Woods Hole Inn
28 Water St, Woods Hole, MA
woodsholeinn.com; (508) 495-0248
Distance by car: 4½ hours
Just a fishing-pole cast away from the Martha’s Vineyard ferry in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, the Woods Hole Inn, with walls of turquoise pastels, white chair moldings, distressed wooden floors, and scattered knickknacks, is, according to owner Beth Colt, “vintage restored.” Once a dilapidated hotel/boarding house, originally built in 1878, it is now funky nautical chic, and has proven so popular that earlier this year, Colt and her husband were pressed to renovate the second floor, nearly doubling the number of rooms.
ROOM: Fourteen rooms are done up white with walls and pillows in sea-greens and blues for punch. White furniture is topped with tchotchkes you’d pick up in HomeGoods or local gift shops—and in the extremely clean, small white baths, you can request handmade green starfish soaps (for a small cost). Ask for the Penzance Room ($230-$395), with its own private deck, clawfoot tub, and a direct view of the ferry and the serene harbor beyond—worth any amount for the spectacular sunset over the harbor islands alone.
BOARD: Complimentary breakfast is upscale gourmet—lots of fruit, baked goods, quiches, and tarts. Downstairs and around the corner, Colt’s Quicks Hole restaurant serves Cape-Cod-meets-Cali cuisine, like its signature lobster tacos and other farm- and sea-to-table dishes in a very casual, Cheeseburger-in-Paradise-type space.
ONLY HERE: Ask for the Sleep Vineyard Soundly package, which includes two nights at the Inn, two ferry tickets for a day trip to Martha’s Vineyard, use of resident cruiser bikes, daily breakfast, and a bottle of chilled Prosecco at check-in ($350-$500 for two for both nights).
WHILE HERE: Take advantage of the free-for-guests bikes and ride the Shining Sea Bikeway: From the front door of the Inn, you can hop onto the paved path and ride 11 miles up the coastline to North Falmouth—absolutely gorgeous, with views of both Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay.
JUST THE FACTS: Rooms and suites range from $155 to $425 (depending on day and season) and include free gourmet breakfast and, even more important, free parking.