Lower Cape Hotels

Ocean Edge Resort
$$$$ • 2660 Mass. Rt. 6A, Brewster• (508) 896-9000, (800) 343-6074• www.oceanedge.com

Truly a landmark resort, Ocean Edge is distinguished by the impressive Gothic and Renaissance Revival stucco mansion and stone carriage house standing tall and stately beyond a beautifully manicured lawn. Once part of the vast Roland Nickerson estate, the main 400-foot-long building is the Ocean Edge Conference Center, and is every bit as grand inside as out, with carved wood-paneled walls and oriental rugs. The resort takes up 380 acres on both the north side (where the mansion is) and the south side along Mass. Rt. 6A. Attached to the main building by enclosed walkways is a 90-room hotel that offers room service among other amenities. Behind the main building, beyond the tennis courts and pool, are condominiums, some of which have ocean views. Across the road is the Villages, a huge residential and rental condominium community with a golf course, pool, Mulligan's Restaurant (see our Restaurants chapter), and the Reef Cafe at its center. You can book anything from suites to three-bedroom condos; some rooms have fireplaces and all have cable TV and phones.

People flock here for the world-class golf (see our Golf chapter), tennis schools and clinics (fees are in addition to room rates, but golf and tennis packages are available), and for the abundance of other recreational activities. The resort has six pools, four outdoor and two indoor, and a 1,000-foot private beach for guests to use. Ocean Edge also offers children's activities in summer and year-round concierge services to help you plan activities. The elegant mansion is home to the comfortable, wood-paneled downstairs Bayzo's Pub, which serves light fare, and the adjacent Ocean Grill for fine dining.

Handkerchief Shoals Motel
$ • 888 Mass. Rt. 28, South Harwich• (508) 432-2200

This motel with the curious name (taken from shoals found on nearby Monomoy Island) offers 26 up-to-date, clean accommodations, furnished with such amenities as cable TV, refrigerators, microwave ovens and courtesy phones--all at bargain prices. Cribs are free. Lawn games and a sparkling outdoor pool will keep the young and young-at-heart busy for hours. You'll get more than your money's worth from this single-story property set back from the road on well-maintained grounds. It's close to shopping, sporting activities, and the beach. Handkerchief Shoals is open April 15 through October 15.

Wychmere Village
$$-$$$ • 767 Mass. Rt. 28, Harwichport• (508) 432-1434, (800) 432-1434• www.wychmere.com

A great place for a family getaway, Wychmere Village, formerly known as the Moby Dick, is a casual, family-style compound of 24 comfortable units tucked away on 3 acres of pine groves and gardens. Your hosts, Larry and Judy, are more than gracious. They in fact invited us to kick off our shoes and take a swim in their pool while we were their, but we had to decline. The motel features a spacious sun deck, picnic area with a charcoal grill, and badminton and shuffleboard courts. The beaches are two minutes away, and Saquatucket Harbor, with its boats, ducks, and geese, is a mere 200-yard jaunt. Choose from a variety of room types including traditional motel units, efficiencies, two-bedroom suites, and a two-bedroom cottage. All rooms have a country decor, are air conditioned, and feature cable TV, refrigerators, and complimentary maid service. Nonsmoking units are available. Wychmere Village is open from early April through December.

Chatham Bars Inn
$$$$ • 297 Shore Rd., Chatham• (508) 945-0096, (800) 527-4884• www.chathambarsinn.com

Built in 1914 as a hunting lodge by a wealthy Boston family, this resort still maintains its elegance and grandeur. The inn's impressive main house, which looks out over the water, has 40 rooms, with another 137 in buildings just outside the main house and across the street along the shore. All the rooms are inviting and purposely understated--decorated with lots of wicker and floral prints and fabrics--and nearly all of them have a balcony which offer breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and Pleasant Bay. The 22 acres of grounds boast every conceivable sport from tennis to shuffleboard, along with a private beach and a heated outdoor pool. How about a game of volleyball? There's a concierge available daily in summer and on weekends in the off-season to help you plan excursions and other activities. Three restaurants complete the idyllic picture. The Chatham Bars Inn offers a number of off-season packages.

