Greydon Hotel Group blends luxurious amenities with rustic charm in their Nantucket properties.
The Greydon House’s lobby mimics a boat’s dark shiplapped walls.
Greydon Hotel Group’s (greydonhouse.com) coastal properties combine timeless charm with inventive modern touches, making each one an ode to Nantucket in a most unique way.
Get cozy in this antiqueladen room.
Imagine wandering through quaint downtowns lined with antique stores, seafood shacks, galleries and handcrafted gift shops. Then you find quiet streets of shingled Capes weathered by the wind and hedged by hydrangeas and beach roses that lead to the shoreline. There you can stand on sandy dunes warmed by the summer sun and look out at an endless horizon speckled with daysailers and lobster boats.
After spending several summers just like this, the ownership team fell in love with Nantucket’s rich history, natural beauty and laid back lifestyle. So when they were presented with the opportunity to purchase what was once a 19th century sea captain’s home just a stone’s throw from the town wharf, they simply couldn’t resist.
When curating the design of Greydon House, it was of the utmost importance to maintain the historical charm of the 1850s Greek revival—which meant paying homage to the island’s maritime past while creating a contemporary ambiance—that would become a home away from home for local luminaries and globetrotters alike.
The project, the largest in the Nantucket Historic District in 75 years, was led by Matthew MacEachern, principal architect and founder of Emeritus. MacEachern worked in tandem with the intrepid design firm, Roman and Williams, charged with the interior renovation of the 20-bedroom hotel and together they bridged the old world to the new. Beneath the traditional clapboard and shingles lies a provocative design featuring Moroccan, Portuguese and Chinese influences calling back to the island’s storied history as the world’s largest whaling port: think custom-designed pieces, antiques, modern touches and subtly nautical motifs.
Roman and Williams custom-designed fixtures and beds topped with linens by John Robshaw.
Each room’s lighting scheme has been customized to appear softly brighter as it ripples into the space. The palette reflects the island’s landscape in chestnut and earthy green with warm wood floors. The bathrooms feature nautical-inspired Waterworks faucets, and the crisp blue of handpainted Portuguese tile murals of the sea bring a sense of voyage to the shower.
Besides intimate in-room details, guests will discover artworks by Terry Winters, a charmingly overgrown English garden and an eclectic Venetian-inspired restaurant, Via Mare. Reminiscent in essence of a ship’s interior, the bar area is encased in dark wood paneling and nautically themed art graces the walls, all of which is illuminated with moody sconce lighting. The dining room walls are seafoam while the floors are laden with lavish Oriental rugs, making its atmosphere the perfect combination of cozy, breezy and modern. Not to mention a third dining option: a covered porch with climbing plants, fluttering white tablecloths and navy wicker seating calls to guests from morning to night.
Also drawing inspiration from the sea—as well as Venice’s history of spice trad—chef Andrea (Dre’) Solimeo is serving up creative cocktails like the Our Flag Means Death with Mount Gay rum, decorated rooibos tea, pineapple gomme and honey, and small plates including baccala; a whipped salt cod with crispy polenta; mussels escabeche toast with lardo, fava, nettle, radish and ramps; and zucchini and summer squash risotto with brown butter and parmesan.
Spend your summer getaway at Nantucket’s stylish standout
Since purchasing Greydon House in 2014—and opening it nearly three years later—the group has acquired a number of other properties including the Periwinkle and the Anchor inns; two rentable houses, the Bungalow and 52 Union; the Martin, a new inn currently under renovation but set to open later this month; and finally a third house, 23 Madaket.
Each locale offers unique amenities quietly luxurious and particular to the needs of the individual guest. The inns and hotel offer more traditional experiences with outdoor spaces to play and relax, and wellappointed rooms and suites to come back to after a day on the island. Alternatively, the groups’ three guesthouses are best suited for a family getaway or group trip boasting kitchens, multiple bedrooms, private living and outdoor spaces, and in 23 Madaket’s case, an inviting lap pool in the backyard.
Though there are a plethora of hotels, inns and B&Bs on Nantucket, Greydon Hotel Group takes the island community’s time-honored reputation of hospitality to an exceptional new level. Boasting top-notch service, each of the group’s stylish, well-staffed accommodations function as true guesthouses with concierge services and beyond. The staff of wellinformed “island insiders” all hold a passion for sharing not only the hotel’s richly woven narrative, but Nantucket’s as well.
All steeped in traditional hospitality tactics, as well as more unconventional methods, the crew is encouraged to anticipate a guest’s every need making a stay at any Greydon property a truly unique experience from aesthetics and atmosphere to building a rapport with personnel and year-round islanders alike.
Greydon Hotel Group has truly managed to find the sweet spot between old and new. Each property is a superb combination of archival atmosphere, impeccable style and state-of-the-art amenities––undoubtedly a summer must.
