Just because October looms doesn’t mean weekends out east have to come to a close. The renovated Pridwin Hotel on Shelter Island got its feet wet this summer, reopening under new management on its 95th anniversary, and these early fall weeks on the East Coast are perfect for a visit, says managing partner Curtis Bashaw.
“Anytime there was even a whisk of coldness in August — and it was a hot August — everyone wanted the fires lit,” Bashaw says. “And so it feels like you want the fires going. It feels like that kind of a place.”
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Bashaw’s Cape Resorts operates four historic hotels and one farm hotel in the northeast, as well as Baron’s Cove in Sag Harbor. The group courted the Petry family, who have run The Pridwin since 1961, for years before officially partnering for a multimillion-dollar renovation that concluded this summer.
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“I met the family officially in the fall of ’16. We were introduced through mutual friends and they knew that our company, Cape Resorts, loved to do classic American resorts. They, as a family, did not want this to become some nightclub pretending to be a hotel, or an of-the-moment, flash-in-the-pan kind of thing,” Bashaw says. “They wanted it to expand the season for the island, create job opportunities for the island. So many times, these renovations gut the interior of an old hotel, so you’re left with a facade that feels historic, but you get inside and you don’t feel the spirit. And I think that the way we did this preserves that vibe; it’s an old-school, very comfortable, classic, relaxed, elegance that you feel here.”
That means that the old floors and chandeliers have been preserved, but the building has all new plumbing, wiring, soundproofing and bigger bathrooms, to strike the right balance between old charm and modern comfort. There’s also been an addition of a spa, offering massages and facials.
Spanning seven acres, the resort overlooks Shelter Island’s Crescent Beach and has its own private beach, a pool, an on-site restaurant, kayaks, paddle boards, electric bikes and more.
“The beauty of the fall is that some of the natural resources are at their prime,” Bashaw says. “The water is still warm in the south whole bay in front of us. Mashomack Preserve is about a third of the island, it’s a huge reserve with these beautiful hikes, and in the summertime, it can get muggy and buggy, but in the fall, they’re just pristine. So for those that like to bike ride, hike, or do outdoor activities, the fall is really special.”