The Flanders Hotel, located at 11th Street and the Boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey, opened in 1923 during the height of the Roaring Twenties. Built as a luxury seaside resort, it was one of the largest and most ambitious construction projects ever undertaken on the island at the time.

Designed by architect Vivian B. Smith, the hotel was constructed with reinforced concrete and steel in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, making it far more fire-resistant than many of the surrounding wooden boardwalk buildings. The hotel’s name honors Flanders Fields in Belgium, commemorating soldiers who died during World War I.

The Flanders quickly became a centerpiece of Ocean City’s tourism industry, offering elegant accommodations, dining rooms, and social spaces that attracted visitors from across the region.

During the 1927 Ocean City Boardwalk Fire, much of the surrounding boardwalk was destroyed, but the Flanders survived largely intact due to its solid construction. After the fire, the boardwalk was rebuilt closer to the ocean, and the hotel later developed large saltwater swimming pools that became a popular attraction for visitors.

Over the decades the Flanders has remained one of Ocean City’s most recognizable landmarks. After facing financial challenges in the late twentieth century, the building was renovated and converted into a condominium hotel in the 1990s.

Today, the Flanders continues to operate as both a hotel and residence, standing as a lasting symbol of Ocean City’s early resort era and its long history along the Jersey Shore.

Flander’s Pool in the 1920’s before the fire of 1927

During the early days, the front desk was located on the 2nd floor at the top of the stairs