Life House, Nantucket

Style

Inn Vogue

Setting

The Grey Lady

Housed in a former 19th century inn, Life House, Nantucket now draws the in-crowd with its quiet residential setting, lush gardens and laidback attitude. But it’s the daring design that will stay with you – it somehow manages to be both unspeakably cool and adorable all at once. Once you’ve finally finished admiring the lacquered paint, hand-painted floral tiles and framed Gucci scarves, pedal ten minutes in any direction on your borrowed beach cruiser to find the island’s best lobster rolls, golden beaches or quaint cobblestoned streets.

Facilities

Rooms

14.

Checkout

11am. Earliest check-in, 4pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability.

More Details

Rates include free daily continental breakfast as well as free cocktails, beer or wine in the garden during daily happy hour.

Also

It may look quaint as can be but there are high-tech touches, too – check-in and check-out is done via an app and you can text the house manager with any requests during your stay.

Hotel Closed

The hotel shutters annually for the winter season after the Christmas Stroll (in the first week of December) and re-opens for Daffodil Festival (in the last week of April).

Free Internet Access

At the Hotel

Gardens, fire pit, free WiFi. In rooms: TV, air-conditioning, Le Labo bath products, Marshall bluetooth speaker, free bottled water.

Our Favourite Rooms

The Deluxe King will give you extra space to unwind. If you’re very tall, go carefully in the Cozy Queen – it’s in the eaves which means low, slanted ceilings (but extra charm points).

Packing Tips

Pack a copy of In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick – this epic seafaring tale about the whaleship Essex will teach you about life on Nantucket in the day of the house’s original owner, Captain Robert Calder.

Also

Unfortunately, due to the hotel’s historic architecture, it isn’t suitable for wheelchair users.

Children

They’re technically welcome, but not at all catered to. Most rooms can’t accommodate a cot or crib and narrow hallways will be difficult to navigate with a buggy.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

In the garden, under a white fringed umbrella (providing the perfect opportunity for *that* Nantucket hydrangea pic).

Dress Code

Break out the Breton stripes and break in your topsiders – yes, people really do dress nautically on Nantucket.

Hotel Restaurant

Free continental breakfast, plus tea and coffee, is provided daily in the lounge, the gardens or on the veranda, but there’s no restaurant on-site, so you’ll need to eat out for lunch and dinner.

Hotel Bar

There’s no bar per se, but pedal back from the beach for the daily happy hour (5-7pm) when guests gather in the garden or the lounge for drinks on the house – either one free cocktail or unlimited wine or beer. Try the Elderflower Spritz, the Noman’s Land (made with bourbon, curacao, rum, ginger, honey and mole bitters) or the virtuous Grey Berry made with a non-alcoholic spirit called Ghia and native Nantucket blueberries.

Planes

The best way to reach Nantucket’s tiny airport, ACK, is to connect via Boston, but there are also frequent flights from New York City, Washington DC and Philadelphia. From the airport, it’s twenty minutes to the hotel by taxi.

Automobiles

Driving is definitely discouraged on the island (it’s devilishly difficult to find parking). Most visitors get around by bicycle – there are lots of rental outfits in town.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

First things first – you’ll be needing a bicycle. Rent one (by the hour, day or week) at Young’s Bicycle Shop in town. Now, it’s time to pedal to the playa – at nearby Jettie’s Beach, there’s a lifeguard, towels and chairs to borrow, and a restaurant serving lobster rolls and frozen drinks. Much quieter Steps Beach has no amenities, so pack your own picnic and borrow the hotel’s beach towels.

If it’s not beach weather (or those famous mists are rolling in), head into town for a whirl around the Whaling Museum. Here, you’ll learn about what it was like aboard whaling voyages in the 19th century (clue: not a walk in the park), measure up to a 46 ft sperm whale skeleton and probably make a mental note to re-read Moby Dick.

Nantucket’s boutiques specialise in souvenirs of the very chic variety – buy a needlepoint pillow at Erica Wilson, superlative stationery at Parchment (in Sconset) or a hand-woven throw blanket at Nantucket Looms.

And, for the actively inclined, the Sconset Bluff Walk winds from Sconset to the Sankaty Head Lighthouse with panoramic sea views on the way. Or, try a class at the Yoga Room, a friendly studio in town.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .