Travel Agent - September 10, 2007 - (Page 48)

Hotels Nantucket Island Resorts Company operates five properties to suit a variety of clientele BY ANASTASIA MILLS HEALY amills@questex.com L ocals and other insiders in the know say the best time to visit Nantucket, MA is September, when the high volume of inseason visitors have disappeared (July and August are the peak months) and the weather averages just a few degrees cooler. And then there’s October, when the island’s famous cranberry crops are harvested. At this point, beaches are perfect for strolling, but bathing suits will not get much use. And as with off-peak travel anywhere, deals are easy to come by. This writer, however, visited Nantucket in July this year, and had the opportunity to stay at three of Nantucket Island Resorts’ properties and to tour its other two. The company operates five hotels with different price points and amenities, from a Relais & Châteaux waterfront resort removed from town to a familyfriendly complex a short stroll from the town’s center; most are island icons. All properties offer 10 percent commission. Many of the rooms at the White Elephant have fireplaces, decks and harbor views that vary from room to room; all rooms have framed local artwork. The top suite is the 1,000-square-foot Shoreline Suite, which has a king bed, harbor views, living room with fireplace, wet bar and porch from which guests can access the hotel’s gorgeous waterfront gardens. A Harborview King and Harborview Suite connect. There are also 11 Garden Cottages down the road that are part of the hotel. Some of the one-, two- and three bedroom cottages have fireplaces, kitchenettes, dining areas, pull-out sofas and/or washer/dryers. The cottages do not have water views. The hotel opened a spa last month with three treatment rooms; see box for special opening deals. Its restaurant, the Brant Point Grill, is known for its wood grill, where steak, tuna and other entrees are cooked to perfection; and, of course, for lobster. Try the lobster BLT with applewood-smoked bacon on toasted challah, or the lobster pot pie. Fall Specials This October, to celebrate the opening of its spa, the White Elephant is offering a $50 spa credit, and in November, a $100 spa credit, both for treatments booked at the time of room reservation. The hotel’s weekday rate also drops 35 percent to about $225. Gourmands will be interested in the Chef & Shop package that includes cooking demonstrations with a successful chef (a different one from off-island over four weekends), timed to coincide with sales at boutiques and galleries. Rooms at this time are $175 per night (rack rates in summer start at $560). At the Wauwinet, off-season incentives include cooking classes with Topper’s celebrated chef, lobstering bay cruises and Sunday-Thursday rates starting at $260 (summer rack rates start at $480). Through October 30 guests can stay in a two-bedroom cottage for the price of one at The Cottages at the Boat Basin. Also, midweek rates are $134 per night (summer rack rates start at $380). The White Elephant My favorite was the White Elephant, an intimate yet full-service 53-room hotel that occupies a perfect spot on a point of land facing a harbor (Bob Kerry’s house is down the road); both a small beach (Children’s Beach, so named for its safe inlet) and the town are a few minutes’ walk away. Open April through December, the hotel has large guest rooms and suites, many with harbor views, working fireplaces and/or decks or terraces. Some rooms connect. The décor is soothing: shades of white are accented by colors Wauwinet An impressive operation, the Wauwinet Continued on page 50 48 TravelAgent September 10, 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - September 10, 2007

Contents Editor's Letter News You Can Use Agenda: Fam Trips, Calendar of Events, Deal of the Week South America Rising: COVER STORY EUROPE: Undiscovered Croatia PACIFIC/ASIA: Chiang Mai: Hotspot of Northern Thailand LAS VEGAS: Las Vegas’ Inside Man Las Vegas News & Notes Las Vegas: The New Frontier PACIFIC NORTHWEST: A Gem on Oregon’s Central Coast FLORIDA: Hyatt Regency Miami Spruces Up Ensemble Update Agent Outlook: Cruising Today Nantucket Island Resorts Classified Marketplace Home-Based Travel Expo Update Advertisers’ Information People & Places Thailand Planner

Travel Agent - September 10, 2007

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