In short… The Hedges Inn is a new center of gravity in East Hampton, with David Netto-designed interiors, an always-lively outpost of Swifty’s, and a golf-cart shuttle to Main Beach.
The surroundings… Centrally located on James Lane, just north of the East Hampton’s Town Pond and Village Green, The Hedges is a 10-minute walk to town and two-minute drive to Main Beach. It sits along what feels like a physical timeline of East Hampton history, flanked as it is by 17th-century shingled saltboxes, an 1804 windmill, and Gilded Age summer homes—all beautifully preserved in this peaceful, genteel corner of the Hamptons.
The backstory… The property has had many chapters. One of East Hampton’s founding families—the Hedges, in fact—acquired the land in 1652 and occupied it until the 1920s, when a local socialite thoroughly restored the building and opened The Hedges Inn in 1935. A French restaurateur took the helm in 1954, running it as the eastern outpost of NYC restaurant Le Pavillon, where Vanderbilts and Rockefellers once dined. In its latest plot twist, local homeowners Sarah and Andrew Wetenhall—who bought and revitalized Palm Beach’s pink Colony Hotel a decade ago—acquired it in 2025, rescuing it from a controversial proposal by Zero Bond to reportedly turn it into a private members’ club. In 2025, they opened Swifty’s—the Upper East Side society haunt that closed in 2016 and was revived at the Colony Hotel in 2020—which quickly became a coveted reservation; the inn reopened with redesigned guest rooms in June 2026.
The vibe… The inn has a country house feel, with a small reception desk opening into a warren of connected rooms, but it’s sophisticated rather than cottage-core cute. Longtime Hamptons resident David Netto employed bold primary colors and unexpected combinations: Americana patchwork quilts alongside Indian paisley prints and quirky English antiques. A centerpiece of the redesign is the custom de Gournay wall covering Netto created with Wetenhall depicting East Hampton landmarks.
Each time I walked through, I found guests occupying the public sitting rooms exactly as you’d hope: someone reading a book over here, a family having cocktails over there, everyone making themselves very much at home. At mealtimes, the energy picks up as diners arrive at Swifty’s, filling tables in the dining room and on the canopied terrace. That social spirit extends to community-friendly events like Trivia Night and Conversations at the Hedges with visiting authors. Overall, it feels clubby, relaxed, and playful. Even hotel communications arrive by text from a canine concierge named “Ahab,” after Jackson Pollock’s dog (and onetime local fixture/friend to all), who keeps you abreast of the social calendar as well as check-in and check-out details.
The rooms… Each of the 12 guest rooms is different—some are light and airy, others colorfully painted and jewel-boxy. Our junior suite, tucked beneath the inn’s sloping roof, had a charming split personality: an American-style red-and white patchwork quilt-covered king bed on one side and a green, English antiques-inflected sitting room on the other. The bathroom was small but handsome, with dark subway tile and a traditional English sink. Instead of an in-room minibar, Ahab’s pantry, on the second-floor landing, is stocked with snacks like chips, pretzels, and candy.
The food & drink… Swifty’s is open for all three meals and is always lively (guests get priority for reservations), while the garden setting behind the inn—edged with big heads of blue hydrangeas and other greenery—feels peaceful and private. We arrived in time for lunch, with a menu of salads, burgers and club sandwiches. We tried the “famous curried chicken salad” with bacon, avocado, pickled green tomato, mango chutney and banana—an unusual but tasty tropical twist—and the very good jumbo lump Maryland crab cake with creamed spinach.
Prices here, like elsewhere in town, are not for those on a budget (the least expensive entrée is $45). At dinner, we navigated the lower end of the menu with briny Long Island oysters, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, and a paper-thin chicken paillard with delicious shoestring potatoes and arugula salad. And perfectly chilled martinis to wash it all down.
The beach… One of the biggest benefits of staying at The Hedges Inn is access to the otherwise quite exclusive Main Beach. A cute pink golf cart with a scalloped awning—similar to those at the Colony Hotel—ferries you the mile or so to the beach, where an attendant sets you up with a pink striped umbrella, beach chairs, and a pink cooler of Evian (or anything else upon request), then fetches you at the end of the day. It was delightful to not lift a finger while occupying a prime piece of sand on that legendary stretch of oceanfront.
Parting words… We decided to take the train from NYC rather than drive, and arranged for the inn’s complimentary driver to pick us up at the station. To me, this is part of what gives a stay at The Hedges Inn such appeal, even value: just one or two nights, with days spent at the beach and walking or biking into town, avoiding the traffic coming and going, is a convincingly relaxing getaway.
Date of stay… August 10-11, 2026
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.