Vacation rental vs hotel for Wildwood — which makes more sense?

For 8 adults, a vacation rental almost always wins financially and experience-wise. You get a shared living space, a kitchen (massive savings on food), and you can actually hang out together. Hotels separate you into rooms. For groups of 6+, I'd always do a rental. Wildwood has tons of options in all three boroughs.

Hotels have a convenience advantage — cleaning, towels, no hassle. But for the price you'd spend on 3 hotel rooms, you could get a much nicer house. The rental math is just better for groups.