ICONA Diamond Beach in
Wildwood Crest (NJ)

My family stayed at ICONA Diamond Beach for one night and overall had a good experience. The hotel itself is beautiful and well-maintained, with a lovely beachfront location that offers nice views. Our room was clean, spacious, and comfortable - perfect for a family stay. The accommodations were modern and well-appointed. One minor note: the beds advertised as queen size seemed closer to full size, which was a bit snug but still manageable for our stay. In addition: breakfast is not included with the room rate, so plan accordingly. Also, while the beach location is wonderful, the hotel is about a 15-minute drive from downtown Cape May, where most of the restaurants and attractions are located. This wasn't a major issue for us, but it's worth knowing if you're planning to spend time exploring the downtown area and dining options.

Our stay was really nice, the beds were very comfortable and the atmosphere was great. I would definitely recommend coming here

We had our wedding here in November. My wife and I were amazed by the professionalism and organization of wedding coordinators (Phil and Bree), especially on the night of the reception. The venue/ball-room is absolutely beautiful and they fulfilled our vision on a Fall/Beach/Wildwood wedding. Anyone looking to have a wedding in the Wildwood or south jersey area, this place really made it a special night to remember. They made us feel at home.

To start, the only two distinct issues we had with the ICONA is that the queen beds were actually fulls (smaller) and the pillows were quite firm so actually sleeping was not great. Otherwise we had an awesome little weekend trip here; never paid a visit to this crest location despite the many summer visits, especially with its closer proximity to Cape May it was enjoyable for the Fall not too crowded aside from some weddings. We liked the various amenities, friendly staff, and super clean/modern spaces throughout the building. The fitness center/gym was very small not really practical for this size building. The restaurant/bar here was fairly decent as well but covered in a separate review. Our actual room was very spacious and cozy, plenty of bath towels added bonus! Overall would definitely return and during the summer looks like they have a lot of different things going on, also very close proximity to the beach.

I stayed in Room 119. Here are the main points: • Hot Water: Extremely poor. Only one person can take a hot shower. The second person, taking a shower immediately after, will have only cold water. •Noise: Unbearable. The room is located right,¿ to the boiler room, and the constant loud noise prevents a good night's sleep. • Heating Control: Inconvenient. Guests cannot adjust the central heating in the room. Staff must be called to manually change the boiler settings for every temperature adjustment. • Linen Quality: Low. The bed sheets were rough and scratchy.

Room was 95% perfect. The thermostat options were great. The porch with an ocean view (they said "peek" but it was basically 50% of an ocean view). The 5% eh was a few little details common at beach properties, a little decaying wood here, fridge was too small and no real freezer. The "queen" beds were tiny for two people. But the onsite restaurant was really good, the lobby and other staff were great. The price wasn't too bad for off season beachfront.

Was here a few years ago and I was blown away came back and horrible. The food and service at the hotels restaurant was nothing like we had before waiters and service staff was more worried about being on their phones more then anything staff passed the buck on cold fries and bad drinks saying you can blame that person. We also put notes when we made our reservation with the hotel on their website as we were here for our recent engagement. Wasn’t expecting anything over the top but not to even say congrats when we checked in or out? Sadly we will not be coming back

We always love it here. So convenient and luxurious. We always request Jennifer’s floor….her rooms are impeccable. Until next year

Beautiful facility, clean with amazing beach views! However for $700 a night beach view in the off season, the bathroom was in need of repairs and could not stop the AC fan to turn off on a chilly evening with only a thin cover provided. Stayed for a weekend getaway and early Sunday morning the condos next door’s pool wax being remodeled by large construction crew with Mexican music blaring as they were all yelling to each other above the construction noises. Cleaning crew was making a lot of noise in hallway most of morning, we laughed that they were ensuring all guests were up to check out early if not promptly! Uneventful circumstances.

We had an excellent stay at Icona Diamond Beach. The room itself is on the smaller side, but thoughtfully designed to feel spacious, with the added convenience of a kitchen—perfect for longer stays. From our room, we enjoyed a beautiful view of the sunrise each morning, which made the stay even more special. The resort is in a great location, with plenty of fantastic seafood restaurants just minutes away. The private beach is clean, well maintained, and never felt overcrowded, making it a relaxing experience. Cape May itself offers a calm and charming atmosphere, without the overly commercial feel of other beach towns. Sunset Beach and the Cape May Lighthouse are must-visit spots nearby. Parking at the resort was easy and complimentary, which added to the convenience. Overall, it’s a peaceful, relaxing getaway with warm hospitality, stunning views, and a perfect setting for unwinding.

We just got home from 3 nights at Icona Diamond Beach and I can’t wait to go back. They went above and beyond for our first wedding anniversary, decorating the room and leaving a card with a bottle of Prosecco. It was the perfect break from reality we needed! We will be back!

