Are We There Yet?: Hotels with Homes Big Enough for the Whole Crew
Courtesy Chatham Bars Inn
Among many other things, TLF Partner Brooke Lavery is a mom of two. In Are We There Yet? she explores travel when kids are a consideration, whether they’re along for the ride or staying home with the sitter.
It’s been a long spring. While my two young sons and I were lucky to relocate to the family homestead in Michigan at the beginning of lockdown, where they got to spend two unexpected months with their cousins running wild through lawns to pastures, after 75+ days of cooking for, cleaning up after, and corralling 5 kids under five, I’m ready to outsource some of this “daily life” stuff.
While hoteliers the world over are starting to dust off the welcome mats (and then dust them again for good measure), I know there are a lot of parents out there who aren’t super excited about piling the whole fam into a suite. I’m dreaming of the luxury of space, with (many) helping hands along for the ride – the words “private chef” sound so good as to almost feel illicit right about now. So below, I have put together some of my favorite properties around the US that offer standalone serviced homes, for when you want the square footage and freedom of a house with the amenities and services of a hotel.
Chatham Bars Inn
Chatham, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Chatham has been settled since 1664, meaning the local residents have had plenty of time to figure out the good things in life. These pleasures are perfected at the classic Chatham Bars Inn, which sits proudly overlooking a private quarter-mile Atlantic beach. Clubby and clapboard are the keywords here at the Inn, which was built in 1914 - guests can gather in the large South Lounge for board games, or the wrap-around veranda for Dark and Stormys, or keep to themselves in one of the 37 shingled cottages dotted across the 25 acres. An organic farm in nearby Brewster produces many of the fresh ingredients that inform the daily menu, while the spa reaches further afield for inspiration, tucked as it is into impeccably maintained Japanese zen gardens.
Kid Stuff: Waves are gentle here thanks to the island just offshore, so kids of all ages can splash in the waters or poke around the tidepools for sea creatures during low tide. The hotel offers a great kids’ program both morning and evening, while the Cape Cod National Seashore offers ranger-led programs for exploration along the Cape’s salt marshes and inland waterways. The hotel runs a regular boat shuttle to the national park’s North Beach, where miles of desolate white sand makes it impossible not to socially distance. Recommended for kids of all ages.
Homes Away from Home
Octagon House
Location: Across Shore Road from the main hotel facilities, set in the dunes directly on the beach.
Size: 5,100 square feet
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 5 baths & 2 powder rooms
Sleeps: 8
Features: Full kitchen, original artwork, direct beach access, 2 master bedrooms.
Claflin House
Location: Between the Inn’s private beach, outdoor pool, and tennis courts.
Size: 3,700 square feet
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 4.5
Sleeps: 10 guests
Features: 2 open patios, private beach cabana, full kitchen, two living areas, extensive lawn.
Ocean House
Watch Hill, Rhode Island
If there was ever a place that defines quintessential coastal New England, it's the Ocean House in Watch Hill. The iconic buttercream yellow Victorian hotel has provided refuge for refined travelers for generations, but after a 2004 rebuild and recent renovation of the interiors, the property retains a historic character while satisfying modern expectations. At the hotel, the manicured rooms feel as though you're staying at a beach house owned by a classic interior designer, and you’ll want to don your seersucker and eyelet for dinner, but the property also boasts 7 surrounding cottages, some with pools, perfect for travel with the whole family – including those members of the brood who chafe at wearing shoes in the summer. Beach and outdoor games shine in the summertime, though the Atlantic’s waves mean the smallest tykes may want to stick to the pool.
Kid stuff: Young ones ages 5-10 can take part in the hotel’s Sand Castles kids’ program, which may see them sailing out to sea, learning to play croquet, or in the kitchen whipping up lunch. The property also has babysitters on call who can lend a few helping hands around the house while you work on finishing that book. Ocean House itself is has a country-club feel, so kids five and up are a good fit. (Unless your little ones are better behaved than mine).
Homes away from home
Fairways Cottage
Location: Along the fairway of The Misquamicut Club
Size: 6,760 square feet
Bedrooms: 5
Baths: 5.5 baths
Sleeps: Up to 12
Features: Wrap-around porch, full kitchen, outdoor fire pit, outdoor shower, and pool
Up Up and Away
Location: A short drive from Ocean House
Size: 9,700 square feet
Bedrooms: 7
Baths: 8 full and 2 half baths
Sleeps: Up to 16
Features: Game room with pool table, full kitchen, outdoor fire place, grill, and infinity pool
Taylor River Lodge
Almont, Colorado
This eight-cabin retreat started life as a general store for fish and tackle, so you know it's earned its angling bonafides. There's a stocked trout pond and a mile of semi-private river so you're sure to hook some rainbow, brown, and brook trout, but there's also an indoor lap pool, deep cedar wood soaking tubs, and a game cabin (which is what all game rooms want to grow up to be, including the mounted moose head above the pool table.) While fishing is a focus here, no one is neglecting the interiors, which are kitted out with kilim headboards, Moroccan rugs, and the occasional tasteful set of antlers. End the evening with s'mores around the campfire, or swapping fish tales in the horseshoe-shaped bar (with fishing this epic, you won't even need to exaggerate.)
