Lions, zebras, giraffes, bears, reptile house- you name it.
They have a small petting zoo where you can feed the goats.
They have a carousel and a small train ride.
A playground and picnic area. It was amazing and you could spend hours there.
Loved it
After that we drove to Cape May for lunch (Stewarts) and site seeing. Cape May on a Friday afternoon where it was cloudy and not a beach day was a ZOO! A madhouse. There was no place to park at all- even the paid lots were full. We parked down a side street about a mile away from the main drag. That is how bad it was. You crawled along in your car trying to get through an intersection- it was maddening
But the Washington Street Mall was great- tons of shops, boutiques, ice cream places...really nice.
Highly recommend that. Just be aware parking will be rough and plan to walk quite a ways. (Wear good shoes!)

I didn't do the Dolphin Tour so I can't speak to that but as far as the Boardwalk we ended up going on Sunday night after dinner at Pacific Grill because we had a spot in their lot. It was PACKED. Insanely packed where you could barely walk.
I recommend doing that in the afternoon one day- Morey's Pier on the Boardwalk is great for the kids- they have tons of kiddie rides but we felt rushed since it was late and we wanted to get back to our car before the restaurant closed and we got towed! But we said if we had to do it again we'd come like mid to late afternoon and do the rides there. It was just so packed on that Boardwalk at night.
They also have a water park at Morey's Pier so if I had one extra day I would have loved to take DD there too.
The boardwalk itself- kind of seedy- not unsafe again- just really cheesy shops selling cheap junk, bad food, you get the idea.
But a fun experience to see and walk around and go do the rides.

As I mentioned- be prepared about parking. Most spots are metered- and you need quarters - and it's like 2 buck an hour- so bring a lot of quarters. Closer to the Boardwalk are some paid lots- 5 and 10 dollars mostly.
There is also a trolley that runs from night near the Icona all the way into Wildwood and back- but only starts at 530 pm. That could be an option if you plan it right.

OK- I think I covered it!

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Re: For Bridex-my Hotel Icona, Diamond Beach Review!

Posted by Bridex100

Posted by NervousNell

Sure, no problem.

Yes, Wildwood can get seedy. Very. It's fine, and I didn't feel unsafe, but after leaving Diamond Beach, I saw the difference right away.

The beach by the hotel still has a lot of people on it, but it's so big and you can really spread out. I didn't feel cramped at all. It is shared by the brand new condo building next door...that building is stunning and looks as if it belongs in Miami, not the Jersey Shore.

Restaurants- for breakfast I recommend a place just a block away- called Jamaica Me Hungry. Typical diner menu but good service, good food and reasonably priced. Kids menu too.
We ate at Coastal Blue for breakfast and like i said while the food was good it was EXPENSIVE and the service was just spotty. Wrong orders twice, slow, cold coffee etc.
Not bad, but not worth the price

Dinner- one night we ate at the hotel at Coastal Blue. Bad. I had to send my food back due to a bad smell- as did the family next to me. Long story but not at all worth the prices they charge.

Second night we ate at Little Italy in Wildwood. BYOB. Nice place, huge menu, good standard Italian food. Only issue was the wait. They dont' take reservations and the wait was about 45 min- an hour at 6:45 pm on a Sat night.

The next night we wised up and checked Open Table for a place that took reservations. Found a place called Pacific Grill in Wildwood. VERY nice. Nice atmosphere,good menu, good service they have wine but limited so you can bring your own again. Food was great. They even had a kids menu. On the pricey side, but worth it. They have free parking in a lot around the corner that they share with a breakfast place. That , as I found out, is huge. Parking in Wildwood is challenging as I will get to

For lunch, one day we ate in Cape May at Stewarts, one day at the Beach Bungalow on the beach (bad service, good food) , one day we skipped lunch after a late breakfast and some snacks from our room.

*If you are drinkers check if any restaurant you chose is BYOB. Some are strictly that, like Little Italy, some have limited wine selections but still allow you to bring your own. I kind of loved it because I could bring my favorite and not get charged 4 times what I paid for it in the liquor store like most restaurants!

As far as the Cape May Zoo- it's a MUST. It was the nicest zoo I have been too (but I've never been to the Bronx zoo as an adult) and it's free. They had so many great animals- I saw a tiger so close it was amazing. Lions, zebras, giraffes, bears, reptile house- you name it.
They have a small petting zoo where you can feed the goats.
They have a carousel and a small train ride.
A playground and picnic area. It was amazing and you could spend hours there.
Loved it
After that we drove to Cape May for lunch (Stewarts) and site seeing. Cape May on a Friday afternoon where it was cloudy and not a beach day was a ZOO! A madhouse. There was no place to park at all- even the paid lots were full. We parked down a side street about a mile away from the main drag. That is how bad it was. You crawled along in your car trying to get through an intersection- it was maddening
But the Washington Street Mall was great- tons of shops, boutiques, ice cream places...really nice.
Highly recommend that. Just be aware parking will be rough and plan to walk quite a ways. (Wear good shoes!)

