The pool at The Pridwin.
Photo: Courtesy of The Pridwin
7 Essential High-Design Hotels in the Hamptons
From Hampton Bays to Montauk, the South Fork is dotted with hotels and guesthouses catering to every budget and taste
Even for the uber-wealthy, owning a house in the Hamptons is a dicey, pricey proposition: only last week, controversial art-publishing billionaire Louise Blouin lost her historic 19-bedroom beachside mansion in a high-profile bankruptcy proceeding. But there are alternatives to buying.
From Hampton Bays to Montauk, the whole of the South Fork is dotted with hotels and guesthouses catering to every budget and taste, from no-frills funky to luxe and lavish. Just in time for the height of the season, Galerie presents a quick guide to Hamptons hospitality destinations new and old—perfect for casual weekenders, fallen tycoons, and everyone in between.
Solé East spans 60 rooms and seven cabana suites. Photo: Solé East
1. Solé East
The Backstory: To New York party people of a certain age, the casual-cool Solé East—opened in Montauk in 2006—is redolent of a certain social era, a time of Boho dresses and skinny jeans, of M.I.A. and PBRs. Almost two decades later, it’s still truckin’ (albeit without the trucker hats and increasingly visible signs of aging).
The property—which spans 60 rooms and seven cabana suites—features a lush courtyard as well as a nautically-inspired lobby and pavilion bar. The location—quite a ways from the beach—seems worlds away from the social moil of the Hamptons, which has finally swallowed the easternmost East End.
The cozy public space at The Pridwin. Photo: Courtesy of The Pridwin
2. The Pridwin
The Backstory: Just steps from André Balazs’s glamorous if slightly Real Housewives-ish Sunset Beach, The Pridwin is a mellower, more authentic take on the Shelter Island high life. The formerly dowdy (if very lovable) roadside chateau was renovated last year, preserving odds and ends from the past while making the most of its waterfront locale.
The property—which includes 33 rooms and 16 cottages—emits a cozy atmosphere not just in the rooms but in the social spaces, especially in the Nook, a wood-clad lounge backed with books and board games. But while the coziest time to visit would be winter, the hotel isn’t open year-round (not at least yet).
The beach club at Gurney's. Photo: Courtesy of Gurney's Montauk
3. Gurney’s Montauk Resort
The Backstory: Perhaps the town’s most luxurious getaway, the hundred-year-old Gurney’s Montauk sprawls across 200 acres and has its own 650-yard-long stretch of beach. The pool is ocean-fed (the only one of its kind in the U.S.), the beach is gorgeous, and the parking lot is bumper-to-bumper Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
The property—which offers 158 rooms, suites and beachfront cottages—offers one-of-a-kind views for guests, that is until the fog rolls in… and then the place only becomes more romantic. Things can get a little noisy around lunch hour, especially (as is not infrequently the case) if there’s an event going on somewhere on the grounds.
A guest room at the Maidstone. Photo: Glen Allsopp
4. The Maidstone
The Backstory: Now technically called LDV at The Maidstone, this early 19th-century fixture of East Hampton was taken over by the eponymous hospitality group last year, and reopened this summer after getting a tasteful upgrade. It still feels remarkably down-home, albeit with an overlay of Italian-style luxury courtesy of a new restaurant menu from chef Jorge Esparanza.
The property—with 16 rooms and three standalone cottages—affords guests the opportunity to sit on the deck and watch the world go by. If you’re lucky, Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, or one of the inn’s other celebrity patrons might watch with you.
The crowd at The Tavern is usually young and diverse. Photo: Stephanie Brauer Photography
5. Canoe Place Inn
The Backstory: Arguably the oldest hotel in the United States, the Canoe Place Inn in Hampton Bays started from a modest roadhouse in the 17th century, eventually growing into a rambling resort hotel favored by Tammany Hall fat cats—until a 1921 fire burned it to the ground. The current structure is a latter-day replacement, and it’s undergone an even more recent renovation.
With 13 rooms, seven suites and five cottages, the property offers fresh and hip interiors. The crowd around the pool and at The Tavern restaurant is usually young and diverse. However, notwithstanding the proximity to the waterfront, the public areas face the parking lot, and lobster-roll purists will wish to avoid the Tavern’s version, which comes baked in a thick remoulade.
Shou Sugi Ban House's titular shou sugi ban—the dark, textural wood siding that clads the resorts’ pavilion-like buildings—makes this maybe the most design-forward spot on the list. Photo: Fredrika Stjärne
6. Shou Sugi Ban House
The Backstory: Holy holistic medicine, Batman: Shou Sugi Ban House is a yogi’s dream, an oasis of wellness right in the heart of Watermill. A tea lounge, landscaped gardens, and a full therapeutic program give the Eastern-inspired compound an air of tranquility able to soothe even the most harried Hamptonite.
For sheer aesthetics, the titular shou sugi ban—the dark, textural wood siding that clads the resorts’ pavilion-like buildings—makes this maybe the most design-forward spot on the list. A three-night stay in one of the 13 guest rooms will run you somewhere in the neighborhood of $5,000.
Baker House was originally built by a sea captain in the mid 17th century. Photo: Baker House
7. The Baker House 1650
The Backstory: Built by a sea captain in the mid-17th century, the Baker House claims to be one of the oldest continually occupied structures in North America—and from the low, thick-beamed ceiling in the central parlor, it’s easy to believe it. The property’s two discrete structures are separated by a scenic garden, and there’s a semi-secret spa in the basement of the ancient cottage, complete with pool and sauna.
The hotel’s main house has five guest rooms, while an additional eight are located in the rear carriage house. The breakfast room, the living room fireplace and the gigantic old maps in the carriage house bar make the Baker House an ideal retreat. But be warned: You may become so enchanted that you can no longer cope with life in the 21st century, give up all your worldly possessions, and commit yourself to a quiet existence of candlemaking and butter-churning.
Cover: The pool at The Pridwin.
Photo: Courtesy of The Pridwin
