4 Things to Do: Canoe Place Inn & Cottages, Hampton Bays

The site of America’s oldest inn, Canoe Place Inn & Cottages in Hampton Bays is the kind of property that has lived many interesting lives. Over the years, it’s become known as a gathering place for creatives, intellectuals, artists, soldiers, and politicians.

Originally, however, it was the ‘first stop out East’ for British soldiers during the Revolutionary War, then a counterculture speakeasy during the Prohibition era, and then an inn and dancehall in the early part of the 20th century that hosted the likes of Babe Ruth, Lucille Ball, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Albert Einstein.

It has also been the performance venue for acts spanning from Duke Ellington and Led Zeppelin to The Ramones and Billy Joel. If the grounds at Canoe Place could talk, they would undoubtedly keep us enraptured with tales from its past lives.

After a major renovation, Canoe Place Inn & Cottages is now a premier hospitality destination in the Hamptons offering more than just first-class accommodations. As the East End readies for the fall, here’s a quick list of some ways to treat yourself at the Hampton Bays resort.

4 Things to Do at Canoe Place Inn & Cottages

Attend a Front Row Series Event – Reviving its roots, the resort is now offering Front Row at Canoe Place, a thought-provoking speaker and music series offering exclusive access to gatekeepers of today’s arts, culture, music and entertainment dialogues.

Designed “to challenge perspectives and inspire conversation,” the year-round programming combines intimate live talks, musical performances, and film screenings to encourage all walks to come together to listen, share, and discover. Find upcoming events here.

Dine at Good Ground Tavern – Drawing rave reviews on the East End’s, Good Ground Tavern is a seasonally inspired eatery helmed by Executive Chef Ülfet Ralph. Situated inside Canoe Place, the tavern is the latest in a series of openings invigorating the classic-but-cool canal-front enclave in Hampton Bays.

Ralph’s menus offer creative, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, centered around open fire cooking, house-made pastas, and pizzas. Working in partnership with the East End community of farmers, artisanal makers and fishermen, the rhythm of the seasons will always be the driving force behind the rotating menus.

The cozy, modern tavern offers 100 indoor seats between the Tavern bar and charming, China-adorned Bottle Room. An additional 120 seats are found al fresco at the outdoor ‘garden by the sea’ terrace and bar, filled with lush greenery. Discreetly tucked away behind the tavern, a private study featuring the property’s original brick fireplace serves as an intimate cocktail destination, reminiscent of the Inn’s days as a speakeasy.

Indulge & Invigorate at ONDA Spa – A well appointed, full-service spa created in partnership with the acclaimed ONDA Beauty team mirrors the hotel aesthetic. 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.

The spa offers exclusive treatments which include the Rejuvenating Facial and Body Bliss Treatment. Signature ONDA experiences such as the Ultimate Lift Facial and Total Wellness Massage will also be offered using ONDA’s curated collection of clean beauty products.

Co-founded by Larissa Thomson, Naomi Watts, and Sarah Bryden-Brown, ONDA offers esthetician-led facials, massages, energy healing, and body treatments.

Retreat in Luxurious Accommodations – Set on six manicured acres adjacent to the Shinnecock Canal, accommodations at Canoe Place include 13 guest rooms, 7 luxurious suites and 5 guest cottages and reflect the grandeur of a bygone era while providing the understated comfort of a classic Hamptons residence.

Vintage-inspired scalloped motifs, botanical and trellis-patterned wallpapers, clawfoot bathtubs and meadow-like carpets complement hunter green and white striped awnings on private balconies and original wood burning fireplaces to create the ultimate “garden by the sea.”

And Canoe Place’s formidable art collection, personally curated by Mitchell and Gregg Rechler, adds a fantastical touch, showcasing the work of local and internationally renowned artists, including Doug Aiken, Yoan Capote and Tony Tasset.

Known for his representations of Native American traditions contextualized within history, a Jeffrey Gibson painting prominently positioned in the lobby pays homage to the Shinnecock people who first inhabited the area.