I didn't do the Dolphin Tour so I can't speak to that but as far as the Boardwalk we ended up going on Sunday night after dinner at Pacific Grill because we had a spot in their lot. It was PACKED. Insanely packed where you could barely walk.
I recommend doing that in the afternoon one day- Morey's Pier on the Boardwalk is great for the kids- they have tons of kiddie rides but we felt rushed since it was late and we wanted to get back to our car before the restaurant closed and we got towed! But we said if we had to do it again we'd come like mid to late afternoon and do the rides there. It was just so packed on that Boardwalk at night.
They also have a water park at Morey's Pier so if I had one extra day I would have loved to take DD there too.
The boardwalk itself- kind of seedy- not unsafe again- just really cheesy shops selling cheap junk, bad food, you get the idea.
But a fun experience to see and walk around and go do the rides.

As I mentioned- be prepared about parking. Most spots are metered- and you need quarters - and it's like 2 buck an hour- so bring a lot of quarters. Closer to the Boardwalk are some paid lots- 5 and 10 dollars mostly.
There is also a trolley that runs from night near the Icona all the way into Wildwood and back- but only starts at 530 pm. That could be an option if you plan it right.

OK- I think I covered it!

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Are we better off going to the boardwalk in the morning?

It is Labor Day weekend so it will probably only be busier.

Re: For Bridex-my Hotel Icona, Diamond Beach Review!

Did you take your own beach chairs?

I rmember it being mentioned on a previous thread.

Re: For Bridex-my Hotel Icona, Diamond Beach Review!

Re: For Bridex-my Hotel Icona, Diamond Beach Review!

Posted by NervousNell

I know you are going and were awaiting my review! We just got back.

I have to say the Hotel is really top notch. It is clean, modern, totally renovated, totally has an upscale feel, which is rare on the Jersey Shore. Most of the hotels we passed in Wildwood looked like they hadn't been touched in 40 years.

Rooms are beautiful. Full kitchen with granite counter tops, glass tile backsplash, and stainless steel dishwasher and mini fridge, microwave, flat cook top surface, fully stocked with dishes, pots, pans, utensils, glasses, even a cocktail shaker!

Nice sized balcony with a nice view of the beach.

Bathrooms are small, but very clean and updated. High quality toiletries and they even give you a lip balm, which I have never gotten in a hotel.
Just know that it's tight in there- only room for one person to get ready at a time; tiny vanity and sink.

Beds were comfy

The whole place just SMELLS clean and fresh. It was totally immaculate from the lobby to the rooms.

Pool is on the smaller side and basic but very nice, it was heated and felt nice and warm. Small 1 foot deep kiddie pool for the really little ones.
Waitress service at the pool for drinks and/or lunch. Towel service and comfy padded lounge chairs

Beach was so nice. Huge though- long walk to the water, but the sand was powdery and white and so soft. Not like the beaches in long island.
It's a private beach so you will need to wear yellow rubber bracelets they give you at check in while on the beach and at the pool.
They rent umbrellas and lounge chairs but we brought our own and that was fine as well.

There is a beach bar and grill...Bungalow No 7- where you can get lunch and cocktails sit outside or in a covered area if it's windy. At night, they have fire pits and outdoor seating there and live music.

The ONLY bad thing I have to say about the place is that we had bad experiences in the restaurants (both the main one, Coastal Blue, and the Bungalow beach bar) every single time we went.
I won't get into long details here, since that's another post, but it seemed to me like when you go to a restaurant the first night it opens and they are still working out the kinks and totally overwhelmed. Except they aren't new. And they are expensive. I am NOT one to ever send food back or complain, but I had to on one occasion.
And the service at the beach bungalow was just as bad and they messed up the order too.
I don't expect that from an expensive hotel and in restaurants that are not cheap at all.

I would recommend not eating at the hotel. Maybe lunch at the pool, but that's about it.
I can give you some restaurant recommendations in the area if you want.

Other than that, the hotel experience was wonderful and worth the splurge of the price.
I think you will love it!

Let me know if you have any questions or need recommendations or tips for the area.

I would totally go back there in a heartbeat!

Message edited 8/12/2015 7:04:13 PM.

Re: For Bridex-my Hotel Icona, Diamond Beach Review!

Posted by dadof1

Posted by NervousNell

I know you are going and were awaiting my review! We just got back.

I have to say the Hotel is really top notch. It is clean, modern, totally renovated, totally has an upscale feel, which is rare on the Jersey Shore. Most of the hotels we passed in Wildwood looked like they hadn't been touched in 40 years.

Rooms are beautiful. Full kitchen with granite counter tops, glass tile backsplash, and stainless steel dishwasher and mini fridge, microwave, flat cook top surface, fully stocked with dishes, pots, pans, utensils, glasses, even a cocktail shaker!

Nice sized balcony with a nice view of the beach.

