Ocean House

From the Hideaway Report

March 2011 Hideaway Report

Built in 1868, Ocean House was a Victorian mansion with a curved portico and rocker-lined verandas set on a hill that sloped gently down to an inviting arc of golden sand. Guests sipped tea in the afternoon and, after dinner, men in white tie and women in couture gowns danced to bands brought up from New York. Ocean House thrived and became known as “The Queen of the Atlantic Resorts.”

Watch Hill became so popular, however, that people began to build summer homes, gradually turning the town into a residential community. The hotels declined, and many succumbed to negligence and fire. Ocean House continued, but time and the salt air finally caught up with it. In 2003, its owner decided to sell. An initial group of buyers planned to tear it down, but an outraged community prevailed upon a local resident, Charles Royce, to save it. Royce put together the financing, but studies showed that the original building was too far gone to restore. Unfazed, Royce determined to recreate it. So more than 5,000 original elements — such as the 19th-century elevator and numerous architectural details — were put into storage so they could grace Ocean House in the future.

The reborn hotel opened in the late spring of 2010 and is an astonishingly faithful recreation of the original, with the same sunny yellow clapboard exterior, black shutters, wide verandas and soaring mansard roof. We checked in for our incognito visit at the restored registration desk, though in place of a ledger, there is now a discreet computer screen. In the lounge, clusters of overstuffed chairs and potted palms were reminiscent of days gone by, but the massive stone fireplace blazed with a gas rather than a log fire. And therein lies the appeal of Ocean House: It evokes the charm of another age, but is also a comfortable modern hotel.

All 49 rooms and suites are generously sized and come with views of the sea, the most desirable being those with terraces on the second floor. The décor might be described as country house colonial, with meticulously wrought moldings, paneled doors, thoughtfully executed lighting and a full complement of comfortable furniture. Walls are hung with local scenes. In general, the colors are muted and those of the floral fabrics are pretty but subdued. Sumptuous baths come with marble vanities, river-stone flooring in the showers and soaking tubs with their own flat-panel TVs.

The hotel’s primary restaurant, Seasons, has a horseshoe-shaped bar that faces an ultramodern open kitchen. If you wish, you can have dinner at the chef’s counter and watch all the activity. We opted for the traditional dining room, however, drawn by its walls of windows with views of the sea. Executive Chef Albert Cannito’s commitment to regional products is immediately evident on the menu, which lists the source for the primary ingredient of each dish. Everything we tried was delicious, but we especially enjoyed the handmade agnolotti filled with Hooligan cheese from Cato Corner Farm in Connecticut, which were served with walnuts, orange, pickled fennel and arugula in a rich bacon-blueberry emulsion. The roasted rib eye (from Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Maine) was perfectly cooked as specified and came with grilled baby leeks, sautéed maitake mushrooms and puréed potatoes, all in a rich sauce Périgourdine. It was a memorable meal.

The next day, we attempted to mitigate some of the previous night’s indulgence with a session in the lovely indoor pool. (This is part of an inviting spa and is open to the outdoors in good weather.) Further exercise was provided by a walk along the gorgeous beach, part of which is private to the hotel. Other diversions at Ocean House include golf at the Lake of Isles courses, tennis at the Pond View Club, fishing, boating and culinary classes that are part of the hotel’s “Farm + Vine” program. The charming village of Watch Hill, with its shops and galleries, is just a short walk away.

Overall, we greatly admired this carefully updated recreation of a classic Atlantic resort, not least because of intangibles such as the superb service and accommodating attitude of the staff. Obviously, summer is the peak season, but Ocean House would be a terrific getaway for anyone in the southern New England area at most times of year.

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