All great, not to much to add. Photos are talks. Restaurant in great shape with plenty of menu options. Clean heated pool, beautiful beach, beach bar. Restaurant and bar prices are high, but what to expect if you will get good service and food at this area. Ps real beach bar on the beach .

A dirty, old 2-star hotel trying to pass itself off as a 4-star resort. Absolutely ruined my much needed vacation. For $500 a night, you are getting ripped off, go somewhere else. As soon as we arrived to the valet I noticed the outside of the building looked old. Their website might make you think the hotel was built in 2013, but it's clearly from the '70's and it shows. I’ve stayed at many 4-star hotels like the Loutrel Charleston, the Cavalier Virginia Beach, and the Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis. The Icona is a motel by comparison. The lobby has been nicely renovated to appear high end, but the single elevator we had to use to get to our suite was the one that staff use for trash, supplies, etc. The majority of the rooms are in the main part of the building which has 2 elevators, per usual, but the suites are on the other side of the building which only has one. This is the same side of the building as the restaurant and event spaces. The hallway outside our suite was used as storage for laundry and supplies as well. There were big empty bins and racks of linens cluttering the hallway throughout our stay. Once we entered the room, I was immediately disappointed. The carpet looked old and dated. The room had a drop ceiling with water stains and crooked, dirty tiles. The furnishings were worn, basic, and shabby. The entire room had a musty smell which seemed to emanate from the air conditioner, which was an old-style wall unit that had exposed wiring and was missing 3 pieces of trim. By the end of our stay, my allergies were through the roof, probably from the poor air quality and the likely mold. The bed was sagging, the outlets were worn out, and the bathroom was embarrassingly basic. The faded blue hand towels looked like they were 20 years old and the bath towels were thin and scratchy. What I thought was at least marble tile was actually some kind of flexible linoleum fake flooring that you could lift up with your finger because the edge was unfinished and sticking out. One reason we booked this suite was for the ocean view. You could see the ocean from the windows, but it was very distant. I had a much better view of the flat dirty roof of the restaurant which extended out from our tiny, 2-foot wide balcony. The balcony was so narrow that they had to turn the chairs sideways to fit. We ate lunch at the restaurant at 3:00pm and were told it was happy hour (great!). They had some drink specials, but the only food specials were, a hot dog or kid’s chicken nuggets. Ridiculous. The food and drinks were standard beach hotel fare, unremarkable and basic. We went to the beach after and were greeted by a beach bar we couldn’t use because it had closed early. The private beach itself is small and was dominated by empty lounge chairs. We had no room to set up our beach blanket, so we had to walk to the adjacent beach. The beach is framed by 2 storm sewer drainage pipes which are extremely unpleasant to look at and be around. At low tide the view is hideous. The next day the wind was blowing so hard we couldn’t use the beach. The beach bar was closed again, so we went to the pool. The pool is nice, but nothing fancy. The pool and beach towels were old and basically thread-bare. We got drinks from the pool wait staff and were having a good time until happy hour, when we were told in no uncertain terms that happy hour drinks were only available at the bar inside and not at the pool. Frustrated once again, we left the hotel to go to the boardwalk. The shuttle service and Tim the driver were great! That night there was a lot of noise from the floor above, which was odd considering we were told by the front desk staff that there would be no one above us. We usually try to get a room on the highest floor available to avoid noisy upstairs guests. Before leaving for dinner, we went up to the 3rd (top) floor to see what was going on and there was an entire wedding reception party going on! We left the next day miserable and furious at our wasted time, money, and ruined vacation.

