The Port Royal, built by Palmer Way and his partner Wilbert Morey, celebrates 50 years of oceanfront luxury at the Jersey Shore.
The Port Royal project followed the 1959 construction of the Jolly Roger Motel. The Jolly Roger Corp. owned all the property east of Atlantic Avenue in Wildwood Crest as a result of a law called Riparian Grant. Selling the land other than the Port Royal site to the Borough of Wildwood Crest helped to finance the Port Royal. An additional $1,000,000 was borrowed for this project, making it the most expensive hotel on the island at the time. Construction began in 1971 and the first phase of the hotel opened on June 25, 1972. Two additional floors were added in 1973.
THE PARTNERS
Palmer Way (1916 - 2003), Princeton and Harvard graduate, was an accomplished local attorney. He and his wife, Ginny, had several children – Judy, Elizabeth, Martin, and John. Palmer’s father, Judge Palmer Way (1886 – 1944) owned a 70-foot ketch named The Wayfarer. As the story goes the Greater Wildwood Yacht Club was conceived on the Wayfarer.
Wilbert Morey (1929 – 1998) was an accomplished local builder who started his career in hotels in 1957 with the Fantasy Motel. He and his wife Jackye would build a new hotel every other year, always trading up to get closer to the ocean. Wilbert and Jackye had two children, Will and Jack.
It is reported that the partners never had an argument.
THE ARCHITECT
Fred Langford, a master of concrete design whom trained under Louis Kahn, was Wilbert’s first partner and the architect for the Port Royal. Through their years, Fred designed several Morey projects including several attractions at Morey’s Piers and Water Parks. Fred Langford is known worldwide for his waterpark designs and is in the IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) Hall of Fame, as is his partner, Wilbert.
THE PORT ROYAL TODAY
The Port Royal continues to be owned and operated by the Way and Morey families with the same passion that the founders had. From 2012 – to 2016, the hotel went through several renovations to return the property to its original maritime roots including several pieces of original art and artifacts, including blueprints of the Wayfarer sailing yacht and luggage that Judge Palmer Way used on several transatlantic cruises. The partners continue to reinvest in the property to make certain it remains one of the finest hotels at the Jersey Shore.
The goal was to build an upscale and elegant oceanfront property that would stand out from the pack. Today, the Port Royal remains one of the finest hotels at the Jersey Shore.