Rain and Romance: A Spring Weekend in the Hamptons

Fathom's Kim VanderVoort finally learned what all the fuss is about on a recent weekend getaway to the Hamptons. There's nothing like a luxurious BnB, vineyard views, and a stroll down Main Street to make you fall in love all over again.

WATER MILL, New York – It poured the entire four hours it took us to get to Water Mill from NYC. Torrentially. I was driving an unfamiliar rental car with a too-sensitive brake, failing to suppress my humiliating but very real road rage while my boyfriend did his best to direct me and answer important work emails at the same time. I've driven out to the Hamptons before with no traffic and all smiles, but this trip was uniquely nightmarish.

Imagine our relief when we pulled into White Fences Inn, a picture-perfect hedge-lined property that looks like it might be just another gigantic, impossibly gorgeous Hamptons home. Liz, who owns the bed and breakfast with her husband Eric, opened the door, ushering us in from the rain. Bailey, their Goldendoodle, was thrilled to see us.

Liz showed us to our room (rooms), the Benedict suite, which includes a bedroom and a sitting room, each with a flatscreen TV, a gas fireplace opposite the king bed, and a freestanding soaking tub in the bathroom. (The bathroom is nearly as big as the bedroom.) Two wine glasses and a bottle opener awaited use on a side table. It's a good thing our relationship survived the road trip, because there was only carefree romance ahead.

We didn't have much time to linger, though — we had tickets for a concert that had already started next door. The Parrish Art Museum, itself a haven of modern art, puts on the "Salon Series," a roster of concerts every Friday night for a number of weeks during the spring and fall that feature prominent classical musicians of today. We caught the Israeli Chamber Project, and they were a pleasure to behold in such an intimate space. But summertime museum-goers will just have to settle for the museum's other fantastic events and exhibitions, like film screenings and this summer's much-anticipated exhibition, John Graham: Maverick Modernist.

The gas fireplace really heats things up. 

It's all about the soaking tub.

A sprawling sitting room. 

CHECKING IN

Location
Water Mill, New York, which is sandwiched between Southampton and Bridgehampton.

Hotel Style
Minimalist beach chic.

This Place is Perfect For…
A romantic weekend getaway.

What's on Site
The inn is essentially a big, beautiful home, so there's no fancy restaurant or fitness center, but there is a delicious pool lined with lounge chairs.

The Rooms
There are five suites, each as luxurious as the last.

Room Amenities
Depending on the suite, most rooms have a lovely sitting area, if not an entirely separate sitting room. Rooms come with Malin & Goetz toiletries, a hair dryer, Frette & Matouk linens, robes, and slippers.

Noise Level
Very, very quiet.

Drawbacks
Breakfast is homemade every morning by Liz, but lasts from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., so late sleepers (myself included) best prepare to set an alarm. I wanted to go down in my robe, but the look on my boyfriend's face when I floated the idea suggested I get dressed. I did wear the slippers.

Standout Detail
Liz and Eric's (and Bailey's) hospitality was unparalleled. We felt like guests in their home, and they were sincerely invested in making sure we had a lovely weekend.

The intense fog only added to the allure of the museum. Photo by Kim VanderVoort.

The vineyards. Photo by Kim VanderVoort.

Inside the tasting room at Wolffer Estate. Photo by Kim VanderVoort.

The bottle design blown up. Photo by Kim VanderVoort.

CHECKING OUT

Neighborhood
Other than the Parrish Art Museum next-door, there's not much around the inn, which keeps things quiet, but the downtowns of Southampton and Bridgehampton are both within ten minutes by car.

What to Do Nearby
Wolffer Estate, well-known for their "Summer in a Bottle" rosé and No. 139 dry rosé cider, is about a fifteen-minute drive from White Fences. This is the spot for oenophiles looking to experience the best of Long Island winemaking. We sat down to sip on a wine flight on their back patio overlooking the vineyards just as the sun was coming out, and it was easy to forget we weren't in Napa.

After Wolffer, we walked off our buzz moseying down Main Street in Sag Harbor, stopping in Wolffer Kitchen (same folks), The American Hotel, and Grindstone Coffee and Donuts before finding a bench near the water. Sag is too cute, I just couldn't stand it.

BOOK IT

Rates from $350. Make a reservation.

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