11 Intimate East Coast Inns to While Away Your Summer

Hoteliers David Bowd and Kevin O’Shea are following up their fashionable Salt House Inn with a second property in artsy P-Town: the 14-room Eben House, set in a Federalist-era home that once belonged to Captain Eben Snow. Dine in the light-filled conservatory and look for local painter Michael Gredler’s playful hallway portraits, including one of the captain himself.

But Bowd and O’Shea didn’t stop at Eben House. This summer, the hoteliers also debuted the shabby-chic Chequit on Long Island’s East End. What you’ll find: 37 whitewashed rooms, a neighboring rentable cottage, an outpost of sporty retailer Wampum, and delectable small plates featuring produce from local purveyors. What you won’t find: anyone telling you when to check in, or how many times is too many times to order breakfast in bed.

John Steinbeck, Jackson Pollock, and Art Garfunkel all visited this 1960s Hamptons mainstay. After a top-to-toe renovation, the small, clubby hotel has a new pool with views of the marina and 67 rooms redone by interior designer Colleen Bashaw, decked out with framed whaling maps and nautical-striped rugs. Better still, there’s a dedicated shuttle to whisk you down to the beach.

Just a 30-minute ferry ride from Portland, Great Diamond Island feels worlds away, with its gabled cottages and unspoiled pebble beaches. Once an army fort, this 44-room inn has been modernized with private balconies and sleek kitchenettes. Head to the waterfront Diamond’s Edge Restaurant for Bangs Island mussels and steamed Maine lobster.

Boston-based decorator Rachel Reider has brought Gilded Age decadence to Lark Hotels’ newest outpost, with ornate gold mirrors, jewel-tone fabrics, and plush shag rugs in the 17 rooms. There’s even a black velvet-topped pool table and croquet in the garden.

Former Vogue design director Anna Bern left Manhattan for this quiet hamlet upstate in 2006 to open her acclaimed concept store, Nest. Now she’s expanding her mini-empire with two eclectically decorated rooms, collectively dubbed Nest Inn, in a nearby 1850s farmhouse. Bern’s diverse taste pervades: you’ll find mid-century daybeds and Moroccan rugs sourced on her extensive travels. Two more rooms will open in 2016.

A 15-minute drive outside of town, the newest addition to the island’s venerable Wauwinet resort is all the work of local interior decorator Donna Elle, who introduced a soothing coastal aesthetic of turquoise, coral, and sandy hues to the three-bedroom cottage. It also comes with its own kitchenette and two private decks. Bonus: borrowable beach chairs, umbrellas, and even kayaks from the main lodge—everything you could possibly need for a day by the shore.

It’s all about local character at Hotel on North, the latest inn to hit the Berkshires. Two 1880s buildings house 45 rooms featuring exposed brick walls, tin ceilings, and original art; some have working gas fireplaces and claw-foot bathtubs. Check out your mini bar for a tour of regional provisions: Big Elm Beers, Berkshire Mountain Distillers-bottled gin and tonics, local chocolates. The room to book might be the Library Suite, lined with (what else?) 125 floor-to-ceiling bookcases complete with a rolling ladder à la Beauty and the Beast.

The 1800s colonial landmark in the Berkshires foothills, which reopened as a 16-room inn last May, might be quintessential New England, but its greatest asset hails from across the pond. British star chef (and co-owner) Annie Wayte revitalized the tired guesthouse into a true culinary destination, sourcing ingredients from local farms for hyper-seasonal dishes like smoked potato and leek soup with poached duck egg and roasted pork blade with watermelon radish.

Accessible only by private skiff, this restored 1892 lighthouse turned two-suite retreat on an island off the coast of Maine is a modern castaway’s dream: original seascape art, hand-cut marble bathrooms, a kitchen pantry stocked with fresh fruits and cheeses, and beds with cozy cuddledown duvets—perfect for snuggling up with a book while watching the sun rise (or set, depending on your view) over the ocean beyond.

In need of some pampering? Guests are well taken care of at The Ivy, Baltimore’s newest boutique hotel, in historic Mount Vernon. Each of the 18 rooms in the 1889 former mansion come with its own fireplace and hand-painted armoire (each done by a different local artist). The all-inclusive rate also includes breakfast, cocktails and wine, afternoon tea, and car service via an antique black London taxi cab. Don’t miss a meal in the restaurant, which occupies the mansion’s old treasury and wine cellar.