Resorts on Long Island? These hotels come close with restaurants, shopping and spas
Looking for a getaway close to home with an all-inclusive resort vibe but you have limited vacation days? We got you covered. Independent hotels on Long Island offer amenities that will make you feel like you're at a resort, minus the flight. Some have vast spa facilities. Others offer unique on-site boutique shopping. One hotel is affiliated with the highly regarded regional theater next door and its concierge can arrange to get you the best seats in the house. Another allows guests to reserve time for private photo shoots on its vintage carousel.
Guests can eat, shop and drink a stone’s throw from their room or walk a short distance to see concerts and entertainment. “It’s a different vibe from everything else that’s going on. We have the restaurants, the nightlife, the beautiful rooms. We are kind of like a destination getaway wrapped up in a little square,” says Amy Secaida, hotel manager at American Beech in Greenport. The lively North Fork hotel is just one of a few invigorating getaway experiences that don’t require much wandering from your room to make your stay worthwhile:
American Beech
300 Main St., Greenport
American Beech in quaint downtown Greenport is a mini village unto itself. Thirteen rooms, suites and apartments with their own separate entrances are clustered around a tiny plaza called Stirling Square, right off Main Street. The lively complex, geared toward adults, includes a boutique selling apparel and candles, the American Beech Restaurant, a chic bar open all year called Black Llama Bar and 1943 Pizza Bar, an artisanal pizza place.
The Black Llama Cocktail and Oyster Bar at the American Beech hotel in Greenport. Credit: Randee Daddona
The rooms are decorated in crisp black and white, with bright pops of color. Each one is configured differently, some featuring wooden beams and exposed brick, as they’ve been carved out of a vintage building. All come with minibars and Frette sheets. Complimentary breakfast — bagels, yogurt, fruit, coffee — is delivered in a basket every morning. In one corner of the square at the Black Llama bar, guests recline on velvet seats and sip specialty cocktails like the Whiskey Business (coconut-infused Scotch and aromatic bitters) or the Hotter Older Brother (ghost pepper-infused mescal, honey, lemon). The shopping boutique, which doubles as a reception area, has a similar sense of fun, stocking glittery earrings, art books, candles and other stylish souvenirs. The hotel’s eponymous restaurant serves an eclectic dinner menu with items meant for sharing: hummus with warm pita, burrata with roasted beets, cheese and charcuterie. Brunch is also served.
"The Village of Greenport is highly walkable and our location ensures that you are in the heart of the action for your romantic getaway,” says American Beech’s owner, Brent Pelton.
Cost Rates start at $195 per night
Know before you go Only one of the hotel’s rooms, on the ground floor, is accessible. The others are accessed by stairs. Nine rooms are dog-friendly. Dogs must be under 50 pounds and a nonrefundable $85 fee will apply to the reservation.
More info 631-477-5939, americanbeech.com
East Wind
5720 NY-25A, Wading River
This spacious hotel at the gateway to the North Fork has stately, traditionally decorated rooms and suites in a bucolic setting. Director of marketing Charlotte Coté urges guests to explore the manicured gardens around the Inn, the Estate and the Vineyard, three of its stand-alone event spaces. The hotel’s 10,000-square-foot spa includes saunas, steam rooms, treatment rooms and a full-service hair and makeup salon. An indoor pool makes for year-round fun. Desmond’s, a full-service restaurant, offers lunch, dinner and a lavish Sunday brunch. Other dining options on site include Ruggero’s, a casual Italian restaurant and Brezza Pizza Kitchen.
A hot oil massage is on the menu of services awaiting guests at East Wind Spa and Studio in Wading River.
The resort is a popular spot for weddings and engagement celebrations, and appointments can be made for photography on its old-fashioned carousel to commemorate special occasions. The attraction is also open on weekends to visitors ($5 per ride or five ride tokens for $20). An on-site shopping village called The Shoppes is a destination in its own right. Stroll down winding brick paths, perusing local products at the North Fork Craft Gallery, trying on trendy Hoka sneakers at Sole Provisions and peeking into the North Fork Bridal Shoppe, where you might see brides- to-be trying on creations by Pronovias or Vera Wang.
For a fun-filled family day, Coté suggests, “take a class at one of our creative studios: creating a seasonal decoration at the Beyond Crafting Boutique, a fun experiential class at A Bloom Approach and Bella Anima Parties or decorate cookies and enjoy treats at the newly opened A Pinch of Sprinkle Bakery.”