Pleasant Bay Village Resort Motel
$$$-$$$$ • 1191 Mass. Rt. 28, Chatham• (508) 945-1133, (800) 547-1011• www.pleasantbayvillage.com

Painstakingly renovated over the last decade by innkeeper Howard Gamsey, this 58-room facility is set on 6 acres of beautiful grounds, with Japanese and other stunning gardens, waterfalls cascading into an ornamental pond of koi fish, and private woodland. This resort feels as though it's on some exotic isle, a million miles from civilization, yet it's only a couple of miles from downtown Chatham, and offers every amenity a guest could want. Pleasant Bay Village's efficiencies and suites are furnished in impeccable contemporary style.
Original art from some of Cape Cod's well-known artists adorns the walls, and every
accommodation, from rooms to two-bedroom suites, is comfortable, private, and quiet. One room is wheelchair accessible. Wake up to not just beautiful surroundings, but also complimentary morning coffee and newspapers.
Full breakfasts are available, as is lunch beside the outdoor heated pool and, in summer, dinner for guests. Children are welcome, and the facility, open from mid-April through October, is nonsmoking.

The Seafarer of Chatham
$$$ • Mass. Rt. 28 and Ridgevale Rd., Chatham• (508) 432-1739• www.seafarerofchatham.com

Owners Don and Lynn Cahoon say they offer "the privacy and comfort of a modern motel with the charm of a country inn." The Seafarer, situated along Chatham's historic district, has one of the Cape's loveliest (and quietest) settings, where welcoming lounge chairs and old-fashioned Adirondack chairs nestle among lavish flower gardens.

Each of the 20 ground-level rooms in the blue-trimmed, brick building have been hand-stenciled in the authentic Colonial manner with decorative borders and have tiled baths. Coffee and tea service are offered. Children are welcome at the Seafarer, which is open April through November.

Wequassett Inn
$$$$ • Mass. Rt. 28 at Pleasant Bay Rd., Chatham• (508) 432-5400, (800) 225-7125• www.wequasett.com

This resort is almost a village unto itself. The 22-acre estate, which takes its name from a Native American word that means "crescent on the water," actually comprises 20 buildings, including one built in 1740. Each of the 104 rooms and suites has views of Pleasant Bay, Round Cove, or the woods and is furnished in Early American or country pine. So exquisite is the decor that many rooms have won national design awards.

Tennis buffs can stay in one of three villas, just steps away from four all-weather tennis courts. The inn also has its own dock and offers a sailing program for novices to salty-dog sailors. (The inn even has a rental fleet of Hobie Cats and Sunfish.) If you're not in the mood for saltwater, take a dip in the awesome 68-foot heated pool.

Golfers will be happy to learn the Wequassett is affiliated with the new, nearby Cape Cod National Golf Club, allowing guests to arrange for tee times at the private course.

The staff here is attentive but far from stuffy, and a concierge is available to help you with everything from dinner reservations to fishing excursions. One of the area's best restaurants, the Eben Ryder House, is on the premises (see our Restaurants chapter). The Wequassett is open from mid-April to mid-November.

The Cove
$$$ • 13 Mass. Rt. 28, Orleans• (508) 255-1203, (800) 343-2233• www.thecoveorleans.com

The sparkling waters of Town Cove lap at the shore of this attractive year-round complex, which features beautifully landscaped gardens and patios, a heated outdoor pool and, of course, terrific water views. Many of the 47 rooms have views of Town Cove, and many have private decks. All are equipped with heat and air conditioning, queen- or king-size beds, private baths, phones, TVs, refrigerators, and coffee makers. Nonsmoking rooms are available, and children are welcome. Book a waterfront room or, for an extra-special stay, a room at the Inn at the Cove. It has 10 rooms and suites (eight with fireplaces, some with full kitchens), all warm and cozy with Shaker-style furnishings. Visit the waterfront gazebo, where you can commune with the terns and gulls, and watch sailboats tack by. An added bonus: Guests get a free 90-minute boat tour around Town Cove, an experience not to be missed!

