The Wauwinet Nantucket

My wife and I recently stayed at the Wauwinet for three nights on our first trip to Nantucket, and we had a very positive experience. The Wauwinet is a small luxury inn that really impressed us with its good sense of place, warm and thoughtful service, and generally lovely décor and views. Although it is isolated from most of Nantucket, staying at the Wauwinet is tranquil and upscale. Location: We’ve wanted to visit Nantucket for many years, and a lot of the information I read pointed to the Wauwinet as being one of the most luxurious hotels on the island, with the only con being its location 9 miles from town on narrow, winding roads (an approximately 20-minute drive). The hotel really is out on its own at the very end of the paved road, and we received advice not to stay there for our first trip to Nantucket. Despite this, as we looked at hotels, we just never quite found another hotel that we liked as much as the Wauwinet. It ultimately was a good choice, but I do certainly see the benefit of staying in town, especially on a first trip to the island. You simply can’t beat the convenience of walking right out of your hotel and having all of the dining and shopping at your fingertips. However, for a more serene experience with grounds overlooking the water and its own beaches, you can’t really beat the Wauwinet. I did appreciate that the hotel does its best to minimize difficulty caused by its location, such as by offering a free shuttle to town, which drops off and picks up guests outside the tourist information office. The shuttle also stops closer to the ferry docks as well. The shuttle leaves the hotel half past the hour starting at 9:30 am, and then leaves to return to the hotel at the top of every hour, with 11:00 pm being the last trip back from town. The shuttle was comfortable and the drivers were wonderful and friendly every time we used it. We took the shuttle when we could, but the timing didn’t always quite work for us, particularly when trying to get to town for specific meal reservation times. In my ideal world, the shuttle would depart the hotel every half hour to be the most useful. We ended up choosing to Uber instead when the times didn’t quite work, or when we wanted to go elsewhere on the island. I also believe there is a boat transfer into town, but it was too early in the season for that to be offered when we visited in early June. Ubers are pretty reliable on Nantucket, but they can take a while to get to the hotel since it’s isolated, and we had a couple of issues where drivers would cancel once they realized where we were located. We found that Ubers were usually around $30 each way to town or the airport, and slightly less to Sconset. Another transportation option the hotel offers that isn’t well publicized is a complimentary BMW X5 that guests can check out for a half-day period. We never saw anything about this before our stay, but the staff mentioned it at check-in. My understanding is that the car can’t be r

Just a phenomal place to enjoy the beauty of Nantucket. Nestled in a quiet spot straddling the ocean and sound, The Wauwinet offers an unparalled place to unwind and relax. The rooms are nicely appointed and the beds are so comfortable!!! The staff is amazing all around, super friendly and it's like staying with your favorite family. Toppers for dining is outstanding and the service always great. We especially love Nantucket in the offseason and the Wauwinet is always our choice to unplug and chill. Oh yea and the sunsets on the sound and sunrise on the oceanside are incredible. The best Nantucket has to offer!

We were lucky enough to visit on Daffodil weekend, the unofficial start of summer. Our stay was wonderful from start to finish. The food, customer service and accommodations were top notch. Thank you to our shuttle drivers for getting to and from town. Much thanks to the GM, Sean B. for going above and beyond to get my forgotten belonging to me before the ship left the dock. I hope to have the opportunity to return soon.

Beyond pleased with our decision to stay at the Wauwinet during our 5 night stay in Nantucket in September. Even pre-arrival the hotel was communicating with us to provide information and offer assistance with our plans during our stay, informed us of arrival options depending on whether we would fly to Nantucket or used the ferry. The hotel, the staff, every aspect so charming and welcoming. Every person made eye contact and smiled and greeted us whenever we’d see them. There was always a nice gentleman at the door to open it for you and greet you. The young women at the reception were so friendly, informative, and willing to help or answer questions. We stayed in a Bayside room on the 2nd floor that we chose for the view. I loved that in the hallway on a table was a bowl full of fresh apples and recent hard back books. The sunny yellow doors to the rooms are just the beginning of the warm welcome as we entered the room. It seems they thought of everything. The lamps on either side of the bed had 3 way switches so we could dim the lighting. We also had great reading light so we could read in bed and a selection of hard back books already in the room. There were personal touches like the birthday cupcake with cloth napkin and utensils for two and a handwritten note. The bathroom, while small, was sleek and modern, providing L’Occitane products, plush robes, and slippers. The hotel feels like it has history and has been there a long time (it has) Our room made us feel at home and comfortable with its big soft bed and fluffy pillows. We appreciated the armoire and furniture styling. Every room, every part of the hotel is warm and inviting. The fire was burning daily in the library. Such an appealing setting for the afternoon Port, Sherry and Cheese, one of the many amenities of the Wauwinet. There are variety of excursions offered. We enjoyed the ride around the bay with Captain Rob in the Wauwinet Lady. Our last night we enjoyed popcorn delivered to our room in Crate & Barrel popcorn dishes. We also loved the convenience of having Toppers right there. I’ll post a review (5 star) of the restaurant separately, but I’ll just say here they served one of the best halibut dishes I’ve ever tasted. The general manager is friendly, visible and involved. He chatted with us when occasionally we’d pass by and made sure they were doing their best so we would enjoy our stay. I could go on, but I’ll let you discover it yourself.

Awesome hotel in a quiet, beautiful part of Nantucket. The staff and facilities are fantastic, highly recommend.

A perfect, most relaxing stay! The Wonderful Wauwinet “Team” completely pampered us throughout our entire vacation! We stayed on the second floor in a lovely corner bayside room and the view was spectacular! We look forward to returning when we have a chance to go back!

Back to Wauwinet to celebrate another special occasion. We have enjoyed the Inn for many years. The staff is always welcoming & helpful. From the start when we are picked up at the ferry for the drive out of town to a slice of paradise. This year we enjoyed one of the cottages for the first time. Charming! (One suggestion, a nespresso in room would be lovely & convenient on rainy mornings) Enjoyed the complimentary BMW for dinner in Scionset. A special shoutout to James who’s friendly face at the front door has been welcoming guests for years. Can’t wait for a return stay.

Very disappointing lunch. The food was mediocre - dry and tasteless crab and lobster cakes on a bed of corn kernels with a whisper of creme fraiche, a bread plate of dry focaccia with some New England style brown bread, a very odd combination. Service was friendly but not professional - please, more training is needed for a Relais & Chateaux property. She offered dessert before even clearing our lunch plates, we had not yet finished our wine and had to ask for our glasses to be filled, and then she brought us the check?! I guess we missed the window to order dessert! The wine, the view and the company were great and the only saving grace to this disaster. How I long for the old days when going out to a restaurant on Nantucket was something to look forward to.

Staff is very polite and professional. Accommodations always excellent. This was my third time to Wauwinet. We definitely will go back.