About the Madison Beach Hotel

Madison, Connecticut, a small town of 18,000 residents, changes to become a charming New England resort in the summer months. Madison boasts six miles of shoreline, including three town beaches, and Hammonasset Beach State Park that adds another two miles of public beach.

Our History

The Madison Beach Hotel was built in the early 1800's as a rooming house. Owned by Artemus Flower, the Flower House, as it was then known, housed the men that worked at Hoyt's Shipyard and was located on the beach to the east of the hotel. Many boats were constructed by Captain Abel Hoyt, his son John, and the workers who lived at Flower House. The Edward Vincent, The Lynchburg, The Waverly, The Betsy, and, most notably, The Hummingbird, were built on the hotel property.

At end of the 19th century, the hotel had approximately 53 rooms, divided on each floor by a central hallway. The waterfront rooms were the most requested.

Only a few rooms had the luxury of a bathroom. Most rooms had a small corner sink, and guests shared bathroom facilities. Each bed was three-quarter size, larger than what we know presently as a twin bed but smaller than a double. Comfort was not the primary requirement of the day. It was very "New England."

The Twentieth Century

The Madison Beach Hotel has been host to many famous guests including actors John Barrymore; Peter Gallagher (While You Were Sleeping; Sex, Lies, and Videotape); Spencer Christian (Good Morning America weatherman); Paul Schaefer (bandleader); and Jonathan Edwards (singer/songwriter). As a young man Art Carney of The Honeymooners worked at the hotel as did his two brothers.

The hotel restaurant, now known as The Wharf, was solely for the use of the hotel guests and was not open to the general public. The second floor of the restaurant was called the "Harem" and housed the young college females employed for the summer. The fourth floor of the hotel housed the young male employees and was nicknamed the "Pullman." Even today we have visits from some of these early employees, many with their grandchildren in tow, reliving memories.

In 1968, the Cooney family purchased the hotel and restaurant and operated the business for four decades.

In March of 1978, a fire gutted most of the restaurant forcing the family to rebuild. The hotel was renovated in 1982. The number of rooms was pared down to 32, all with waterfront views. Many elements of the original hotel were utilized in the new building to keep the spirit and history alive. This was evident in the wainscoting, period furniture, and wood flooring.

Modern Times

The Madison Beach Hotel remains one of the oldest continuously run businesses on the Connecticut shoreline. In October of 2006, the Duques family, longtime residents of Madison, purchased the hotel and restaurant from the Cooney family.

The Duqueses’ goal for the property is to transform the traditional New England beachfront hotel into a world-class boutique resort, with luxurious amenities and small town charm. With this transformation underway, we will open our doors in 2012. We are excited to unveil the next chapter in the long history of this local landmark.

The Madison Beach Hotel is proud to be a non-smoking property.