Nauset Knoll Motor Lodge
$$$ • 237 Beach Rd., East Orleans• (508) 255-2364• www.capecodtravel.com/nausetknoll

Resorts can boast that they are located on the water, but only a few can say they are located on the ocean--except the Nauset Knoll Motor Lodge. Situated on a knoll overlooking Nauset Beach and the Atlantic, every room commands a superb view of the ocean. Here you can relax with the rhythmic sounds of the Atlantic Ocean's crashing surf. Four acres of manicured grounds assure privacy. The Nauset Knoll consists of 12 spacious rooms, all on ground level, pleasantly cooled by the constant sea breeze. Each room has an 8-foot picture window facing the ocean, ceramic tiled bathroom with tub and shower combination, color TV, and baseboard hot-water heat. Operated under the supervision of the National Park Service, the Nauset Knoll is the only motel on the Atlantic Ocean within the Cape Cod National Seashore. What more could you want? Well, if you need more, the lodge is just a short drive to fine dining and the attractions of the lower Cape. We'll give you an Insiders' tip about this place: Try to plan a fall stay at the lodge and you will have the beach all to yourself, you'll enjoy the warm fall waters which have heated all summer, and if you're a birder, you'll enjoy the best birding of the year along the dune uplands. Children are welcome at Nauset Knoll, which is open from mid-April to late October.

Orleans Holiday Motel
$-$$ • Mass. Rt. 6A, Orleans• (508) 255-1514, (800) 451-1833• www.orleansholiday.com

Open year-round in Orleans, the Orleans Holiday Motel has 45 contemporary, clean rooms in a great location just outside of town. The motel offers accommodations with two double beds, one queen-size bed, or two queen-size beds. Rollaway beds and cribs are also available. Each room is fully carpeted and includes air conditioning, heat, bath with tub and shower, direct-dial phone, color cable TV with HBO, and a refrigerator.

During the summer months, this is a great place to stay. The pool has an extra shallow section for children. The nicely landscaped backyard area is ideal for barbecues and picnics. It's close to family dining--across the street from a Chinese restaurant and next door to The Egg and I breakfast spot and the local favorite, The Lobster Claw Restaurant. A complimentary continental breakfast is served in the motel lobby every morning from 8 until
11 AM. Most rooms are nonsmoking.

Seashore Park Inn
$$-$$$ • Canal Rd., Orleans• (508) 255-2500, (800) 772-6453• www.seashoreparkinn.com

Centrally located, this 62-room, family-oriented resort features a large indoor pool in a huge glass-walled room that you may have a hard time tearing the kids away from. That is, until they realize how close this property is to area attractions. The Seashore Park Inn is near restaurants, shops, the Cape Cod National Seashore and other beaches, as well as the Cape Cod Rail Bicycle Trail. Guests can also get discounted beach stickers for parking at Orleans beaches. A continental breakfast is served every morning in the sunny café overlooking the outdoor pool. Many of the rooms are efficiency units, with refrigerators, stoves, and a second sitting area with a sleep sofa. All the rooms have two double beds, telephones, cable televisions with remote controls, and the efficiencies have two TVs. Most of the rooms offer balconies or patios, and many have been recently renovated. The facility is 100 percent non-smoking. Open from April through November, the Seashore Park Inn offers off-season rates as well as money saving weekly rates any time of year.

Captain's Quarters Motel and Conference Center
$$ • U.S. Rt. 6, North Eastham• (508) 255-5686, (800) 327-7769www.captains-quarters.com

With 70 rooms, tennis courts, an outdoor heated pool, and access to the bike path, this family-run facility has a lot to offer. Rooms all have wall-to-wall carpeting, air conditioning and heat, refrigerators, phones, color cable TVs, and queen-size or double beds. Enjoy a complimentary breakfast in the lounge area, which features a delightful hand-painted mural of nearby Nauset Light Beach. You can also help yourself to fresh popcorn later in the day. Families find this is a good place to make their home base as they explore the Outer Cape, and they're equally attracted to the fact that children younger than 12 stay free. For business people, the Captain's Quarters offers conference facilities. It's open from April to November.

Eagle Wing Motel
$$ • 960 U.S. Rt. 6, Eastham• (508) 240-5656• www.eaglewingmotel.com

All 19 rooms in this little gem, located near the Cape Cod National Seashore, have been completely redone and have private baths, air conditioning and heat, refrigerators, cable TV, and phones. Most have king-sized bed. Owners Mary and Gerry Orris added a back deck that stretches the length of the building so that guests can enjoy the quiet backyard, which borders a wetland sweet with birdsong in spring and summer. There's a large outdoor pool, and morning coffee is available. Ideal for couples looking for quiet, clean, and comfortable surroundings, the Eagle Wing provides all the amenities of a large facility while maintaining the feel of a guesthouse or inn. The motel, which is completely nonsmoking, is open May through October.

