The Hotel Tides (www.hoteltides.com)  is what every Jersey shore resort needs, but few have; a charmingly hip boutique hotel with a pool, high quality restaurant, and a spa.

Owners Robert Doran and Martin Santomenno have converted one of Asbury Park’s historic hotels into this deco-inspired twenty room mini-resort. It’s two blocks from the ocean and a short drive from this something-new-everyday downtown.

Walk into the lobby and you’ll see a shimmering wall of water, backdrop to a Buddha statue. This is the focal point for an elegant bar and seating area where you can toast the sunset. The lobby also showcases amazing paintings and sculpture by Jersey City artist Natalie Giugni, (www.nataliegiugni.com).  The owners plan to rotate artwork and use the hotel as a gallery for interesting exhibits.  

“We want this to be like a hub of culture for the community,” said Robert, as he proudly took us on a grand tour.

The dining room—which will soon open for dinner, has ceiling and walls made of the original tin.    

The rooms are decorated with quality fixtures and each has a private freshly renovated bath. Each bed is topped with Egyptian cotton sheets, and a luxury comforter. 
Rates start at $175 a night.

Readers of NJ My Way can get a third night free, if you reserve two nights. Just mention our newsletter when you call for your  reservation.

We think the Tides are turning in Asbury Park.  Try this hotel where past and present combine to make a perfect fall weekend getaway.

You may be reading this from your laptop as you “work from home” this morning at the beach house. Or you may be considering heading down the Shore to soak up the first real sunshine of the season this long weekend. Consider us your guide to the summer season, with plenty of ideas and new sights to keep you busy off the beach.

Atlantic City is popping with new construction; it is re-inventing itself as a destination for everyone, including non-gamblers. You’ll want to make waves at The Water Club, the trendy new hotel about to open adjacent to the Borgata. Designed around a huge spa, the guestrooms are enticing with great views and voluminous showers.

And do not overlook The Pier At Caesars, which is absolutely one of the best shopping centers in the entire state.

For the kids, there’s a new tropical rainforest exhibit at the Atlantic City Aquarium. They’ve got a variety of wildlife from jungles around the globe, and some hands-on freshwater pools for close-up encounters.

Asbury Park is another Shore town rebuilding itself. Although the spectacular Esperanza condo project was put on hold last winter, beachfront developer Madison Marquette is moving forward. Convention Hall refurbishment continues with the expected opening in the arcade of a new clam bar and the Irish pub Caroline O’Toole’s.

Another Shore restaurants that looks very promising is Gertrude’s in Ventnor. Owner-chef Neil Elsohn used to run the Water’s Edge in Cape May, considered one of the state’s best until it closed in 2003.

Further north you can bet the ponies at the state’s newest Off Track Wagering hotspot in Toms River. Join the crowd at the sports bar and restaurant operated by the McCloone family, just in time for the Belmont Stakes.

Back down south, Cape May’s touristy Washington Street Mall has a $4.5 million facelift that should impress even the seasoned veterans of this Victorian resort. The official ribbon cutting is June 21, but you can enjoy it now. And the town’s classic beachfront movie theatre — a rainy day tradition — has a new interior.

But let us hope for not too many rainy weekends this summer. We are taking a long weekend, and will not publish Monday. But we will be back in your mailbox Tuesday.

Keep your secrets in Vegas, but tell everyone New Jersey’s gaming and resort town is getting better and better.

This summer’s big news is a luxury hotel: The Water Club, about to open adjacent to the Borgata. The centerpiece of the $400 million dollar hotel is a two-story spa overlooking the ocean, plus five heated indoor and outdoor pools. The rooms feature custom designed beds and showers made for two. It’s scheduled to open next month.

Caesar’s will soon open Qua — the concept is social bathing in a Roman bath and spa treatment similar to the Las Vegas counterpart.

Not to be outdone, Resorts is throwing a party for itself over Memorial Day weekend, to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The hotel/casino is planning a huge fireworks display, performances by Natalie Cole, skydivers, and an outdoor block party.

Another big splash is the Olympic sized indoor pool at Harrah’s, surrounded by a million bucks worth of landscaping. There’s entertainment and nightly parties.

There is even a luxury hotel for your dog or cat. Atlantic City’s Pet Hotel and Grooming is a hotel and full-service salon for your furry friends. They’ll happily pick up and drop off your pet at your hotel.

They even have a special offer for our subscribers; mention NJ My Way and you’ll be able to add a free night to any two night stay, through the end of June. Coming soon: luxury pet suites for high four-legged rollers.

So save your secrets for Vegas, but bring your cash and your pets to our seaside strip where everyone feels like a million bucks.

We know there’s more to our state than mall hair and smelly refineries. But even many Jersey-savvy folks know little about the culture that once revolved around dredging for oysters near places like Bivalve and Shell Pile, on the Maurice River off Delaware Bay.

Capt. Bill Mylett and his crew aboard the A.J. Meerwald don’t want those days to be forgotten. So as part of the Bayshore Discovery Project (www.ajmeerwald.org) they sail the state’s waters as a floating classroom. Their three-masted vessel is a restored oyster schooner that in 1998 was designated New Jersey’s official tall ship.

When built in 1928, the Meerwald was one of 500 schooners harvesting the rich oyster beds of Delaware Bay. The industry as well as the way of life built around it were destroyed in 1957, when disease killed 90 percent of the oysters.

To remember those days at its home port of Bivalve, the Meerwald takes groups of students — from grammar school to college — on cruises to explore the marshy waters of the region. Kids help raise sails, test water quality, muck around for oysters, and hear about the local culture that died with the oysters.

The ship also takes student groups when it travels around the state, and sails off on public cruises from various New Jersey ports. Those are less educationally formal and aimed at adults who like being on the water, under the sun, in a big sail boat.

“We teach about the ecology and culture of Delaware Bay,” Capt. Mylett said, standing on the gangway before lifting anchor for a public sail in Burlington. “I see some couples brought a bottle of wine, and they’re just going to have a nice sunset sail.” Click NJ My Way to see this group hoist sail.

The Meerwald will be in Burlington through Saturday, when it returns to Bivalve. It will run its programs from there until it docks in Cape May in late June. For most of July the Meerwald is scheduled to be in Jersey City. Details at the ship’s website.

From the Maurice River to the Hudson. A reminder that in New Jersey you get a view of the Manhattan skyline, and of old oystering shacks in the marshes of Bivalve.