The highly anticipated Canoe Place Inn & Cottages has opened its doors in Hampton Bays. It is located on the site of America’s oldest inn, dating back to 1679, but for the better part of a decade it sat vacant, a relic of its former glory.
For hundreds of years Canoe Place in Hampton Bays served as a place of hospitality and housed many iterations of its famous nightclub. Oh, if those walls could talk. From Teddy and Franklin D. Roosevelt to Cary Grant and Lucille Ball, Albert Einstein, Babe Ruth, and Bon Jovi, Canoe Place has played host to American history through the ages. A star-studded inn and dance hall of the early 20th century, a speakeasy of the prohibition era, and a nightclub of the ’80s through the early aughts, the venue has seen performances by Duke Ellington, Led Zeppelin, Bill Joel, and The Ramones. Just prior to its closing in 2010 it hosted names like Kim Kardashian, P. Diddy, and Paris Hilton.
If we go even further back in time, it was a coaching inn occupied by British officers during the Revolutionary War. When the railroad came to Hampton Bays in the late 1800s, it provided a tourism boom. Boutiques along Main Street in Hampton Bays such as the Lyzon Millinery Shop and Finchley’s haberdashery made up what was then referred to as the “Fifth Avenue of the Hamptons.”
Today at Canoe Place, the grandeur of a bygone era meets the understated comfort of a classic Hamptons residence.
Design firm Workstead reimagined the interiors for the new build and selected the vintage-inspired scalloped motifs, botanical and trellis-patterned wallpapers, clawfoot bathtubs, and meadow-like carpets that complement hunter green and white striped awnings on private balconies and original wood burning fireplaces to create a “garden by the sea” Hamptons retreat.
Set on six manicured acres adjacent to the Shinnecock Canal, accommodations include 13 guest rooms, seven luxurious suites and five guest cottages. The boutique-style inn also features a regionally inspired, chef-driven restaurant and bar with indoor and al fresco dining, a pool, spa, and event spaces.
The property’s restaurant, Good Ground Tavern, helmed by Relais & Château veteran Chef Ülfet Ralph brings creative, Mediterranean infused takes on classic cuisine, centered around open fire cooking, house made pastas and pizzas, and craft cocktails. Signature dishes include CP clams casino, wood fired Montauk bass, sausage and pepperoncini pizza, and herb olive oil cake with fennel and orange. The comfortable, modern tavern offers 100 indoor seats between the Tavern bar and charming wood paneled, China lined Bottle Room, and an additional 120 al fresco seats at the outdoor terrace and bar.
In-room bathroom amenities by sustainable beauty line Costa Brazil mark the brand’s first hotel partnership. Guests can also appreciate the cozy Alicia Adams alpaca signature throws at the end of each bed, phone charging pads on the nightstand, and locally sourced wines and spirits in the mini-bar. Guest cottages are each equipped with a private backyard, grill and fire pit, outdoor shower, and wrap-around front porch.
The full-service spa was created in partnership with the acclaimed ONDA Beauty team. The design brings the landscape of the outdoors in with a sunny palette, botanical motif, and trellis details, creating the ambiance of a serene garden. Whimsical, pastoral murals adorn the walls of three treatment rooms, including a room for couples. A relaxation room is wrapped from wall to ceiling with a playful striped covering, emulating the feel of a cozy tented garden pavilion. Co-founded by Larissa Thomson, Naomi Watts, and Sarah Bryden-Brown, ONDA offers esthetician-led facials, massages, energy healing, and body treatments.
Canoe Place was restored by Long Island developers Mitchell and Gregg Rechler of Rechler Equity Partners, and the team tapped some of the industry’s top talent for the momentous undertaking, partnering with independent hospitality management firm, Main Street Hospitality to bring Canoe Place to life.
