Boutique Amagansett Hotels Offer Relaxation, Seclusion and a Personal Touch

Owning a second home in the Hamptons is an aspirational goal for some.

For others, the next best thing is having a friend who does.

The kind of hospitality, comfort, coziness, privacy and ease one can look forward to while staying with a friend is exactly the kind of vibe two new small luxury hotels in Amagansett have been offering to guests over the last few years.

The Roundtree, located at 273 Main Street, and The Reform Club, at 23 Windmill Lane, are all about making their guests feel right at home, in every sense of the word. With hammocks, Adirondack chairs and swings set up on the grass lawns, to fresh fruit and pastries delivered to the door for breakfast, to pet-friendly policies that make room for four-legged friends, the boutique hotels are redefining what it means to get away — by making people feel at home.

The Roundtree

Located on two acres in the heart of Amagansett, the Roundtree opened in 2020 and is essentially a passion project for owner Sylvia Wong, who worked for many years as a lawyer and the head of emerging markets for IBM. Trotting the globe was part of the job description and gave Wong a sense of what travelers would want in an overnight stay away from home.

Her goal in creating and designing the hotel property was to make guests feel like they were staying at the home of a friend for a few days, rather than booking a room in a hotel.

“The hotel has a very warm and welcoming atmosphere,” said Ann Palmer, the Roundtree’s director of hotel relations. “It’s a true escape. Lots of hotels out east are more about see and be seen, but we value guest privacy, and that’s part of the reason why we have a lot of repeat guests.”

Before Wong purchased the property, it was operated for several years as Gansett Green Manor. Decades ago, the hotel property was a working farm, and the 100-year-old barn that was original to the property was fully restored and now includes eight guest rooms. The hotel also includes five stand-alone cottages, a two-bedroom main house, and an off-site three-bedroom, five-bath beach house. The beach house, nestled in the dunes steps away from the ocean, was formerly owned by Neil Simon, who won his first Tony Award while living there.

Whether guests book the beach house, main house or one of the cozy cottages, the Roundtree provides several touches to make the experience warm and welcoming. Minibars in each room are restocked daily with local snacks, tea and coffee — each room has a Nespresso machine.

“It’s meant to feel like you’re coming to stay at a friend’s Hamptons home instead of a hotel,” Palmer said.

Other amenities include complimentary setup for guests at the beach, with towels and beach chairs, beach parking passes, ice cream “happy hours,” outdoor bonfires in the evening, and more.

The Roundtree has partnerships with several local businesses and restaurants, including the popular restaurant Il Bucco al Mare, located just a few steps west of the hotel property. Guests can order in-room dining from Il Bucco al Mare, sampling the restaurant’s Mediterranean fare in the comfort of their rooms. The Roundtree also calls both Balsam Farms and Amber Waves Farm its neighbors, meaning guests are just steps away from sampling the freshly grown produce and other menu options from those popular farms.

For those looking to fill their days with wellness activities, the hotel has also partnered with Naturopathica to offer in-room spa services, and regularly invites local yoga and fitness instructors to offer classes outdoors on the expansive lawn.

There are plenty of chances to indulge as well. The hotel facilitates a s’mores event every night for its guests, and also provides complimentary fresh-baked cookies every afternoon.

While the hotel is perfect for private, intimate getaways, the Roundtree is also a great place to host events, from small gatherings to weddings with up to 250 guests.

The Reform Club

Much like the Roundtree, the Reform Club offers peace, seclusion and privacy while at the same time allowing guests to easily explore all the sights and places visitors look forward to taking in during the summer months, from exploring shops and restaurants on Main Street to spending a few hours at the beach.

The Reform Club opened in 2020, representing a rebrand from what had been known since 2009 at the Inn at Windmill Lane. It’s owned by the Amagansett Combined Properties, a local real estate company that is affiliated with Amagansett Square.

Changing the name of the small hotel property was an opportunity for a rebrand and a bit of an about-face in terms of the way the company operated, according to general manager Sam Fox, who said the hotel had more of a mom-and-pop, word-of-mouth feel before pivoting to a more public-facing profile.

Quaint but stylishly appointed boutique hotel properties like the Roundtree and the Reform Club are in many ways filling a void that has existed in the area for many years. While the East End has a longstanding reputation as a vacation spot for the wealthy, with highly sought after natural beauty as well as fantastic restaurants, bars and other hot spots, the options for hotels and overnight stays often didn’t live up to the rest of that reputation.

“It was interesting to learn about,” Fox, who is not originally from the area, said. “Because the Hamptons is such a luxury destination, but the hotel products didn’t always reflect that.”

The Reform Club has the same mindset as The Roundtree when it comes to making guests feel like they’re staying in town for a few days with a friend.

Fox said the Reform Club hones in on luxury and leisure in curating the overall experience for its guests.

“No expense was spared in the design and construction of the property and the maintenance,” Fox said. “But we’re not trying to be too trendy. It’s very classic, elegant Hamptons style, with personal touches.”

The outdoor landscape is sprawling, with a large open green lawn, but there is plenty of privacy and seclusion as well.

“We have a lot of discerning guests who look forward to being off the beaten path,” Fox said. “But at the same time we’re still so close to Amagansett Square.”

The Reform Club has a close partnership with the Meeting House Restaurant, which serves New American food from its location in Amagansett Square.

The hotel also partners with several local spas, fitness instructors and yoga studios to offer top-notch services to its guests, and the staff works hard to tailor those experiences to guests’ needs.

“We’re called the Reform Club, so it’s very much about finding whatever that relaxation, revitalization or reform is for you and what you may need in your daily life,” Fox said.