Edgartown
Massachusets


The Experience

Away from the crowds but only a few blocks from Edgartown harbor, tucked away on a quiet street lined with linden and chestnut trees, this inn is truly a throwback to a more gracious time. Every furnishing within the whitewashed 19th-century former whaling merchant’s mansion that serves as the main house and the four other houses of the complex is an impressive, carefully chosen antique -- from the grandfather clocks and the mahogany Scottish barrister’s desk (on which you write your registration details in the old-style ledger), to the gilt-framed oil paintings and silver dressing-table sets. It’s like staying in a museum -- but a cozy, lively one, without the guards or “don’t touch” signs.

The Rooms

The rooms vary in size, location and furnishings, but all have singular antique touches such as vintage chests, hand-carved mahogany four-posters, delicate brass lamps, first-edition literature classics on the bedside table, handmade silk or linen drapes and downy comforters on the beds. Return guests have their favorites, sometimes determined by season: Rooms 21 and 22 have extensive gardens and terraces; rooms 1,3,12 and 14 have fireplaces.

The Service

As befits the imposing surroundings, the staff could not be more accommodating, whether remembering how you take your coffee in the morning or making sure you reserve a restaurant in town early enough so that you’re not disappointed. They do this without being overly stiff and correct, though; warm and welcoming, they are also extremely knowledgeable about the area.

The Highlights

It’s hard to imagine anything better than a summer afternoon on the terrace or in the gardens sipping freshly squeezed lemonade… unless it’s hot cider by the fireplace in the winter or fall. Regulars of the popular French restaurant L’Etoile may miss the convenience of just going downstairs for one of its exceptional meals (the restaurant moved to a larger location several blocks away in spring 2006 after 20 years at the hotel). But its successor, The Terrace, with its lighter, contemporary New England menu laced with French influences, is winning guests over on its own.

--Laurie Werner

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