A Fugazi of Luxury Hotels If you only have 30 seconds to spare for this review, just take my advice: DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THE ILLUSION OF THIS HOTEL. If you have more time for an in depth review, please read on. The Icona Diamond Beach is listed as a four-star luxury hotel. The website has convincing photography, and the reviews have mostly five stars but it is a lie. The website has a badge declaring it a 2025 Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice award winner, which now has me questioning anything Tripadvisor recommends. Here is what went wrong: The Room and the View: We booked the Premium Studio King, one of only two rooms with “front-facing ocean views,” located on the 2nd floor where they store event furniture and linens. The room was old and dirty. There were water stains in the dropped ceiling, stains on the couch, a dresser drawer wouldn’t close. The ceiling fixture over the small dining table had a bulb missing. The cabinet below the sink said “fire extinguisher” but the trash can was kept there instead. The internal door flip lock was held on by one screw and there had been clear damage at the top of the door that had been painted over. The A/C unit was an old wall unit, with the plug exposed, and a musty smell. The view is blocked by the roof of the restaurant that extends below and the roof of an event space in between the building and the beach, catching garbage tossed from higher floors. The balcony is a concrete slab wide enough to fit a small chair sideways. The bathroom had an old, faded, navy blue face-towel stuffed inside the bathmat. My first thought was that they left me a rag to clean the bathroom. Then I saw the toiletries wrapped in another towel of the same poor quality and realized these were the towels they intended us to use. If there was one item I could use to prove this luxury brand was a scam, it was these disgusting towels. The window track for our blackout curtains was damaged and did not close all the way, so my husband had to use a nail clipper to MacGyver the curtains closed. The only charger for my phone near the bed was built into the lamp and broken. My phone was dead when I woke up. The bathroom floor was made of linoleum. The Private, Oceanfront Beach: Between the hotel and the water was a large pool, parking lot, outdoor event spaces, beach bar, and a large section of sand. It's roughly 500-1000 feet from the hotel to the beach. The private section is stacked with lounge chairs and it's about 300 feet wide. The water itself is framed by storm sewer pipes, so be careful where the current takes you. The Pool: One of the nicer parts of the hotel, the pool is a decent size and heated. But the towels are no bigger or better than a gym towel you'd find at 24-Hour Fitness. Small, old, used, and gross (on brand with the bathroom towels). You can order food and drinks to the pool, but good luck finding the wait staff and happy hour pricing doesn't apply to the pool, even when Mother Nature sends you winds that make it impossible to use the beach and closes the beach bar early. The Fitness Center: Is more of a fitness closet, containing one rack of dumbbells, a bike and a treadmill, a large TV (blocked view), and a water cooler (the only good thing). The Restaurant: Happy hour includes a limited number of drinks and only applies if you're at the bar. Happy hour food choices are limited to "kids' chicken nuggets" and "a hot dog." Breakfast is supposed to go until 2 p.m. but they ran out of potatoes by noon, so I was forced to substitute with fries or order something else. The Service: 5 minutes after checking, I got a text asking me to rate my stay from 1-10. After seeing the room, I decided I would rate it a 6. Within 48 hours it dropped to a 1, and I vowed to share my experience far and wide to help others avoid wasting their money. If only I had more character space for this review. Just know that the staff knew we were unhappy and never once apologized or tried to accommodate us. I wouldn't stay at this hotel again, if it were free. Don't let the name or website fool you.

Not worth the cost - will not return. Wildwood beaches are beautiful, but there are better hotels at half the cost and right on the beach also. The room was average sized, nothing special. Only a dorm size refrigerator, and the sliding glass doors were so old and low maintenance, I literally could not open them (had to call my husband to do it). The AC exhaust blows directly on the balcony seats - so no sitting outside when the AC is on. I thought valet parking was a perk, turns out to mean they don't have enough parking onsite (unlike everyone else). The two times we used valet parking we waiting nearly 40 minutes each time...causing us to miss our dinner reservation. We stayed 4 nights, the housekeeper came once...dropped clean towels and a roll of toilet paper on the couch and left. No straightening up, no removal of dirty towels...I expected more for the money. Will not return.

We had a beach wedding over Labor Day weekend. The hotel accommodations were 5 star. Rooms were clean and spacious. Front desk service was amazing. Our first time there and this is on our list to return. You need to check out this resort. Well worth the money.

We stayed at Icona Diamond Beach this week. The room was as expected and the beds were comfortable, which we appreciated. Golf cart service to the private beach was nice! However, there were a few things that fell short of our expectations, especially for a hotel at this level and price point. We requested our room to be cleaned in the morning on the second day before our kids afternoon nap and confirmed with the front desk (who wrote it down), but housekeeping never came. Most importantly, we chose this hotel because of the advertised kids club, but we hardly saw any kids’ activities. Aside from marshmallow roasting on Wednesday night, there were no organized games or activities for children on the beach or elsewhere. Perhaps this was because it was later in the season, but since it was still before Labor Day, we were surprised and disappointed. The coffee machine on the first floor was also out of service during our stay. Overall, while the accommodations themselves were good, we booked Icona Diamond Beach specifically with little kids in mind and expected more family-oriented amenities. For the price, we felt it didn’t quite deliver.

Great vacation. Beach bar and restaurant.Food and drinks were delicious. Rooms and hotel restaurant..same. Sat on the beach with Icona provided chairs and umbrellas. Staff will setup and give you towels!! Diamond beach was outstanding!!

First time at Icona, nice resort. Room was clean, set up well with a kitchenette, living room,table and a bedroom. All amenities were easily accessible, restaurants and bars staffed with pleasant employees. Food and drink was good, beach bar was a necessity and enjoyed. The staff that set up the chairs and umbrellas work hard and do a good job. The beach restrooms were kept clean and stocked. We had everything we needed and enjoyed our stay.

