The best new hotels in the Hamptons for 2023

It’s not easy to score a share or an Airbnb in the Hamptons; most towns require a two-week minimum for a short-term stay and are already booked out by May. Worry not: Seven newly opened or refreshed retreats offer entrée into just the right scene, steps from the shore.

Owned and operated by the Daunt family for three generations, this 23-room hotel (above) has a new sheen, thanks to general manager Leo Daunt and the visionaries at Brooklyn-based design firm Home Studios. The property hadn’t changed much since Leo’s grandfather bought the humble escape in 1977, but now it’s attracting young creatives while also keeping those yearly regulars. Perhaps that’s thanks to newly redesigned The Bird across the street, which is offering dinner service for the first time. Perhaps it’s due to its location, just off the beach yet a short walk to the restaurants, bars and shops of Montauk. Or maybe it’s the updated look, inspired by nearby rugged Shadmoor State Park — those sun-bleached yellows and marine blues pop against the flagstone floors in the guest rooms. We also love its outdoor spaces: The fire pit surrounded by Adirondack chairs and string lights, the plein-air shower and those circular daybeds might make cruising into town on a complimentary bike practically a chore.

For the first time in decades, there’s a lot of hospitality action on Shelter Island. Take Seven on Shelter Island, the 1902 former farmhouse steps from Crescent Beach that was transformed into an artsy enclave about a decade ago. Recently, owner-gallerist-collector Beth Swanström brought in designer-architect and Hamptons historian David Griffin to update her B&B, giving the pool area a retro revamp that would feel totally at home in Palm Springs. Take over one of the larger rooms — some with private porches — in the original wing, sleep in (or don’t; Seven keeps the “breakfast” in B&B!), work off winter in the open-air fitness “shed” adorned with Yoshitomo Nara skateboards and replete with cherry-wood rowing machines, then laze away the afternoon in the 40-foot-long heated pool flanked by Marcel Wanders’ Reverie red lounge chairs and a cabana. Of course, Crescent (a k a Sunset) Beach is five minutes away by foot, and there’s really no better place to start an evening, picnic basket and glass of rosé in hand.

This beloved Long Island landmark has been newly restored by cousin-developers Mitchell and Gregg Rechler, catapulting the 17th-century inn to the 21st century, without losing an ounce of its charm. The 25-key stay, whose name references the site’s origin as a portage spot in the 1600s, was first established as a coaching stop in 1707, but has lived many lives: as a holdout for British officers during the Revolutionary War, a speak-easy and a massive nightclub where performers like Billy Joel and Led Zeppelin took the stage. Last summer, the Rechlers unveiled Brooklyn-based Workstead’s modern, pared-down cozy aesthetic — Coastal Grandma never looked so chic. Book one of the 20 guest rooms (we love those with dormer windows and the corner suites) or five cottages and join the stylish crowd at Good Ground Tavern, where Relais & Châteaux-veteran executive chef Ülfet Ralph fire-cooks pizzas, then sip craft cocktails in the fire-lit study. Refresh before securing a lounger by the pool at the full-service spa, where Naomi Watts’ cult-fave Onda products are the foundation for luxe facials and body therapies.

The completely new Hotel Moraine embodies the North Fork aesthetic, with barn-like structures, ice cream socials, tie-dye and birdhouse-making classes in the crafts cottage, and sun shirts and goggles for sale in the sundries shop. Owned by the family behind the country’s only all-rosé vineyard, Croteaux (who also happened to recently sell the nearby Menhaden hotel), the 20-room stay sits on the site of the seedy old Sunset Motel — a welcome change from what stood here before. Spread across three acres and set directly on the Sound, the retreat caters to families, with adjoining rooms done in sea-foam green and reclaimed wood, classic movies screened on the lawn, games in the cottage and bikes for exploring. There’s plenty for grown-ups as well, from paddleboards to winery tours and lobster rolls by the heated saltwater pool. Everyone gathers outside the lobby bar for sundowners and theatrical sunsets, followed by a veritable conga line to the beach for bonfire s’mores and lighthearted gossip in water-facing chairs. Come as strangers, leave as besties.

The first full season of The Pridwin began this April, after longtime local owners, the Petrys, partnered with Cape Resorts (the adaptive-reuse developers behind Cape May’s iconic Congress Hall) to refresh the 10-acre property on this sleepy island that is pretty much the archetype of NIMBY-ism. Somehow the two groups convinced island residents to allow Colleen Bashaw of Brown Hall Design to update the century-old white clapboard main house, keeping many details like the wainscoting, chandeliers and hardwood floors intact, while sprinkling 16 new cottages across the Adirondack-camp-style retreat’s grounds. Visitors have a private beach on which to collect shells and suntans, as well as a watersports dock. Drinks are best enjoyed from beneath the candy-stripe awning at the Crescent Bar or on the porch overlooking a manicured lawn backed by picturesque sailboats

It may be in its 103rd season, but this adorbs 17-room mainstay is still busy reinventing itself — this summer, every guest quarter is getting upgraded with new beds, Frette linens and lots of good-time programming. Return visitors should consider what owner Andrea Carter calls “the Captain’s Room,” with its ocean-blue leather sofa and sepia-toned framed photos, or the playful “Red Lady,” all sexy leather and Prohibition era-style details. You don’t really need to leave the property, since The Ram’s Head is finally activating its waterfront with daily yoga, bocce, pickleball, boat charters and a lunchtime food truck.

Even if you’re not spending the night, you can join the festivities by booking a table at the 100-seat farm-and-sea-to-table restaurant, now occupying a whitewashed dining room, a sun-soaked garden room and a covered patio.

Like the island it calls home, this shingled retreat remains unpretentious, under-the-radar and exactly the right place to escape the pace of the city.