No matter how nice the hotel, a stay at most lodgings feels like just that — a place to rest your head while you’re visiting some fabulous place, but lacking the comforts of home.
A stay at the Reform Club in Amagansett offers a different experience, the feeling you’re a staying at someone’s beautiful Hamptons home with a private suite all your own. An added benefit: You don’t have to tip-toe around the host.
Even with the hotel fully booked, guests have asked: “‘Is anyone else on property?,’ which is my favorite thing to hear,” says Chase Lerner, the head of business development, whose family owns the property.
The boutique hotel, where accommodations include suites, cottages and a private house, is tucked behind hedges on more than five acres just west of Amagansett Square. It is truly a hidden gem. Even locals don’t realize it exists, as it blends into the tapestry of neighboring homes.
Manicured lawns, perfectly trimmed hedges and horticultural arches line brick pathways throughout the property, lending itself to the feeling of a private Hamptons estate.
The traditional shingle-style “Main House” holds seven luxurious suites of varying sizes with spa-like marble
bathrooms and kitchenettes. Each has its own private entrance with an open-air staircase leading to the rooms on the second floor. A shared veranda overlooks the sprawling grounds.
They are far from cookie-cutter hotel rooms. The largest of the suites is two stories with cathedral ceilings. Some of the suites have bluestone patios. Some have reading nooks. Want to enjoy the wood-burning fireplace? The staff will build a fire for you.
A fully loaded gym, a communal area and kitchen are located on the lower level.
Surrounding a park-like setting in the middle of the property are the three secluded cottages, a rose garden, an apple orchard, and the “Tea House,” a refurbished early 20th century building with an indoor/outdoor fireplace and patio alcove nestled between the sunken garden and the park.
The cottages, which vary from 1,346 to 1,666 square feet, feature vaulted ceilings, indoor-outdoor living, work spaces, at least two marble bathrooms in each, and wood-burning fireplaces.
Lastly, there is 21 House, a four-bedroom abode, perfect for a larger group. The 3,800-square-foot house with ivy-trellised entries is set on a private property that is part of the Reform Club, hidden behind landscaping. It offers four fireplaces, a dining room, a spacious living room, a gourmet kitchen and outdoor gathering spaces. A bonus is a spa treatment room with a grand Michelangelo marble bathtub.
A former boarding house, the hotel was designed with input from local artists, such as Dan Rizzie. The rooms are decorated with a collection of photographs, sketches, paintings, and watercolor drawings.
To that end, the Reform Club got its name as a “nod to the 19th century English institution,” Lerner explains. “The Reform Club is a club in London that is a collection of artists and creative minds.”
“The spaces have really evolved over time,” Lerner says. Several adjacent properties on the back were purchased to expand the property.
About 18 months ago, the interiors were all redone, as well. Art work was also freshly rehung.
Lerner has been exploring how to bring the community into the space. She has been working to create “health and wellness experiences,” like Saturday morning yoga in the park, and early music nights.
“We’re trying to open up the space in a way that our guests feel very comfortable with and that the community feels very comfortable with,” she says.
A space that feels like home for all.
This article appeared in the Memorial Day 2021 issue of Behind The Hedges. Click here to read the digital version.
