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New York Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Luxury Hotels Are Replacing Cheap Motels in the Hamptons
The Westhampton Seabreeze Motel, with its quilted bedspreads, white microwaves and mini fridges, is no more. Gone, too, is the Sands Motel, in Montauk, which was a tad swankier with full refrigerators and stoves that were off-white. The motor lodges were the last of their kind, as the perimeter of the wealthiest of the wealthy Hamptons pushed outward to swallow up many of the remaining patches of affordability in the Long Island resort towns. This summer, two new hotels are slated to open in their place with amenities more equated with luxury. Three Ducks, on the old Seabreeze site, will offer guests complimentary breakfast from a local farm stand and beach cruiser bicycles. At Offshore Montauk, which has risen where the Sands Motel once stood, guests will find a cabana-lined pool and a room for yoga and Pilates. The new hotels embody the continued Hamptonization of all the Hamptons, a transformation of quiet coastal spots into chic, moneyed destinations. Both are in towns where housing prices have increased in recent years — the average home is now $1.9 million in Montauk and $1.56 million in Westhampton, according to Zillow. Guests can expect to pay as much as $795 a night at Three Ducks and $1,000 a night at Offshore on the weekends this summer. In Montauk, what was once a low-key fishing village is now a summer playground for the wealthy, the famous and those who want to be close to them. Two other motels in town were bought last year by the owner of high-end boutique hotels in Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard; both are now closed while they undergo renovations. And several clubs are moving to town this summer, including a restaurant that plans to charge a membership fee to get a guaranteed seat. Some local residents pine for the simpler (cheaper) times. 'Sands was a honky-tonk kind of place, very approachable, something for everybody, across the street from the beach,' said Kay Tyler, 49, who lives full-time in Montauk and is the executive director of Concerned Citizens of Montauk, an environmental advocacy group in town. 'Now it's being turned into a very exclusive, very expensive kind of place. I think it's another example of how Montauk has changed.' Nancy St. John, 62, remembers growing up in the village of Quogue, about 40 miles from Montauk on the South Fork of Long Island, when the Hamptons were dotted with inexpensive motels. 'People would stop there when they needed a break from driving or a simple place to stay,' she said. 'There were no restaurants or amenities. You would have your room and that was it.' The places weren't fancy, but they were 'classic' and 'the people were nice,' she said. For supporters of the changes, there's another way to look at the old motor inns: Sometimes 'classic,' they say, is just plain dated. Three Ducks and No Parking (in Front) Take the Seabreeze. 'This motel was the real 'Schitt's Creek' of the Hamptons,' said Randall Stone, 63, a co-owner of Three Ducks, referring to the sitcom about a wealthy family that goes broke and has to move into a rundown motel in Ontario. Mr. Stone, who splits his time between Manhattan's Upper West Side and Remsenburg, a hamlet just outside Westhampton, said he has spent 30 years at consultancies helping to create hotel brands. He and his partners bought the 12-room Seabreeze for just under $2 million and then put another $2 million into a gut renovation. The hotel, which opened on May 21, still has 12 rooms, but they now have vaulted ceilings and bathrooms with handmade clay tile floors. A third of the building's layout was reconfigured to create different room types, including suites. A wildflower meadow and other greenery have taken over 1.6 acres of lawn, and a barn-style structure was added for breakfast, programming and special events, like weddings. 'We always knew it had so much potential, and now we are pouring our heart and soul into every detail,' Mr. Stone said. That includes ripping out what makes a motel a true motel: The parking spaces in front of each room have been turned into private gardens. 'Each room now has a private seating area to enjoy a glass of wine surrounded by a perennial garden,' said Elizabeth Bakhash, 35, the other owner of the hotel, who is also a partner at the real estate company Kash Group. (A new parking lot is in an area that leads up to the barnlike building.) Offshore and Ocean Views In March 2024, Enduring Hospitality, a hospitality development group based in Los Angeles, paid $23.25 million for Sands, which had been under family ownership since it opened in 1951. The new Offshore hotel has 43 rooms just like Sands, but it features an 1,800-square-foot spa with two cold plunges, one red-light panel room, two infrared saunas, a gym, and the yoga and Pilates room. Representatives of Enduring Hospitality would not reveal exactly how much the company spent on upgrades, but said the hotel underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation. Ceilings were elevated and new floor-to-ceiling windows were installed. Slider doors open up to balconies with ocean views. 'I would not say we are fancy. I would say we are more quality, like a home-away-from-home kind of vibes,' said Marley Dominguez, a co-founder of Enduring Hospitality. 'Our rooms have very warm tones, very understated. It's meant for you to relax.' The hotel is scheduled to open on June 15. 'People Expect More' Both hotel owners insist they are riding a wave of the luxury transformation that's already underway. Last summer, Seven Beach Lane, a boutique hotel with 16 rooms and a heated saltwater pool, opened in Westhampton Beach, a village in Southampton. A new movie theater with a chic bar opened nearby in February. Donahue's Steak House, a storied restaurant in Manhattan's East Village, where a regular left his two favorite servers $50,000 apiece in his will, is opening an outpost in Westhampton Beach in June. The village recently completed a renovation on its Main Street and its septic system. 'Westhampton Beach was kind of the overlooked part of the Hamptons, but now people finally want to be here,' said Liz Cantwell, co-owner of Six Corners Fine Wines & Spirits, a local wine shop. Six Corners is one of the many businesses partnering with the Three Ducks to provide services and amenities to guests. 'We are going to be doing daily wine deliveries over there,' she said. 'I am excited.' Ralph Urban, who became the mayor of Westhampton Beach last year, said he believes this is what people want, even as he worries about the toll on transportation, including an increase in private jets, and the lack of affordable housing for local workers. (He said there is a new development in Westhampton Beach that has seven affordable units: 'It's a small number, but it's a step in the right direction.') 'There is a demand for high-end things now,' said Mr. Urban, 76, who moved to Westhampton from California at the age of 15. 'Lifestyles are changing, and people expect more.' The area is also in desperate need of more lodging. 'We do have a shortage of hotels in the season,' he said. 'Even when I have family gatherings, I don't have room to house people.' But in spite of the added rooms, residents like Ms. St. John say that family and friends who once stayed at the Seabreeze won't be able to afford the new hotels. 'I will have to send them to Riverhead,' she said, referring to a nearby town outside the Hamptons.
