Southampton Inn Marks 25 Years with New Units, Pool & More

This year Dede Gotthelf celebrates 25 years at the helm of the Southampton Inn.

“My company bought it in 1998. It was going to be a fix-up and flip, and here we are 25 years later loving being part of the community,” says Gotthelf, who, at the time, was working in real estate development and consulting in New York City and eastern Long Island.

When she purchased the now 50-year-old brick Tudor-style hotel, it was a basic hotel with a dated 1960s site plan: no lobby to speak of and avocado-blue-beige-tinted bathrooms with plastic shower stalls. After a gut renovation of 90 guestrooms in 90 days, Southampton Inn (2.0) opened on Memorial Day weekend in 1998.

“That was a pretty crazy year, with a 4- and 6-year-old at home in New York City,” recalls Gotthelf, whose family has owned a home in Hampton Bays since 1951. “I’ve spent my whole life — summers and holidays — on the East End and love it and feel like I’m almost a local.”

And, though the Hamptons has become ever more trendy, chic and glitzy in the past 25 years, Gottthelf’s vision for her hotel has remained the same.

“For the whole 25 years, the Southampton Inn has really stuck pretty faithfully with its mission to provide beautiful, comfortable, elegant, classic, traditional rooms and service and to bring our guests into the wonderful Village of Southampton and surrounding areas,” she says.

A PERSONAL TOUCH

Located in six connected buildings, Southampton Inn’s guest rooms are each individually designed — some with king beds, some with two queens, and many with sleep sofas — but all furnished with refrigerators and workspaces, and a relaxing, non-commercial atmosphere.

In addition to updating the rooms, Gotthelf turned The Bounty, the hotel’s former restaurant and comedy club, into an inviting, bright spot for breakfast and lunch for guests.

In 2007, Gottfelf opened the restaurant to everyone, christening it “Oso,” after her cat at the time. Now called “Claude’s,” for the current feline mascot, the restaurant earned a Wine Spectator award a few years back and the OpenTable Diners’ Choice Award in 2022.

Though open year round for breakfast and brunch, Claude’s officially reopens for dinner this weekend with its tasty American cuisine, featuring filet mignon, the mighty Claude burger, delectable shrimp and local fish dishes, creative salads and their signature Claude clam chowder.

“The menu is fun,” says Gotthelf, adding that their new pastry chef just arrived from Miami to create memorable desserts for Claude’s. “It’s simple. It’s classic. We hope it’s affordable.”

From opening day to late September, Claude’s offers a spectacular setting for outdoor dining on the European courtyard, pool patio or the acre-long firepit-dotted lawn.

“Being outside in the gardens is so beautiful, really special,” Gotthelf says.

ARTWORK AND EVENTS

When she first bought the hotel, Gotthelf purchased 300 pieces of artwork from Lee Pope of the Schoolhouse Gallery, and decorated the guest rooms and public areas with the assorted media.

Over the years, the inn has held various exhibitions of local artists and in February 2020 officially opened Claude’s Art Gallery, carved out of a corridor between the lobby and the restaurant.

“Supporting local artists and the arts is a really big part of the mission,” notes Gotthelf.

Currently, the ARDT Gallery of Water Mill is curating Claude’s Art Gallery, which is showing pop art and photorealistic works featuring Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando and other legends.

The hotel also caters weddings — of all sizes and varieties — and boasts a ballroom that holds 140 people seated or a buffet for 200, and opens out to the courtyard, for indoor/outdoor events.

“It’s understated and lovely,” says Gotthelf, adding that they’ve often rented out the entire hotel to wedding parties and their guests, offering a variety of activities, from scavenger hunts to tennis round robins and yoga on the beach.

“We will cater to whatever budget the bride and groom would like,” she says. “And there’s a lot of joy.”

The five-acre pet-friendly hotel has a heated outdoor pool, all-weather tennis court, croquet and volleyball, and, with four lower level meeting rooms, is a popular spot for off-site business meetings.

NEW AT THE SOUTHAMPTON INN

Gotthelf’s next project for the inn will be an additional 40 units, including suites with kitchenettes, plus a new swimming pool, which is currently under review by the various village boards.

“I think Southampton Village needs this,” says Gotthelf, who anticipates breaking ground next year and completing the addition by 2025.

To commemorate 25 years in business, Gotthelf has many celebrations planned throughout the season, including the 25th annual Memorial Day barbecue on the pool patio, 2–4 p.m. on Sunday, May 28 and the opening night dinner in the ballroom and courtyard for Pianofest, for which Gotthelf serves on the board, on June 26, which starts with an après-concert procession from the Southampton Cultural Center to the inn.

This year, Gotthelf was honored when the Southampton Inn was included in Monopoly The Hamptons Edition. It’s one of the yellow squares on the board. 

The Southampton Inn is located at 91 Hill Street in Southampton. For more info, call 631-283-6500 or visit southamptoninn.com.

-PARTNER CONTENT