Kid stuff: Taylor River Lodge is less a conventional hotel and more a boutique collection of cabins in a beautiful setting. It’s all-inclusive here, which means the whole family can fill their days with awesome guided activities – navigating the white water rapids of the Taylor and Gunnison Rivers; taking out aggression at the axe-throwing lanes and archery field; or putting on big-boy boots and bagging a nearby 14er (that's hiker-ese for a peak over 14,000 feet) – and then return to swap stories over dinner. Tweens and teens will be in heaven here (and younger ones if you BYO-sitter).
Homes away from home
Green Drake Cabin
Location: The farthest from the main lodge, Green Drake is the most private accommodation at Taylor River.
Size: 1,640 square feet
Bedrooms: 3
Baths: 3
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
Features: Full kitchen, wooden soaking tub, wood burning stove, covered porch
Royal Wulff Cabin
Location: Tucked back from the Taylor River among the trees.
Size: 845 square feet
Bedrooms: 2.5
Baths: 2
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
Features: Wood burning stove, covered porch, spiral staircase
Twin Farms
Barnard, Vermont
Any description of Twin Farms reads like the thesaurus entry for “idyllic,” and for good reason - the property, with its 15 individual cottages and cabins spread over 300 acres, is a fantasy of New England charm perfected. Each of the free-standing hideaways has its own theme and character, executed with humor and style, and paths between the buildings wind through wildflower fields, along stone walls, and under copses of maple and elm. Wander down to Copper Pond, where Adirondack chairs offer a view over the grounds and canoes are available to take for a spin. Vermont is a state known for its cheese, ice cream, and beer, and at TLF we’d like to make a motion to add Twin Farms to that impressive list of indulgences.
Kid stuff: Twin Farms generally only accepts guests over 16, but this summer they have lowered that threshold to 14. Teens can spend their days learning the art of honey with the resident beekeeper, Dave, on the tennis courts, or exploring the hiking trails snaking through the trees.
Homes away from home
The Farmhouse
Location: On the northern edge of the property, overlooking the tennis courts.
Size: 4,000 square feet
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 4
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
Features: 4 fireplaces, enclosed porch, hot tub, library
The Lodge
Location: Adjacent to the main house, overlooking the croquet lawn.
Size: 3,350 square feet
Bedrooms: 2
Baths: 2
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
Features: Covered porch, 2 fireplaces, private patio
Amangani
Jackson, Wyoming
At the foot of the Teton Mountains, Amangani basks in the beauty of its glorious surroundings. The understated property, with its stone façade and warm wood paneled interiors, feels less like a mountain lodge and more like a spiritual retreat, where guests come to recharge in the middle of Wyoming’s raw and untouched wilderness. The fifty-mile valley known as Jackson Hole is in the same country as the gorgeous Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, and the town of Jackson has more cowboys than ski bums, which gives this destination a unique swagger of its own. No matter the season, outdoor pursuits are top of mind for most guests, and after days spent outside, a dip in the panoramic infinity pool is practically required.
Kid stuff: Travelers with energy to burn have ample space to do it in and around Jackson Hole, and wildlife enthusiasts will be especially excited. After a day on the water, astride a mountain bike, or learning about some of nature’s most epic and anomalous landmarks, retire for s’mores with a view over the valley. While kids of all ages are welcome, the vibe at Amangani lends itself to older groups – bring your kids home from college or those post-grads who have returned to the nest during lockdown (They’ll be smitten by the Insta-worthy pool, even if they don’t admit it.) While Amangani is a 5-minute drive to downtown Jackson, families with younger kids who want choose Teton Village as their base and hole up at the Four Seasons or Caldera House.
Pataheya Home
Location: 10 minutes’ drive from Jackson Town, next to Amangani
Size: 11,000 square feet
Bedrooms: 5
Baths: 5
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
Features: Library, media room, terrace, hot tub, fire pit, walking access to hotel pool
East Tatanka Home
Location: 10 minutes’ drive from Jackson Town, ten minutes’ walk down the butte from Amangani
Size: 6,300 square feet
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 4
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
Features: Workout studio, huge terrace, hot tub, zen garden.