Nantucket
Massachusetts


The Experience

Nine miles away in Nantucket Town, hordes of tourists are stumbling over cobblestone streets. But up here, at the entrance to a nature preserve with 26 miles of untouched beaches, it's a much more peaceful scene. The patrician, gray-shingled mansion that serves as the main lodge has a touch of Gatsby about it, as does the large lawn facing Nantucket Bay that is dotted with chaise longues so plush that guests lie down on them and do nothing else for the rest of the day. Others muster the energy to take out a sailfish or walk across the driveway to the Atlantic side and a completely empty beach.

The Rooms

Like the common rooms, the bedrooms are done up in cozy, local Nantucket style: a mix of chintz and rattan, antique pine furniture, hand-painted armoires and hand-stenciling. They can be a bit on the small side, so double-size rooms (such as 302) are much in demand, as is any room facing the bay. There are also three separate cottages, which afford more privacy but, nestled in the grounds, don't have water views.

The Service

The staff makes you feel that their lives depend on making you happy; they notice everything and respond within seconds. Take your position on one of the chaises and an attendant offering a drink or a menu is there before you can count to 10. General manager Bettina Landt is a detail person, and her staff follows suit -- evident in the many little touches such as the hot buttered popcorn that arrives with the DVD to watch in your room.

The Highlights

Part of the overall feeling of perfection you get at the Wauwinet is due to the addition of chef David Daniels, who moved here in the spring of 2006 to take over the helm of the resort's acclaimed restaurant, Topper's. Signature dishes such as his truffled rigatoni with three cheeses and a hamburger of Kobe beef, short ribs, Dijon mustard and capers served at lunch draw guests in from other hotels -- the Wauwinet maintains a complimentary launch, moored in town. Until the Nantucket planning commission allows the hotel to build a spa, treatments can be done in one's room. But almost as relaxing is a solitary walk on the beach or watching the New England sun set over the bay.

-- Laurie Werner

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