Weekapaug Inn, Westerly

Location 

Situated on its own peninsula with Quonochontaug Pond to one side and the quiet community of Weekapaug to the other, this quintessential New England inn is at the southern end of the Rhode Island coastline, just a few miles from the Connecticut border. It’s a two-and-a-half hour drive from New York and just an hour and a half from Boston. Around it, coastal woods turn into dune grass and sand as they edge towards the water, creating a perfect escape from the bustle of the east coast cities and a sanctuary for myriad bird species.

Accommodation 

The classic building we see today – with its red-cedar shingles, dark brown trim, red shutters and wide porches – is a faithfully restored version of the inn built on this spot in 1939, after the original inn, opened in 1899, blew down in a hurricane. The 27 rooms and four two-bedroom Signature Suites feature pieces of furniture from the original inn balanced with modern touches that add a sense of vitality to the tangible sense of history. Vibrant fabrics, braided rugs, dark wicker and hardwood floors all feature heavily. Feather-top beds are covered in fine Frette linens, bathrooms are decked in Italian marble and boast deep-soaking tubs, and each room has its own distinct colour palette and unique bedding pattern. Views are of the lush gardens or still pond that surrounds the inn.

Dining 

Breakfast is included in the room rate, along with a selection of complimentary snacks and beverages made available in the third-floor pantry that change throughout the day. For lunch and evening meals, there’s a choice of venues to pick from. The Restaurant – the main dining room – offers farm-to-table dishes inspired by the Mediterranean and Rhode Island’s traditional Yankee roots. The wood-burning fireplace makes a perfect backdrop for a winter meal while the outside stone terrace is ideal in summer. The Garden Room is a great spot to gather, with a bar, comfortable seating and a continually evolving menu that captures the best of each season. The Sea Room has a wraparound porch where rocking chairs offer sunset views over Quonochontaug Pond. In the summer it offers casual dining from hot and cold lobster rolls to wraps, sliders and salads. Also offering light bites in summer are The Lawn and The Boathouse.

Facilities 

The Weekapaug community is known for its love of the sea and many of the inn’s activities focus on or around the water. The private white-sand beach is great for swimming in summer or for long winter walks, while motor boats, kayaks and sailing boats can all be accessed on the pond (which here in the UK we would describe as a lake). Away from the water, the inn keeps its own fleet of bicycles for guests, or for something more leisurely, take a dip in the saline pool, read a book in a rocking chair, or put together a game of bocce or shuffleboard.