The Chalfonte Hotel

Built in the nineteenth century, the Chalfonte offers "the view from yesterday" - genteel Southern-style hospitality, ornate gingerbread verandas lined with comfortable rocking chairs and a constant sea breeze to rejuvenate and refresh. The Chalfonte's distinctive ship-like profile, crowned by her Italianate cupola, now occupies nearly an entire city block. The Hotel was built in 1876 by Civil War Colonel Henry Sawyer and was originally planned as a boarding house. Sawyer's Chalfonte underwent most of its expansion between 1876 and 1909, and the present footprint is much as it was in 1909. This venerable grande dame by the sea still retains its Victorian charm -louvered doors to let the breeze through, Southern cuisine in The Magnolia Room, and original antiques and fixtures throughout.