Get to the Pointe
Crowne Pointe HISTORIC Inn & Spa
82 Bradford St // Provincetown, MA
(508) 487-6767 // crownepointe.com
Distance from White Plains: 5 hours
Think the Cape is a great summer destination, only? Think again. Come fall, the weather is cooler and the crowds thinner. And if you want to get away from it all while still being in the middle of it all, Provincetown’s Crowne Pointe Inn & Spa is your find—and an indulgent one to boot.
The Crowne Pointe, a former sea captain’s mansion and his fishermen’s houses, was renovated and elaborately restored to its original Victorian grandeur by the Inn’s founders and owners in the ’90s. The five-building, 40-room complex sits smack in the middle of frenetic P-Town—yet it is walled off. Your room key unlocks the gate to this mini-resort compound, where you’ll find a courtyard with, let’s see, a heated in-ground pool, Jacuzzi, sundeck, gardens, koi pond, fountains, and boardwalks. Many of the rooms have porches or balconies overlooking the courtyard, so you can spy on your fellow vacationers. Or, come 5 pm, watch everyone enjoy wine and cheese—and chocolate chip cookies!—on the sundeck (oh, you’d be wise to join them, too). If you’re not feeling particularly social, know that your room includes a CD and DVD player (movies are available at the front desk). Upgraded rooms also include fireplaces and whirlpool tubs—with rubber duckies!
As for food? The Inn’s Bistro at Crowne Pointe, an intimate 40-seat restaurant occupying two rooms (including a glass-enclosed sun porch), which is under the direction of one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs, Robbin Haas, specializes in—what else—seafood. You can’t go wrong with its excellent iterations of New England clam chowder, lobster ravioli, tuna steak, grilled scallops, and, of course, steamed Provincetown lobster. And come morning, fill up on Paula Deen’s Savannah toast and other comfort-foods from their hot, bountiful breakfast buffet.
Feeling a wee bit stressed? The Crowne Pointe’s Shui Spa offers a host of treatments and services, including a Chardonnay(!) body scrub—the Chardonnay is produced at Truro Vineyards of Cape Cod in neighboring Truro. (Those who prefer to drink their wine should consider stopping at the Vineyards for a tour and tastings; trurovineyardsofcapecod.com.) The Shui Spa also features a warm mineral therapy tub, should you want to while away the hours contemplating nothing at all. However, should you feel a bit more energetic, the Inn is only a block from Commercial Street, P-Town’s main shopping, dining, and social thoroughfare—it runs along the harbor. Hop aboard the Provincetown Trolley (provincetowntrolley.com) and get a 40-minute narrated intro to the town. Rather be out on the water? Sign up for a whale-watch cruise—we highly recommend Dolphin Fleet (whalewatch.com). And, no matter what, treat yourself to a tour of the sand dunes by Art’s Dune Tours (artsdunetours.com), the only tour company licensed to drive motor vehicles out on the dunes. Make sure to have your camera on hand—breathtaking photo ops abound.
The Nitty-gritty: Until October 21, accommodations run $199 and up, depending on room type. From October 22 to December 28, rooms begin at $129. Several discount packages are available, including a two-night “Cape Escape” for two. Available beginning November 1, enjoy a two-night stay, one spa treatment per person, complimentary tour of and tasting at Truro Vineyards, one dinner for two at the bistro, and hot buffet breakfast daily, for $599.99 and up.
—RS