Four Points Hotel
$$$ • U.S. Rt. 6, Eastham• (508) 255-5000

The Four Points Hotel, part of the Sheraton chain, has 107 guest rooms, including two suites, all beautifully appointed. The indoor atrium and pool are a soothing, steamy balm at the end of a long day (there are also men's and women's saunas and an outdoor pool).
The fitness room is stocked with up-to-date equipment for those who like to keep up their fitness regimen while away. The on-site restaurant serves breakfast and dinner (daily in summer, but weekends only in the off-season) and the Regency Lounge is open for late-night cocktails. There's also a tavern by the indoor pool. Four Points is open year-round and is great for families or business travelers.

The Blue Dolphin Inn, "Home of the Cape's Most Popular Whale Watch Package," is the ideal vacation spot for nature lovers and families alike. Moments away from ocean, bay and freshwater beaches, this family-friendly 50 unit motel, situated on six lovely acres of its own, features kids' play area, picnic tables & BBQ grills, volleyball, shuffleboard & horseshoe courts, private patios overlooking wooded courtyard, laundry facility, restaurant, access to the Cape Cod Bike Trail, and the largest pool and sundeck on the Lower Cape. Its proximity to magnificent Nauset Marsh, the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Audubon expeditions, whale watch cruises, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, boating and hiking make it a naturalist's paradise. In addition, the Cape's largest Flea Market, indoor and drive-in movie theaters, mini-golf, distinctive shopping, and restaurants of all kinds are only minutes away. Group Rates and Value Packages, including seal cruises, whale watches, island tours and more, are available.

Midway Motel & Cottages
$$-$$$ • 5460 U.S. Rt. 6, North Eastham• (508) 255-3117• www.midwaymotel.com

Right on the scenic 25-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail bike path, in the heart of the Cape Cod National Seashore and close to the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, this homey complex is made up of four separate buildings, nicely spaced and set back from the road. There are a total of nine motel units, an efficiency, a three-bedroom cottage that can sleep six and a one-bedroom cottage that can accommodate two to four people. All rooms have full baths, cable TVs, air-conditioning, ceiling fans, coffee makers, refrigerators, and microwave ovens. The
3-acre property has a play yard for children, and, for all ages, badminton, horseshoes, and shuffleboard. Complimentary coffee is served each morning in the cozy common room. The Midway is open March through October.

Viking Shores Motor Lodge
$$ • U.S. Rt. 6, Eastham• (508) 225-3200 , (800) 242-2131• www.vsp.cape.com/~viking

Centrally located within the Cape Cod National Seashore Park, Viking Shores not only offers a relaxing atmosphere in a wooded natural setting, but it also offers direct access to the 26-mile Cape Cod Bike Trail, which is great for biking, rollerblading, running, or simply walking. Each of the 40 modern rooms are comfortable and feature cable TV, private baths, refrigerators, telephones, and individually controlled heat and air conditioning. Outside, barbecue grills and picnic tables are sprinkled throughout the landscaped grounds. Nauset Beach and Coast Guard Beach on the Atlantic Ocean are just minutes away. Tennis anyone? If you enjoy tennis, don't forget your racquet to play on their courts. And, the heated pool offers you the opportunity to just sit back and relax. If that's not enough, your hosts, Kevin and Leslie Holland, will make sure you enjoy yourselves. They can assist you with bike rentals and have enough bikes to accommodate family groups. They are also happy to suggest a nature trail, guided walk, or a local seafood restaurant. The Audubon Sanctuary at Wellfleet Bay is less than a mile from the Viking Shores, and Ben & Jerry's is just down the street--always a plus when on vacation. A complimentary continental breakfast is served each morning in the commons area. The Viking Shores Motor Lodge is open April though October.

The Even'Tide
$$ • 650 U.S. Rt. 6, South Wellfleet• (508) 349-3410, (800) 368-0007 (Mass. only)• www.eventidemotel.com

This friendly, family-owned motel is set so far back among the woods that you may feel like you're vacationing in the middle of a forest--if forests came complete with a 30-by 60-foot indoor pool. All the rooms at this year-round facility come with a refrigerator, cable TV, clock radio, coffee maker, and heat and air-conditioning controls. The most popular units are the queen-size rooms with their pretty custom-made oak furnishings. Eight cottages, five of them A-frames with wood stoves, are also available, and most have decks. Biking enthusiasts take note: The Cape Cod Rail Trail runs right through the back yard. An outdoor play area beckons children, while adults will appreciate the sundeck. The Even'Tide has added a gift shop where you can get handcrafted items.

