The New England coast has been an all American summer destination since the early days of the Republic, but a remarkable change is underway for a region clearly rooted in the past. Here’s what you need to know when this part of the east coast is jumping into season.
Dye House was once part of a large wool mill complex.
Dye house
The news from Newport
If you missed festivals, consider: Newport returns to normal this summer with a stacked dance card of the (reduced capacity) hustle and bustle: The Newport Folk and Jazz festivals are back in late July, followed by the Newport International Boat Show in September. Book a room below The Vanderbilt, Auberge Resorts Collection to be in the center of the action; the Gilded Age Grande Dame just got a facelift courtesy of the hip Dallas design collective Swoon. Head over to The Reef, a brand new restaurant on Howard Wharf that focuses on elaborate seafood dishes like za’atar-crusted salmon – it’s a welcome change from Newport’s usual all-frit concept. Across the city, my beloved Castle Hill Inn heighten his outdoor game with private candlelight dinners on the farm amid his vegetable gardens. And across Narragansett Bay from Newport in fast-paced Providence, a former wool mill in the Olneyville neighborhood is getting a new lease on life as Dye house, a boutique hotel whose five carefully designed guest rooms combine industrial coolness and irresistible cosiness.
A modern take on the shaker decor in the Dye House
Dye house
The Loft Suite at the Dye House Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island
Dye house
main menu
A guest room in the recently renovated Claremont in Southwest Harbor, Maine Main
Erin Little
In Maine’s precious warmer months, all roads lead to the shore, especially this year with sparkling debuts like York Beach Surf Club. With new owners and a rock-solid renovation, this Scandinavian-style surf-themed hotel is bringing new energy to the south coast.
About 25 miles north of Kennebunkport – known for its old money supply and being the summer home of the Bush family – feels unusually fabulous this season too. Partly because of the opening of the AWOL hotel with its expressive decor (no wicker or paneling), but even more so because of the club Cumming on the Coast: the entertainer with multiple hyphens, Alan Cumming, brings a version of his nightclub in downtown Manhattan with a summer residence of singers, dancers and drag Queens who will perform at the Kennebunkport Inn. Just around the corner, Kennebunkport Captains Collection offers a new interpretation of “The Port” with a collection of four historic captains’ houses that have been converted into elegant hotels.
The story goes on
And if you can make it all the way north Acadia National Park, Scope out The Claremont, which went through a change of ownership and a total renovation. Now there is a heated outdoor pool next to the waterfront Croquet Green with a view of Somes Sound – a change that even the salty Mainer can get behind.
Moon rises over Somes Sound on Mount Desert Island, Maine
Douglas Merriam
A whale for a good time
The arrival of the wonderfully unusual Distant Nantucket offers a fresh aesthetic for the island of the same name, whose design standard is the classic Saltbox. Think the 1920s Paris salon meets the Massachusetts maritime, with lots of rattan furniture, antique rugs, and a spacious courtyard that is sure to become Nantucket’s hangout in the summer. Faraway owners, Blue Flag Partners, recently acquired six more properties in the area, which are expected to be renovated next summer. A few steps down the road, islanders Tessa Cressman and Jenny Bence have just opened Green Market Nantucket, whose natural beauty, local flowers, and local produce offer an overdue alternative to a large chain store. Two blocks away, the surf shop and cafe Stoke ACK is the place for almond milk flat whites and local information on the latest swell. And wherever you want to go, use Sandy Pedals, the island’s first e-bike share. With over 50 docking stations from Madaket to Sconset, you’ll never have to fight for a taxi or haul it to the beach again.
All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This article was published in the July / August 2021 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
Originally published on Condé Nast Traveler