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
The best new and updated Hamptons hotels for 2025
If you've grown bored of the same old, same old Hamptons getaways, get your Ginza flip-flops from The Row ready. A new generation of makeovers is infusing some fresh energy and carefree style into the scene this season. From the total overhaul of Westhampton's divey Seabreeze Motel into the lush Three Ducks Hotel, to the reimagining of the run-down Sands Motel into the wellness-focused Offshore Montauk, these jitney-friendly escapes beckon you to book a room and perfect your 'dark bohemian' deportment just in time for Memorial Day. Floppy hats and flowy coverups required. 5 Seven Beach Lane Courtesy of Liz Clayman / Seven Beach Lane Advertisement Though it technically opened late last summer, Seven Beach Lane debuts its first full season this June — and it was worth the wait. Set just a mile from Rogers Beach and the coastal-cool shops on Main Street, the restored 1885 Victorian houses 16 rooms and suites, a namesake restaurant that emphasizes locally sourced cocktails and cuisine (order the cavatelli with baby artichokes and chanterelles, but don't skimp on the housemade bread) and a full suite of fitness offerings, including a gym, an infrared sauna and a cold plunge. The vibe is decidedly glam, so don't be shy: Dust off those Cartier baubles and make your French bob BIG. You never know who that silver fox sipping a glass of Languedoc rosé at his poolside daybed might be. Rooms from $749; Seven Beach Lane 5 Offshore Montauk has a new wellness-focused, bare-bones aesthetic. Cameron Burton Advertisement In what appears to be a trend, Montauk's old Sands Motel is shaking off its tired image in exchange for a wellness-focused, bare-bones aesthetic. Marley Dominguez, co-owner of upstart Enduring Hospitality, unveils his approach to laid-back luxury at the tip of Long Island this June, hoping to capture some of the boho-chic clientele who in recent years decamped to nearby Shou Sugi Ban House or Gurney's. He's giving them good reason to make haste to this 43-room escape, starting with a resort-like pool and extending to the red-light therapy in the mini-spa and breezy setting right on the Atlantic. Come on a Friday morning before the madding crowds and secure an outdoor space — a private terrace, a lush lounge area — all your own, quiet enough to read an actual book. Rooms from $700; Offshore Montauk 5 The Sagaponack is completely rebranded and redesigned. Courtesy of The Sagaponack The hotel formerly known as the Wainscott Inn is now The Sagaponack, completely rebranded and redesigned for its first full summer of operations. Among the upgrades that $4 million afforded the old bolt-hole: a full renovation of the 30 guest rooms and lobby, all outfitted in nautical-chic blues and whites; family- and pet-friendly premises, including organic treats from the Hamptons Barkery for Fido and baby gear and sitting services for Little Debbie; and resort-style amenities, like beach passes, e-bikes and a stocked pantry for grab-and-go (gratis!) snacks. Privacy-seekers can book one of nine bungalows and withdraw to their discreet personal retreat, emerging only for yoga and meditation classes held near the outdoor heated pool or a game of croquet on the expansive lawn. Rooms from $599; The Sagaponack Advertisement 5 Three Ducks has new owners and a fresh outlook. Three Ducks Westhampton The sleepy suburban village has finally gotten the reboot it deserves, starting with the total overhaul of the downtrodden Seabreeze Motel. With new owners and a fresh outlook, the midcentury hostelry has emerged with wildflower meadows that double as gathering spots, outdoor seating areas for each of the 12 guest rooms and a stripped-down aesthetic that lets the natural beauty of the beach community sparkle. Though it shares a general manager with Bridgehampton's see-and-be-seen Topping Rose House, don't expect such flash here: Breakfast is served in the newly constructed barn and group activities are less Champagne toasts and more bird-watching and flower-arranging classes. Grab a bike and cruise to the dunes for sunset or take a seat by the communal firepit and make lifelong friends. Rooms from $795; Three Ducks Advertisement 5 Montauk Yacht Club underwent a tip-to-toe multimillion-dollar renovation. Courtesy of Courtesy of Montauk Yacht Club The largest marina in the Hamptons reopens for a full season this summer after a tip-to-toe multimillion-dollar renovation that touched everything from the Ocean Club Restaurant, helmed by Executive Chef Jarad McCarroll, to the 16 inviting grassy acres. This summer, when you're not vying for a slot at the padel courts or an invitation onto one of the superyachts strutting their stuff in the 232-slip marina, scurry from one of the 107 guest rooms to the Sisley Paris pop-up spa that takes over the Floating Water Cabana Spa. Along with the brand's cult-favorite facials, you can score your skin's summer essentials on-site — thus eschewing the 30-minute drive to the nearest Bluemercury in East Hampton. The other big news among erstwhile regulars is that Michael Kors has teamed up with the barefoot-chic retreat for a Jet Set Package that includes an off-menu chef's table dinner, a private sunset cruise aboard the hotel's boat, a massage and a signature weekend bag to secret those Aesop toiletries back home. Rooms from $799; Montauk Yacht Club
