Greg Hatala/For NJ Advance Media

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In one of the captions in this gallery, I mention working the graveyard shift at a Cumberland County motel my senior year in high school.

When some people hear about a high school student working through the night, they react with dropped jaws. But it wasn't bad. And, I never once fell asleep in class.

It was no cakewalk; there was no cable TV in 1977. When Joe Franklin went off the air around 2 a.m., there was nothing left to watch on TV. No internet, no smart phones … I did a lot of reading.

My absolute favorite part of the job? Wake-up calls.

I used one of those old Lily “Ernestine” Tomlin “One ringy dingy!” plug-in telephone switchboards. I had a list of all those who’d asked for morning calls and when their requested time arrived, I enjoyed nothing more than putting on my cheeriest voice and responding to the grunt that passed for a ‘hello’ with “Good morning! This is your 6 a.m. wake-up call in beautiful Millville, New Jersey!”

Here’s a gallery of vintage New Jersey hotels and motels. Scroll to the end of the gallery for links to similar galleries you might enjoy.

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Courtesy of the Cape May County Historical Society

A photo from the 1970s of the Biscayne Motel at Louisville and Atlantic avenues in Wildwood Crest.

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Courtesy of the Burlington County Historical Society

A 1960s photo of the Easterner Motel on Route 130 in Bordentown.

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Courtesy of the Millville Motor Inn

Remember when these were your motel key? I likely handed out these exact ones while working the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift at the Millville Motor Inn in high school in 1977. Yes, on weeknights. I needed a job.

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Courtesy of flashbak.com

The iconic sign for the Moon Motel in Howell in an undated photo.

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Courtesy of the Monmouth County Historical Society

This 1906 photo shows the Delphian Hotel at First Avenue and Kingsley Street in Asbury Park.

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Courtesy of the Cape May County Historical Society

The Panoramic Motel Apartments did business at 2101 Surf Ave. in North Wildwood and was photographed in the 1960s.

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Courtesy of the Boonton Historical Society and Museum

The private residence of Boonton's Cooper Lord, owner of the Boonton Iron Works, later became the Puddingstone Inn; it was destroyed by fire in 1967.

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Courtesy of flashbak.com

This photo of the Cadillac Motel at 853 Spring St. in Elizabeth was taken in the early 1960s. "Last Motel to New York."

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Courtesy of the North Plainfield Public Library

The Guest House was located at 361 Grove St. in North Plainfield and advertised itself as being "only 23 miles from the Holland Tunnel;" the photo is undated.

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Courtesy of Distejon

A family takes a vacation snapshot in front of the Fantasy Motel at 131 W. Rio Grande Ave. in Wildwood in the 1960s.

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Courtesy of the Somerville Public Library

The Ivory Tower Motel on Route 22 is still there and still looks exactly like this late-1970s photo.

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Courtesy of flashbak.com

The Hill Top Motel in Belmar featured a picnic area and large grassy expanses for summer relaxation. The photo is from the 1970s.

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Courtesy of the Margate City Historical Museum

A gallery about New Jersey hotels wouldn't be complete without Margate's famous 'Lucy the Elephant,' built as a hotel in 1881. This photo is from the 1950s.

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Courtesy of the Elizabeth Historical Society

A 1960s photo of the Saxony Motel at 330 Atlantic St. in Elizabeth.

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Courtesy of the Salem County Historical Society

The Colonial Arms Motel in Penns Grove featured a cocktail lounge and advertised having "private phones." The photo is from the 1970s.

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Courtesy of flashbak.com

The La Concha Hotel was at 3100 Boardwalk in Atlantic City. Shown in the 1960s, the site is now home to a Hampton Inn.

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Courtesy of Readington Township History

The Three Bridges Hotel in Readington is shown in an circa-1916 photo.

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Courtesy of Vintage Bergen County

The York Motel, shown in the 1950s, was located on Route 3 in North Bergen and advertised itself as being "10 minutes from Times Square."

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Courtesy of flashbak.com

The Driftwood Apartments/Motor Lodge on Broadway in Cape May is still in business, although the units are now condos. This photo is from the 1970s.

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Courtesy of Mike Nego

This Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge was located in Route 46 in Ridgefield Park.

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Courtesy of Tom Felmey

Cottages for rent on Union Lake in Millville appear in this photo from the 1930s.

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Courtesy of Vintage Bergen County

This photo of the Marriott Motor Hotel in Saddle Brook was taken in the 1970s.

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Courtesy of Vincenza Cajiao

This photo of the Belleville Hotel was taken in the 1930s.

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Greg Hatala / For NJ Advance Media

Vintage photos of N.J. hotels, motels and inns

https://www.nj.com/news/2015/11/vintage_photos_of_nj_hotels_motels_and_inns.html#incart_river_home

Vintage photos of N.J. hotels and motels

https://www.nj.com/news/2018/08/vintage_photos_of_nj_hotels_and_motels.html

Vintage photos of mansions and estates in N.J.

https://www.nj.com/news/2015/01/vintage_photos_of_mansions_and_estates_in_nj.html