The ICONA is a fabulous hotel right on Diamond beach. If you are looking to stay close to Wildwood or Cape May this little gem in between both places is a great place to choose. They have fantastic amenities, including a pool and a section of the beach with chairs. Better yet, they have a four-wheeler used to take you back and forth on the long stretch of beach. For those of you who are interested in partaking in a cocktail, they have a beach bar that is absolutely fantastic. They also have a makeshift bar closer to the ocean. They even have bathrooms with AC at the beach bar. Everything is kept immaculately clean and well taken care of. The service is superior. It is a much smaller hotel than some of the other neighboring properties, but we love this place!

Pros: 1. Staff is extremely accommodating and friendly. 2. The location is excellent 3. Beach and pool area is a 10/10 4. Shuttling service is great. 5. Gator service to and from the beach front. 6. Restaurant on site was very good 7. Location is very close to Cape May Cons 1. Overpriced for the room size 2. Pictures of the rooms on the internet are somewhat deceptive (personal opinion) 3. Safe was broke (was told they'd fix it or get a new one, they never returned) 4. Sliding glass door from the living space was broke (off the track). They attempted to fix it, but it never worked without crushing a finger or hand. Balcony space is absolutely useless. The 36" x 24" exhaust vent blows extremely hot air into the balcony area constantly, so you can't enjoy it at all. 5. Bathroom makeup mirror fell off the wall, mounting screw was missing 6. Was told I couldn't use a 10' x 10' canopy for my grandchildren on the beach, but sure enough, someone with that exact canopy was on the beach. 7. Their "state of the area" gym was 1 treadmill and 8 dumbells. The manager did refund my resort fees for all the broken/non-working amenities with a smile. Overall: While there are some great perks for staying at Icona Diamond Beach Resort, the overall cost was just way too high to have the issues we experienced from day 1.

Rooms were spacious and comfortable. Service was top tier. Meals were well-portioned and delicious. Easy access to the beach. I enjoyed the convenience of being driven to our requested location on the beach and our spot set up for us (chairs, umbrellas, towels, etc.)

The staff is super kind and helpful. Complementary valet and rides to the beach were added bonuses. When booking I mentioned my fiancés birthday and a little note in our room was left wishing her a happy birthday. Would definitely recommend. Family oriented with plenty of adult fun too.

We had a wonderful stay the weekend of the Barefoot concert! The staff was amazing, the service was on point and our room was clean with a beautiful view! My son loved Gustavo, the valet worker! He was so friendly and pleasant! We hope to be back next summer for another amazing stay!

You pay 4 star prices for a 2 star experience. The room smelled like mildew and mold which I am pretty sure that got me sick during my stay. Mildew and mold can give you severe headaches and breathing issues which is exactly what I had. My guess is that it is from moisture buildup from the vents and carpet wetness from multiple occupancies. Balcony doors did not have adequate locking systems. If your room is positioned in the middle of the hotel, 50% of your view is a parking lot with garbage dumpster. On the balcony you have a large HVAC exhaust that is loud and blows hot air on you when sitting outside unless it is turned off. The restaurant is a complete joke. Not only is it over priced, but the food and service are terrible. Wait times are excessive as well. For me the cherry on top was when I was loading my luggage into the car and 2 bell/ valet staff members were just watching me with no offer to help. When you pay 500 a night, you’d expect some form of hospitality. Also don’t be fooled by a lot of the fake reviews posted on their page which is artificially increasing their rank. With that said, we are never going back to this place.

My wife and I had an amazing experience at ICONA Diamond Beach! From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel so welcome — they were incredibly friendly and accommodating. Our room was absolutely beautiful, spacious, and spotless, with all the little touches that made our stay extra comfortable. The food at the on-site restaurant was outstanding — every meal we had was delicious and full of flavor. A special shoutout to the bartenders, who went above and beyond for our group, even staying open later to help us celebrate. Their great service made a big impact on our trip! This stay was even more memorable because we were celebrating a close friend's engagement, and the atmosphere, service, and attention to detail made the occasion even more special. We truly couldn't have asked for a better experience. We can’t wait to come back!

We stayed here this weekend for my birthday celebration and I couldn’t ask for a better place to stay. Booking was easy and the minute we arrived we were greeted by Colleen and felt so welcome. Staff here gets along like family which is rare to see but beautiful to witness. They treated me with a complimentary bottle of wine for my birthday and offered us the free shuttle service which we used all night and loved the driver Tim! We had breakfast here and had John as a waiter and he was so personable. We saw families so this is a great place for everyone. Rooms are clean and updated - loved our ocean view balcony. We will be back and recommend to everyone!