POINT PLEASANT BEACH - Growing up in South Brunswick, Lisa Sassman enjoyed all of the trips her family took to Point Pleasant Beach every summer, and as an adult she continued that legacy by frequenting the bustling Shore town with her own husband and kids.
In fact, Sassman and her husband loved the area so much that in 2023 they jumped on the opportunity to purchase the Broadway Court Motel , a 20-room, 1950s-era motel in Point Pleasant Beach that they lovingly restored and reintroduced to the public last year.
“Though I was from Middlesex County, I’ve been a Jersey Shore girl since I was 3 and our family especially loved Point Pleasant Beach because it was such an easy ride there and always a fun time,” said Sassman, who has a house in Brick.
“I loved coming here as a child, spending the day at the beach and boardwalk, and eating at local restaurants, and my husband Mike and I carried on that same tradition when we got married and had our two daughters,” she said. “Point Pleasant Beach has always been our go-to Shore destination.”
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Following corporate jobs earlier in her career and decades spent managing their family-owned construction company, “Mike and I were looking for unique new investment opportunities and learned in February 2023 that the Broadway Court Motel was up for sale because the owners were retiring,” Sassman said. “Within 10 minutes of visiting the property, we knew that we’d buy it.”
“A lot of builders were interested in tearing down the motel because the property is pre-approved for four building lots,” Sassman noted. “But Mike and I had a great connection with the owners because we saw the potential to restore the motel and were excited about what we could do with it.
"It was a hidden gem that just needed some love and updating,” she said, “and with our background in construction, we knew what we could elevate it to.
“We closed on the sale on April 30, 2023, right before the busy season was about to start, and became only the property’s third owner in 70 years,” Sassman said. “We decided to keep the name ‘Broadway Court Motel’ because it was long established and had brand equity, but we’ve since given the property a fresh new look and feel.”
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Updating the 'hidden gem'
While the Broadway Court Motel has always had 20 rooms — including 14 “standard” rooms on the courtyard, five efficiency apartments, and one room that’s attached to the motel’s main office — the Sassmans undertook a number of upgrades to the historic property to enhance its appeal while still maintaining its mid-century, Shore-area charm.
“Our courtyard rooms come in a range of twin/full, queen and king-bed options and feature mini refrigerators and microwaves, and our efficiency apartments come complete with patio sets, umbrellas and grills and are fully stocked with a stove, refrigerator, basic appliances, pots, towels, kitchenware and utensils so that you can walk in, feel right at home, and be ready to go,” Sassman said. “All of our courtyard rooms have rocking chairs out front, which our guests enjoy and love to use in the morning and at night.”
While the motel’s previous décor featured brown and tan hues, “we went for a total beach theme by painting all of the rooms a beautiful eggshell color, updating them with brand-new fixtures, furniture, linens and lighting, adding fun and beachy rugs and other accents, and even folding the towels to look like seashells,” Sassman said.
“Mike is a third-generation mason, and he replaced the previous white concrete in the outside courtyard with stained stamped concrete that resembles boardwalk planks and upgraded all of the rooms with new tile floors and white subway tile in the bathrooms for a fresh, clean, beachy vibe,” she continued.
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“We additionally updated the outdoor tables, chairs and umbrellas, and we provide free pool towels so that guests don’t have to worry about bringing their own towels or using their room towels,” she said. “We also offer a big basket of beach toys, kites, trucks and bubble wands in our lobby and kids can take anything they want and play with it at our pool or at the beach for free.
“We’ve created a brand-new website through which reservations can be made and have worked hard to address every detail,” she added of their property, where courtyard rooms and apartments in the summer start at $299 and $429 a night, respectively, but vary depending on the season.
What hasn’t changed at the quaint seaside motel is its central location and proximity to the many iconic activities that Point Pleasant Beach is known for.
“The Broadway Court Motel is just three blocks from the beach and a half mile to the center of the boardwalk, which has games, rides and more,” Sassman said. “There are 10 restaurants located within five minutes of us in either direction, it’s just a 10-minute walk to the inlet to fish or watch the boats, and the downtown shopping district with its great boutiques, antique stores and restaurants is also only a short distance away.
"We’re excited to be in the middle of so many great local attractions, and our motel also offers plenty of parking and is open all year-round, which are unique offerings in this town,” she said, noting that their motel was completely sold-out last holiday season and is booking up for several local events happening this fall.
With a primarily tristate-based clientele reserving their motel’s rooms for everything from family vacations to class reunions and other special occasions, “I think that people are looking for a unique, elevated, boutique experience and they appreciate all of our special touches,” Sassman said. “For example, I knew that one of our return guest’s birthdays was occurring during her stay in July, so I decorated her room with a few balloons and a birthday sign before she arrived, and she was so surprised and delighted.”
In the spirit of giving back to their community, Sassman added, “we donated all 14 of our courtyard rooms to participants traveling in for Point Pleasant Beach’s ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ Walk last October and are excited to do that again this year.”
'Something really special'
While Sassman devotes long hours to their new venture, she said that running the Broadway Court Motel is a labor of love.
“There are a dozen motels in the area that all offer something different, but we’re tucked away just enough here that we’re able to be creative and offer something really special,” said Sassman, who oversees reservations, marketing and customer relations while her husband handles any necessary repairs and site work and their daughters provide social media support.
Beyond their own family, “we couldn’t ask for two better night managers, Gary and Jeff, or a more wonderful and diligent cleaning staff,” she said. “We truly couldn’t do this without all of them and we’re so grateful to have such dedicated team members who care about our motel as much as we do.”
Looking ahead, the Sassmans are excited to begin renovations on their motel’s efficiency apartments this December, offer seasonal and holiday guest packages year-round, and continue rolling out new boutique-level services, such as the ability for guests to order flowers, chocolates or other amenities through the motel’s connections with other local businesses.
“We want to take the Broadway Court Motel to another level,” Sassman said, “and through our partnerships with other local merchants, we’ll all lift each other up.”
As for her favorite part of their new venture, “we’re thrilled to be part of this community and I truly found my lane with the Broadway Court Motel,” Sassman said. “I love what we’re learning, sharing and contributing, and I also love our wonderful guests and the opportunity to build such great relationships and rapports with them. To have guests come back again and choose our motel is such an honor and makes every day so rewarding.”
Ultimately, she concluded, “we feel so fortunate to have been able to purchase this motel and it’s a place that we hope people will enjoy coming to and making great memories at any time of year.”
The Broadway Court Motel
Location: 304 Broadway, Point Pleasant Beach
Phone: 732-892-0850
Founded: 1950s; reintroduced under current owners in spring 2023
Owners: Lisa and Mike Sassman
Website: www.broadwaycourtmotel.com
Instagram: instagram.com/broadwaycourtmotel
Facebook: facebook.com/broadwaycourtmotel
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Landmark Broadway Court Motel in Point Pleasant Beach gets new life with a new look
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