Chatham Bars Inn

The Chatham Bars Inn is among the oldest of the best of Cape Cod’s luxury hotels, an instant classic for escaping Bostonians upon opening in 1914, and an old favorite today, the impressive main house curving along the hillside, with prime views the Atlantic just behind. In this part of New England the towns are still pretty small — here, a quarter-mile outside Chatham proper, Chatham Bars is a rural seaside escape, with what might be the most spectacular location on the Cape.

Older rooms occupy that photogenic main house, and the newer ones are in the cottages spread over the Inn’s 25-acre estate. Newer still are the Spa Suites, right upstairs from the spa itself — these are contemporary in style, trading a bit of old New England charm for a generous helping of modern luxury, complete with saunas, steam showers and whirlpool tubs. You can’t go wrong with any of the three categories, though — the cottages, though newer, have plenty of character, and the old inn rooms are kept very much up to date.

There are options for dining but there’s also the town of Chatham, a quick walk away — and you can bet you’ll work up an appetite on the Chatham Bars grounds, between the pools, the beach, and the new fangled “Classic Clay” tennis courts. There's a private beach, and the best public option in town, Chatham Lighthouse Beach, is close by as well. Borrow a bike, go for a walk, or, for the quintessential New England holiday, get out there for a bit of sailing or game fishing.

How to get there: from Chatham Municipal Airport‎, 32.1 km — approximately 10 minutes.