Why we’re excited: If the Hamptons are where you go to be seen, North Fork is where you go to disappear—and disappearing is oh-so-easy and enjoyable at this Greenport motel, a mid-century era relic that changed owners last year and underwent a colossal renovation. Located just outside of downtown Greenport, it’s accessed via a private wooded road that transports you to 1,400 feet of private beachfront on Peconic Bay. The Silver Sands opens this summer with its original (yet remodeled) twenty motel rooms, and will add one- to five-bedroom bungalows throughout this year, each overlooking the water from a perch of lush native landscaping. The brains behind Charlie Bird and Pasquale Jones in New York City, chef-partner Ryan Jones will ensure the newest iteration of the Silver Sands will be incredibly tasty, by restoring the motel’s original on-site diner, as well as offering summer and early autumn guests weekend cookouts. Keeping things sustainable was a huge part of the new owners’ vision for bringing the Silver Sands into the 21st century: not only will the hotel reduce its carbon footprint with water-reduction methods and eliminating all reliance on fossil fuels, but it will also relaunch the defunct Pipes Cove Oysters farm, located in 15 acres of underwater land just off its shoreline. Rates from $595.
The Coco—Edgartown, Massachusetts
Where it’s located: You couldn’t ask for a better location, right on North Water Street in the heart of historic Edgartown, just steps from the ferries, shops, and restaurants.
Why we’re excited: Lark Hotels’ “Edgartown Collection” is a unique concept of five mini-hotels, each housed in a historic, homey building in close proximity to the others. It’s clearly working: The Coco, opened in time for this summer in a historic sea captain’s home, is the fifth in the group. From the outside, the premises are a seamless part of Edgartown’s coastal New England aesthetic. But when you step in, you’re transported to a world of color and comfort inspired by “the feeling of returning home after traveling the world,” according to Lark Hotels CEO Peter Twachtman. Each of the eight guest rooms here is finished with its own design scheme of layered patterns, jewel tones and dramatic wallpapers. Think of this one as less of a classic New England hotel experience and more like staying in your most fabulous friend’s Vineyard house. Rates from $400.
The Norumbega—Camden, Maine
Where it’s located: Just half a mile north of downtown Camden, on a quiet stretch of scenic Route 1, overlooking Penobscot Bay.
Why we’re excited: Erected in 1885, this “Stone Castle by the Sea” was ahead of its time thanks to electric lights and steam heat. It served as a private residence for nearly a century before changing hands several times since the 1980’s, never really getting the full attention it deserved. That is, until New York architect William Tims purchased it in May 2022. Over the last year, he and his partner Brett Haynie have painstakingly updated the property, giving this historic landmark the new chapter it deserves, and reopening it as one of the most desirable places to stay in Maine’s midcoast region. Many of the building’s period details remain, including the original wooden millwork, a turret, the large entry hall with coffered oak ceilings, inlaid wood flooring, and more. There are also plenty of welcome new additions, including renovated marble baths, a welcoming porch swing, and an intimate new bar that is open to the public. Best of all? Tims and Haynie plan on keeping this beauty open year-round, a rarity for this region. We simply love to hear it—because the Norumbega seems like the kind of place that lends itself to cozy autumn and winter sojourns just as well as it does to sunny summer escapes. Rates from $349.
