THE CUTTING EDGE
The Edge
Ocean City, Md.
From the outside, The Edge, a year-old hotel owned by John Fager of Fager’s Island fame, looks like just another Ocean City bayside condominium. But inside, whoa! Every room is different, all feature sweeping views of the bay, and many sport two-person hot tubs in the living room overlooking the water. (You might want to close the blinds.) Each of the tastefully decorated twelve rooms have a different theme, from the Italian Riviera (mosaic tiles above the bed) to Bali (lots of teak, bamboo, and elephants).
Thoughtful details
Lots of ’em: plush Frette sheets, electric fireplaces in every room, real candles.
What’s for breakfast
Guests have fresh fruit, pastries, and Godiva coffees in their rooms.
Best room
How to choose? The French-inspired Left Bank has 25-foot-tall ceilings and a huge wall of windows; the Hang Five penthouse has Tommy Bahama furniture and a row of free-standing white columns separating the living and bedroom areas; the Orient Express has vibrant red walls, a red chaise lounge, and giant Japanese lanterns.
In-season Rates
$299 to $375
Contact
60th Street and the bay. 410-524-5400, 888-371-5400, http://www.fagers.com/edge
FAMILY FRIENDLY
Blue Water House
Lewes, Del.
Lewes’s Blue Water House is a long-standing favorite at the shore for its funky island décor, close proximity to the beach, and the fact that it accepts kids of all ages—rare among the more intimate beach accommodations. Leisa Berlin, former owner of a Lewes candy store, purchased the inn last fall and plans to keep the family atmosphere. There’s a definite Key West vibe to the place—note the Hemingway Room with its old typewriter, mosquito-netted bed, bamboo fishing pole, as well as the tiki huts for outdoor massages. “If you can’t get down to the islands, you can get to us,” says Berlin.
Thoughtful details
Berlin supplies all the beach accessories—towels, chairs, umbrellas, and will run a shuttle service for overpacked beach-goers. There’s also the all-you-can-eat popcorn, nightly movies projected on a big screen, and afternoon refreshments.
What’s for breakfast
Make-your-own waffles, fresh-baked doughnuts and breads, Grand Marnier-and-caramel french toast.
Best room
The classiest room is the Hemingway, but the Key West Room does have a very welcoming hammock suspended from its balcony.
Rates
$140 to $230
Contact 407 E. Market St.
302-645-7832, 800-493-2080, lewes-beach.com
LOW-KEY B&B
Chesapeake Landing
Rehoboth-By-The-Sea, Del.
When Richard Dougherty built this L-shaped house on the shores of Lake Comegys, a tributary of Rehoboth’s Silver Lake, he included six bedrooms—each with its own bathroom—in order to comfortably accommodate visiting friends. His friends commented that the house would make a wonderful bed and breakfast. Now his friends don’t get to stay there anymore.
Dougherty, a former interior designer, most notable for giving Ralph Lauren Polo Stores their distinctive look in the 1980s, decorated with antiques from his collection. There’s nothing stuffy about the place, however; rooms are light and airy, and you don’t get the feeling that if you break something, you’ll be washing the breakfast dishes for years to come.
Thoughtful details
Heated pool surrounded by a lovely wooden deck and a stand of bamboo trees. Paddleboats and rowboats for sojourns on tiny Lake Comegys. Afternoon happy hours by the pool.
What’s for breakfast
Dougherty whips up breakfast buffets with fresh fruit, breads, and a hot entrée. Sundays are reserved for bagels and lox.
Best room
The Blue Room with its four-poster bed, nine-foot-tall mirror salvaged from a circa-1849 row house in Philadelphia, and views of the lake.
In-season Rates
$195 to $325
Contact
101 Chesapeake St. 302-227-2973, http://www.chesapeakelanding.com
OCEANFRONT PROPERTY
An Inn on the Ocean
Ocean City, Md.
Believe it or not, there’s only one oceanfront B&B in the whole state of Maryland. An Inn on the Ocean Bed & Breakfast sits right on the Ocean City boardwalk next to the Americana Hotel on 10th Street. The 1938 Victorian cottage has been a B&B since 1986, and under the auspices of Bostonians Vicki and Charlie Barrett since 1999. The Barretts, who redecorated the entire house, have two sets of “beachy Victorian” furniture for winter and summer. There are views of the ocean from four of the six rooms; two rooms have beachfront balconies. Guests awake to the smell of the ocean and Vicki preparing one of her famous Southern-style breakfasts.
Thoughtful details
Beach chairs, umbrellas, and vintage bikes for guests. Home-baked brownies, chocolate-chip cookies, and/or rum cake served with iced tea and lemonade in the afternoon.
What’s for breakfast
Although the breakfast menu can be adapted for vegetarians, lovers of big breakfasts will better appreciate Vicki’s cheese soufflé, ham and cheese French toast with sausage and apples, and one-of-a-kind cream chipped beef made with Marsala wine and mushrooms. “I don’t serve it to anyone under forty,” Vicki says. “It scares them too much.”
Best room
Oceana has ocean views, a private balcony, king-size bed and Jacuzzi tub.
