Ocean Glass Inn opening June 1 in Rehoboth

After four decades known as Pirate’s Cove Motel on Rehoboth Avenue Extended, the site will reopen June 1 as Ocean Glass Inn.

Jadine Pilotti and Jeremy Kreer took ownership of the property in late March, and immediately set about renovating the space.

The structure itself is in place, said Kreer, but the idea was to create something that would stand out.

“We basically ended up gutting the place,” said Pilotti. “All the rooms have new floors, new electrical, new bedding, new bathrooms, there’s even a new sidewalk. Everything is new.”

The inn features 14 rooms and seven cottages. There are no twin-sized mattresses – each one has at least one queen, while most have two queens. The cottages have king-sized beds, with kitchenettes.

Pilotti said they were able to salvage some of the old wooden desks and other pieces of quality furniture. Each one got a fresh coat of paint and was styled with a distressed look, she said.

The cottages have an old-school, beach-cabana vibe, but customers have to be able to sleep comfortably, said Kreer, adding each room has brand-new doors with secure locks.

Pilotti said each room is different, and there’s nothing standard. She said that’s where the new name comes from – Ocean Glass Inn.

“The rooms are imperfectly perfect on purpose,” she said.

Pilotti and Kreer said they have been coming to Rehoboth for 20 years. “We met and fell in love down here,” said Kreer.

This is the first time the two have owned and operated an inn, but it’s also the second phase of their professional careers. Pilotti had a successful marketing job, while Kreer sold his pest control company last year. The two took a year to travel and relax.

Pilotti said they were looking for a house in Rehoboth, not too far from the Avenue, when they noticed Pirate’s Cove was for sale, with only 21 rooms. So, she said, they decided to give it a try.

“We couldn’t just drink our lives away,” said Pilotti.

“We tried to,” joked Kreer.

“This hotel is our purpose,” Pilotti said.

Pilotti said she appreciates the hard work by the previous family, but it was a motel, and now with the inn, they’re trying to create a different experience for their customers.

Kreer said people have expressed gratitude for them not demolishing the old structure just to build apartments or condos. It was a family-run business for 40 years, he said. It was important to preserve a part of Rehoboth.

“We just wanted to clean it up,” he said.

Pilotti said the inn will feature an upscale breakfast and happy hours for customers. Kreer said phase two of the renovation process will include the construction of a huge pergola.

Kreer said the goal is to be open year-round. He said they’ll probably shut down the cottages, but keep the main portion of the inn open.

As opening day nears, Pilotti said there are some jitters about whether they’ll be able to deliver the experience they want on day one. She said they’ve hired a good team and they want to make it work.

“That’s our goal, and I know we will,” she said.

For more information on Ocean Glass Inn, 37299 Rehoboth Ave. Ext., call 302-227-2844, email contact@oceanglassinn.com, or go to www.oceanglassinn.com.

Editor’s note: The cottages will be closed only during the winter months.