Bathrooms are small, but very clean and updated. High quality toiletries and they even give you a lip balm, which I have never gotten in a hotel.
Just know that it's tight in there- only room for one person to get ready at a time; tiny vanity and sink.

Beds were comfy

The whole place just SMELLS clean and fresh. It was totally immaculate from the lobby to the rooms.

Pool is on the smaller side and basic but very nice, it was heated and felt nice and warm. Small 1 foot deep kiddie pool for the really little ones.
Waitress service at the pool for drinks and/or lunch. Towel service and comfy padded lounge chairs

Beach was so nice. Huge though- long walk to the water, but the sand was powdery and white and so soft. Not like the beaches in long island.
It's a private beach so you will need to wear yellow rubber bracelets they give you at check in while on the beach and at the pool.
They rent umbrellas and lounge chairs but we brought our own and that was fine as well.

There is a beach bar and grill...Bungalow No 7- where you can get lunch and cocktails sit outside or in a covered area if it's windy. At night, they have fire pits and outdoor seating there and live music.

The ONLY bad thing I have to say about the place is that we had bad experiences in the restaurants (both the main one, Coastal Blue, and the Bungalow beach bar) every single time we went.
I won't get into long details here, since that's another post, but it seemed to me like when you go to a restaurant the first night it opens and they are still working out the kinks and totally overwhelmed. Except they aren't new. And they are expensive. I am NOT one to ever send food back or complain, but I had to on one occasion.
And the service at the beach bungalow was just as bad and they messed up the order too.
I don't expect that from an expensive hotel and in restaurants that are not cheap at all.

I would recommend not eating at the hotel. Maybe lunch at the pool, but that's about it.
I can give you some restaurant recommendations in the area if you want.

Other than that, the hotel experience was wonderful and worth the splurge of the price.
I think you will love it!

Let me know if you have any questions or need recommendations or tips for the area.

I would totally go back there in a heartbeat!

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I miss it there, and will be heading back next year I think. I should have mentioned that the area parking is rough. I loved the beach there, just not the mile walk to the water...lol

Re: For Bridex-my Hotel Icona, Diamond Beach Review!

Posted by Bridex100

Posted by dadof1

Posted by NervousNell

I know you are going and were awaiting my review! We just got back.

I have to say the Hotel is really top notch. It is clean, modern, totally renovated, totally has an upscale feel, which is rare on the Jersey Shore. Most of the hotels we passed in Wildwood looked like they hadn't been touched in 40 years.

Rooms are beautiful. Full kitchen with granite counter tops, glass tile backsplash, and stainless steel dishwasher and mini fridge, microwave, flat cook top surface, fully stocked with dishes, pots, pans, utensils, glasses, even a cocktail shaker!

Nice sized balcony with a nice view of the beach.

Bathrooms are small, but very clean and updated. High quality toiletries and they even give you a lip balm, which I have never gotten in a hotel.
Just know that it's tight in there- only room for one person to get ready at a time; tiny vanity and sink.

Beds were comfy

The whole place just SMELLS clean and fresh. It was totally immaculate from the lobby to the rooms.

Pool is on the smaller side and basic but very nice, it was heated and felt nice and warm. Small 1 foot deep kiddie pool for the really little ones.
Waitress service at the pool for drinks and/or lunch. Towel service and comfy padded lounge chairs

Beach was so nice. Huge though- long walk to the water, but the sand was powdery and white and so soft. Not like the beaches in long island.
It's a private beach so you will need to wear yellow rubber bracelets they give you at check in while on the beach and at the pool.
They rent umbrellas and lounge chairs but we brought our own and that was fine as well.

There is a beach bar and grill...Bungalow No 7- where you can get lunch and cocktails sit outside or in a covered area if it's windy. At night, they have fire pits and outdoor seating there and live music.

The ONLY bad thing I have to say about the place is that we had bad experiences in the restaurants (both the main one, Coastal Blue, and the Bungalow beach bar) every single time we went.
I won't get into long details here, since that's another post, but it seemed to me like when you go to a restaurant the first night it opens and they are still working out the kinks and totally overwhelmed. Except they aren't new. And they are expensive. I am NOT one to ever send food back or complain, but I had to on one occasion.
And the service at the beach bungalow was just as bad and they messed up the order too.
I don't expect that from an expensive hotel and in restaurants that are not cheap at all.

I would recommend not eating at the hotel. Maybe lunch at the pool, but that's about it.
I can give you some restaurant recommendations in the area if you want.

Other than that, the hotel experience was wonderful and worth the splurge of the price.
I think you will love it!

Let me know if you have any questions or need recommendations or tips for the area.

I would totally go back there in a heartbeat!

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I miss it there, and will be heading back next year I think. I should have mentioned that the area parking is rough. I loved the beach there, just not the mile walk to the water...lol

We do not want to walk a mile to the water!

Are things open at 8am?

Thinking of going early for breakfast and beating out the crowds.

Should we uber it instead of battling for parking?