In-season Rates
$200 to $300
Contact
1001 Atlantic Ave. 888-226-6223, http://www.innontheocean.com
GRAND VICTORIAN
The John Penrose Virden House
Lewes, Del.
If you’re looking for Victorian charm with all the old-world trimmings, the John Penrose Virden House should fill the bill. Virden, a Delaware River pilot, built the house in 1888 and spared no expense. (Virden now rests across the street at St. Peter’s Cemetery.) Ruth and Jim Edwards purchased the house in 1999 and began redecorating in period antiques. (The highlight is the dining room’s walnut, cherry, and rosewood fourteen-foot-long bar from a circa-1900 ship; it took four men just to set up its massive mirror.) The B&B is in a great location—right on Second Street, Lewes’s main drag; you can watch the tourists come and go from the inn’s relaxing front porch.
Thoughtful details
Fresh flowers and bottled water in every room, complimentary bikes and all beach equipment, free parking.
What’s for breakfast
Ruth, an accomplished amateur chef, keeps computer records of her guests’ meals so repeat customers are never served the same breakfast. We can vouch for her wonderful banana bread, which is often served along with fresh fruits and a hot entrée on the inn’s porch.
Best room
The Penrose Room, with its flowery wallpaper, ten-foot-high ceilings, and comfy queen-size bed. Some might prefer the private York Cottage, a former carriage house with its own entrance.
In-season Rates
$165 to $185; two-night minimum, no credit cards
Contact
217 Second St. 302-644-0217, http://www.virdenhouse.com
PAMPERED LUXURY
Bellmoor Inn
Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Those familiar with the old Dinner Bell Inn, a Rehoboth institution that had operated in town since 1938, might not recognize what took its place. The Bellmoor Inn, which opened in 2002, is a luxury hotel and spa with all the trimmings. “We wanted to create something that wasn’t here,” says Chad Moore, who operates the hotel with his brother Todd. “We wanted people to take their shoes off, enjoy the fire, have a glass of wine, and feel comfortable.” The place is definitely a different kind of beach retreat. Its lobby is all dark woods, buttery leather chairs, and Oriental rugs, lending a cozy, cold-weather feel to the hotel. There are a lot of different room options here—from opulent suites to more homey garden rooms with quilts on the beds and old-fashioned wooden screen doors, a vestige of simpler times.
Thoughtful details
Two pools, including one for adults only; a hot tub, and full-service spa. The family suite includes a separate room with twin beds for the kids. Very attentive service.
What’s for breakfast
Guests eat hearty country breakfasts—perhaps the heart-stopping Eggs Napoleon, a meal of layered hash browns, bacon, sausage, and eggs and topped with melted cheese—in the airy breakfast room.
Best room
For couples who like to travel together, the Bellmoor offers two two-bedroom suites with a common area ($575/night). The most expensive room is the Carolina Suite, with its ocean view down Delaware Avenue, two fireplaces, and a twenty-three-foot-long bathroom. Yours for $495 a night.
In-season Rates
$165 to $575
Contact
6 Christian St. 302-227-5800, 800-425-2355, http://www.thebellmoor.com
FOR THE DOG (and NATURE) LOVER
The Lazy L at Willow Creek
Lewes, Del.
Finding a B&B to accept your dog can be a difficult proposition. But Debbie Estes and Joanne Cassidy, dog owners themselves (you’ll surely meet Kelley, a Wheaten terrier, and Rosey, a bearded collie) created a place where well-mannered canines are welcome. Animals (cats, too!) get full run of the three-story, five-bedroom house and can sleep in the same rooms as their owners. Dogs will love exercising in the fenced-in yard, the size of a football field. In keeping with the pet-friendly atmosphere, there’s nothing fancy about this place—the interior has a pleasant but unremarkable contemporary look, with cheerful yellow and green hallways and beachy colors in the rooms. The inn lies off the beaten track, in a small residential development by a nature preserve, about five minutes from downtown Lewes. Walk your dog along the three small nature paths and watch for herons, finches, and gulls—until Rover scares them away.
Thoughtful details
Guests have access to a full kitchen and barbecue grill. There’s also a hot tub and small swimming pool.
What’s for breakfast
Debbie does the cooking here. Expect a seated breakfast of fresh fruit, home-baked breads, and waffles, eggs, and/or breakfast meats.
Best room
From the Nature Room you’ll get to watch the sun rise over Old Mill Creek.
In-season Rates
$100 to $120
Contact
11 Willow Creek Rd. 302-644-7220, http://www.lazyl.net
Other Recommendations for a Good Night’s Sleep
Addy Sea
A rambling over-the-top beachfront Victorian five blocks north of Bethany’s main drag. 99 Oceanview Pkwy., 800-418-6764, http://www.addysea.com
The Inn at Canal Square
A comfortable, hotel-like inn right on the canal in Lewes. 122 Market St., 302-644-3377, http://www.theinnatcanalsquare.com
Sea Witch Manor Inn
A flowery Victorian a block from Rehoboth Avenue. Top-notch breakfasts cooked by Inez L. Conover, an L’ Academie de Cuisine grad and former D.C. cop. All antique furnishings are for sale. 71 Lake Ave., 302-226-WITCH, http://www.seawitchmanor.com
