Ocean City Maryland Boardwalk Hotels -- Commander Oceanfront Hotel

In the Fall of 1930, a huge dune on 14th street and oceanfront was leveled, pilings driven and the foundation of the Commander Hotel was established.

The newest hotel in the city opened its doors for business on Memorial Day, 1931, with a full American Plan dining room to compliment its 62 rooms. Food service came from a kitchen fueled with wood-burning stoves. For $95.00, a man and his wife could stay for a week with three meals a day included. Phone calls were 10 cents and a gallon of spring water retailed for 53 cents. the Hotel boasted the city's first ever elevator, in-room telephone service and a wide front porch with rocking chairs to enjoy the ocean and the new addition to the boardwalk.

During WWII, the Commander was a haven for overworked doctors, lawyers and executives. During those days, the windows were covered at night with black-out curtains because of the danger of enemy shelling from off-shore submarines.

After the war, with the economy improved, plans were completed to add a new north wing. Then operating on the Modified American Plan (two meals a day included) and boasting a dining room that could seat in excess of 400 people, the Commander became the hotel of choice for many convention groups and reunions. During the 1950's, the Commander Clambakes became known throughout the state and were twice featured in the Baltimore Sun. On some occasions, over 1200 people ate lobster, corn-on-the-cob and steamed clams cooked together on the beach in a pit enclosing an oak bed of coals, smothered in kelp and covered with canvas. The March Storm of 1962 brought the beach clambakes to an end as the beach elevation after the storm made it impossible to build a fire that would not be extinguished by high tide. After that, the Clambakes were prepared totally in our kitchen.

Beginning in 1979 and for the next 14 years, the Lynch Family produced the Commander Boardwalk Dinner Theatre. This was not a buffet theatre, but a performer service theatre that brought rave reviews. Many of our past performers can be seen in road shows, on Broadway, TV Commercials, Carnegie Hall and even the recent movie musical "Evita."

In 1992, the first phase of a rebuild for the future project was completed with the opening of the Cabana Building. In April of 1997, the old Commander was razed and rebuilt after serving the community for 67 years.

Today, the new Commander, owned and operated by the 4th generation of the Lynch Family, has all the amenities to lead us into the new millennium. We are proud of the fact that our family can be traced to Worcester County and Ocean City before 1785, and in over 200 years we have moved less than a mile from where our forefathers called home. This must mean we're in the right spot.

Please join us at the Commander - where the tradition continues.

Commander Hotel / 14th Street on the Boardwalk / Ocean City, MD 21842 / 888-289-6166 / 410-289-6166
info@commanderhotel.com

This site is designed & maintained by D3Corp/Internet Strategies, Inc.
Copyright D3 Corp / Internet Strategies, Inc., Ocean City Maryland