Block Island Beach House

If there’s a charming New England town that doesn’t yet have a Lark hotel, you can probably assume they’re working on it. In this case the town in question is New Shoreham, Rhode Island, better known by its geographic name, Block Island. This, as you might have guessed, is where you’ll find Block Island Beach House, which is exactly what it says it is — in fact it’s the only beachfront hotel on the island.

The old “Surf Hotel” sign still stands atop this weathered Victorian mansion, but what’s inside has been given a thorough redesign, resulting in interiors that are roughly one part modern-casual surf shack to one part classic coastal New England. Bold wallpaper and textile prints and saturated color accents liven the whitewashed shiplap background, and the rooms are decorated with one-of-a-kind large-format Polaroids commissioned by the hotel, as well as old wooden surfboards and other eclectic, atmospheric touches.

Block Island Beach House’s restaurant, The Surf, opens onto the porch overlooking the water, and serves classic summertime fare, including fresh fish and barbecue. The Beach Bar, meanwhile, is even more self-explanatory, and the café serves not just coffee but breakfast and an all-day counter-service menu as well.