Cost Rates start at $129 during the week
Know before you go The deluxe “wine adventure” that features overnight accommodations, dinner and spa vouchers and transportation to three Long Island vineyards, tastings included, starts at $359 per person. No pets allowed at the hotel.
More info 631-929-3500, eastwindlongisland.com
Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa
290 Old Montauk Hwy., Montauk
Guests can take in a beachfront view at Gurney's Resort & Seawater Spa in Montauk. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
Montauk’s storied seaside resort has been expanded and polished to a bright sheen over the years. If it’s a scenic, full-service, activity-filled break you desire, Gurney’s will come through at any time of year.
Situated on a long stretch of Atlantic beach, its rooms, suites and cottages offer dramatic views. The Seawater Spa is known for its seawater and marine-based therapies and includes a bath house with thermal pools, a seawater pool circuit, dry sauna, eucalyptus steam room and heated stone bench. Other amenities include a fitness center with a full schedule of Pilates, yoga, boot camp and tai chi classes. Geared toward families, enjoy “dive-in” movies on Saturday nights, when the hotel screens family-friendly films in the heated indoor pool. On long holiday weekends throughout the year, a kids’ club offers supervised crafts, swimming in the indoor pool and other activities.
A guest at Gurney's Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa in Montauk reclines in the facility's sauna room. Credit: Gurney’s Resorts/Gurney’s Resorts
Beyond wellness, Gurney’s shines in the food and drink department. Even when it’s chilly outside, guests can still enjoy the beach, sheltered in one of the hotel's heated waterfront igloos, which feature cozy winter décor and a special light bites and cocktails menu. The Regent Lounge hosts complimentary mixology classes on Saturday afternoons and welcomes sports fans on Sundays with Bavarian pretzels, steak nachos and beer bucket specials. For a more formal meal, Scarpetta serves a bounty of fresh seafood including yellowtail, tuna and local fluke crudi. There are also elevated pasta dishes like duck and foie gras ravioli, tagliatelle with truffle zabaglione and lobster tagliolini. But with accommodations facing the crashing waves, you might just opt for in-room dining. For breakfast, there are chia pudding, blueberry pancakes and short rib hash. All-day choices include lobster rolls, burgers and flourless chocolate cake.
Cost Rates midweek in winter start at $323
Know before you go Gurney’s welcomes dogs up to 40 pounds and charges a nightly pet fee of $75.
More info 631-668-2345, gurneysresorts.com/montauk
Northport Hotel
225 Main St., Northport
The rooms at the Northport Hotel are furnished in midcentury modern style. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
“Northport is such a great little town,” says Kevin O’Neill, co-owner of the Northport Hotel. “The only thing missing was a great place to stay.” Since its opening in July, this boutique hotel has filled that void. O’Neill likens the hotel and its setting to counterparts in coastal Maine or the Hamptons, but without the long drive. “We’ve brought an East End luxury experience to a central location on Long Island.”
Located in a vintage building on a prime corner in Northport, the hotel has stylishly appointed rooms furnished in midcentury modern style. Marble bathrooms feature double sinks and heated floors. O’Neill is especially proud of the acoustically engineered soundproofing that took place during construction. The result is vault-like quiet in every room.
For those looking for dinner before a show, the dining room at the restaurant at the Northport Hotel offers a pre-theater prix fixe meal. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
Coffee and pastries are served in the cozy wood-paneled lounge with a fireplace. The restaurant’s glamorous gold and charcoal décor matches its menu of luxurious items like crab and sea urchin pancakes, pear and goat cheese flatbread, and butter-poached lobster. In addition to its regular menu, the restaurant also serves a pre-theater prix fixe meal for $54.95. John W. Engeman Theater features Broadway-quality productions just a short walk away from the hotel. Shows to see this winter include: "Frozen Jr." running Jan. 27 to March 3, "I Love you, You’re Perfect, Now Change," running Jan. 18 to March 3 and "Jersey Boys," running March 14 to April 28. The hotel’s guest experience manager can assist with tickets.
Cost Rates start at $350 per night
Know before you go Bucking the trend of requiring a two-night weekend stay, the hotel will let guests book for one night on weekends through April 30, enough time to enjoy that pre-fixe dinner, show and a leisurely breakfast before checkout. The Northport Hotel can only accommodate dogs with service papers, leashes and vests.
More info 631-628-7000, thenorthporthotel.com