Mainstay Motor Inn
$$ • 2068 U.S. Rt. 6, South Wellfleet• (508) 349-2350, (800) 346-2350• www.capecod.net/mainstay

The Mainstay is convenient to everything. Tennis courts are within walking distance, the Cape Cod National Seashore is a scallop shell's throw away, Wellfleet Harbor's marina is practically in the front yard and whale-watching boats in Provincetown are a few miles away. When you're tired of sightseeing, relax by the Mainstay's indoor pool, or soak in the new Jacuzzi. Each of the 30 rooms here has a king- or queen-size bed or two double beds with a full bath, refrigerator, and outdoor deck. Some rooms are efficiencies with microwave ovens as well, and there is also a three-room cottage available for rent by the week in season. A complimentary continental breakfast is served daily in the coffee room, which also houses the Mainstay's free lending library. It's open year-round.

Wellfleet Motel & Lodge
$$-$$$ • U.S. Rt. 6, Wellfleet• (508) 349-3535, (800) 852-2900• www.wellfleetmotel.com

With a total of 65 rooms, all recently renovated, the Wellfleet Motel & Lodge is right on the Cape Cod Rail Trail bike path, and just across the street from Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary (see our Hiking and Biking Trails chapter). All the rooms--40 in the lodge and 25 motel units--are equipped with refrigerators and coffee makers, and microwave ovens are available for a small fee. There's both an indoor and an outdoor pool, with a barbecue beside the latter. Choose from seven different types of rooms including suites. The lodge has a coffee shop with a full breakfast menu, and the facility is open year-round.

Topmast Motel
$$ • 209 Shore Rd., North Truro• (508) 487-1189• www.capecodtravel.com/topmast

This two-story motel, right on Cape Cod Bay and surrounded by conservation land, enjoys incredible views. Choose from a total of 33 units: beach front motel or efficiency units with stoves, sinks, refrigerators, and microwave ovens, or poolside rooms with views of the landscaped grounds. Beachside rooms have private balconies overlooking the private beach, which is cleaned daily, and the outdoor pool is surrounded by chaise lounges and picnic tables. You can get breakfast all day at the poolside eatery, Harbor Lights (see our Restaurants chapter), along with lunches and a Friday night fish fry. Run for 27 years by the Silva family, this well-kept facility is the only beachfront motel in the area with its own restaurant. Topmast is open May 1 to mid-October.

Best Western Chateau Motor Inn
$$$ • 105 Bradford Street West, Provincetown• (508) 487-1286, (800) 528-1234• www.bwprovincetown.com

High atop a hill at the west end of town, this 54-room facility enjoys sweeping views. It's also run by the Gordon family, and it's as meticulously kept as their Beachfront property. The rooms are all newly done in classic Cape decor, and each has a large TV, refrigerator, and air-conditioning. Some rooms are even equipped with private safes. There's a large heated pool, restaurant, and lounge, lovely gardens and a number of decks overlooking the water. Again, kids stay free, and here, guests get complimentary morning coffee and muffins. It's open from early May to mid-October.

Best Western Tides Beachfront
$$$ • 837 Commercial St., Provincetown• (508) 487-1045, (800) 528-1234• www.bwprovincetown.com

The Gordon family, which has owned this two-story chain motel for many years, devotes its considerable experience and energies to the care of the tidy, comfy, oceanfront motel and its guests. (The lawns alone--greener than we've ever seen--will be your first clue to the staff's special care of the motel.)

The 64 rooms are several notches above your standard motel fare, clean and comfortable, with air-conditioning, heat, and cable TV. Almost half the rooms literally sit at the water's edge, so you can wake up in the morning and walk through the sliders to the surf. The motel also has a fenced-in pool, badminton courts, plenty of free parking, and an on-site restaurant (open to the public) that serves breakfast and lunch only. A boon for families: Children younger than 18 stay free! Best Western Tides Beachfront is open from early May to mid-October.