Harbor View Hotel, Martha’s Vineyard

Location 

The Victorian buildings of the Harbor View Hotel are in the pretty town of Edgartown in Martha’s Vineyard, a 20-by-10-mile island so called for the wild grapes found there by British explorer Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602, who named it after his daughter, Martha. All the enchantments of New England island life are there – rolling sand dunes, wide open beaches, statuesque lighthouses, a deep respect for privacy and a sense of time slowed down.

Accommodation 

Charming and sophisticated, the 114 rooms and suites are spread throughout three different buildings: the historic Main Building, the Governor Mayhew Building and the Captain’s Cottages on the hotel grounds. Due to the historic nature of the Main Building, few rooms are alike, but all are tastefully decorated and many have private porches and views of the water and Edgartown Lighthouse. Rooms in the Governor Mayhew Building have pool or garden views and all have private balconies. The cottages offer one- to three-bedroom suites with separate living and sleeping quarters. A number have private porches and cosy gas fireplaces.

Dining 

The Harbor View has some of the finest restaurants in Martha’s Vineyard. Enjoy fresh-from-the-sea fish and the tenderest cuts of steak at the Lighthouse Grill. Dine al fresco at North 41, a seasonal pool bar offering a choice of snacks from sarnies to sundaes. Or tuck into tapas-style grazing menus at Henry’s Hotel Bar, also known for its speciality cocktails, micro-brewed beers and critically acclaimed American and Spanish wines.

Facilities

A three-quarter-mile beach stretches out from the hotel’s dock and is excellent for walking. A little further afield you’ll find Mink Meadows Golf Course and nearly 100 miles of cycling paths, some along beautiful beaches, others through forests or along quiet country lanes. Within the hotel itself there’s an outdoor heated pool that’s open throughout the summer, an on-site fitness centre, yoga and morning fitness walks, and an excellent children’s programme with a raft of activities.