The wood-shingled Main House at the Roundtree is close to 125 years old and sits regally on Main Street, a stroll away from shops like Love Adorned, Lazypoint, and Amber Waves, the organic farm stand with a cult following. From the sidewalk, the Roundtree looks like a beautiful family home (the site originally belonged to one of the town’s first founding families). But once you slip down the gravel driveway, you are immersed into a lush, private paradise. Located on two manicured acres, the Roundtree has five stand-alone cottages (one of which is more than 250 years old), eight spacious guest rooms, and two-bedrooms in the Main House. There is also a fully restored, 100-year-old barn and an expansive lawn where guests can lounge about on chaises while their pets roam free (dogs are welcome) and then indulge in the popular ice cream happy hour every afternoon. And for big spenders, there is the Beach House, a four-bedroom, five-bath house on nearby Surf Drive that once belonged to playwright Neil Simon.
The feel is completely residential — as if a friend with impeccable taste lent you their Hamptons hideaway for a few days (or weeks — you won’t want to ever check out). The décor has a Zen-like quality (dinnerware was commissioned by an artisan in Bali, rattan light fixtures hang overhead, and dining room tables are by Danish design house Vipp). It’s all best described as quiet luxury, replete with plush Matouk towels and crisp Frette sheets. It’s like Aman opened in the Hamptons. “I followed a very simple approach,” owner Sylvia Wong tells Avenue. “I designed and furnished the cottages and rooms as if I or my family or dear friends were to stay there. Luxury is often associated with opulence. I prefer luxury when it is understated and simple.”
Photo courtesy of the Roundtree HotelEven if you don’t splurge for the Beach House, the famously majestic and uncrowded Amagansett dunes are moments away. The hotel has an electric buggy to chauffeur you to the sand and will set up umbrellas, beach chairs, and towels as well as a cooler for you. When you’re ready to head back to the hotel, a driver scoops you up with a cool refreshment.
“Travel has always been one of my passions,” says Wong, who jetted around the globe for her past jobs. “I set out to create a beautiful property where guests are looked after, where they can experience the Hamptons at its best, and where happy memories are created.”
