The Christopher hotel offers Southern Comfort Style

Picture: Adam Policky.

Picture: Adam Policky.

Published Oct 29, 2017

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Sarah Wildman reviewed the The Christopher hotel in Massachusetts. This is what she thought: 

The Basics

The Christopher hotel is the third boutique property on Martha’s Vineyard by Lark Hotels, a boutique hotel brand based in Amesbury, Massachusetts, with 17 properties. (The Christopher’s sister location, the Sydney, is two blocks away in Edgartown, and the cheerfully named Summercamp faces the harbour in Oak Bluffs, a town about 20 minutes away by car.) The Christopher opened in May last year in the heart of Edgartown.

The hoteliers have described the decor as chic yet unpretentious, which, in this case, means they have stripped out the island-style chintz and shabby-chic often found in Vineyard B&Bs, added a high gloss dark stain to the wood floors, pulled in cool blue and white geometric rugs and wallpapers, and maintained a crisp teal blue, cream and grey-colour palate throughout the hotel.

The 15 rooms and common spaces are furnished with an updated spin on mid-century modern furniture that seems primed for Pinterest.

The location

The hotel is one block in from Main Street, a block from the waterfront and steps from several restaurants and ice-cream parlours. Next door is Wheel Happy, a reasonably priced bike rental shop that’s a major plus on an island perfect for cycling. The property is an easy (and flat) 3.5km from Bend in the Road Beach, a great swimming spot.

The room

The hotel room. Picture: Adam Policky.

My street-facing Queen, the least expensive of the room categories, was on the first floor next to the staircase, yet managed to remain gloriously quiet. The blues and creams of the lobby extended here - a sizeable throw rug of the same colour palate covered much of the freshly finished dark wood floors. A large armoire graced one corner. The comfortable bed was dressed with crisp white linens, backed with a navy fabric headboard. Three woven baskets were affixed above the bed, each in the colour scheme of blue, cream and the dark brown of the flooring. A single light bulb from the ceiling was wrapped in a woven bubble of what appeared to be hardened beach rope. For a hotel, ostensibly catering to beach-goers, it could have used more places to hang wet suits and towels, but the space was otherwise well considered.

The bathroom

Tiny, with a glass shower stall that sprayed the bathroom with water until I adjusted the shower head. A comely slate-blue tile lined the main floor and the shower had a white subway tile. Bath products with enticing smells were from an aromatherapy line provided by Lather.

The amenities

The Christopher hotel in Edgartown. Picture: Adam Policky.

A large, secluded patio featured a modernist fire pit, lit each night and accompanied by free beverages and snacks. At check-in, the enthusiastic concierge loans each guest a fully loaded iPad with tips on local restaurants, spas, bars, yoga studios and bike paths. Each room has a Tivoli Bluetooth radio, TV and cloth robes. A (loaner) canvas J Crew beach bag, thoughtfully stuffed with two enormous beach towels, is provided.

Dining

There are no meals beyond breakfast, but this was a delightful smorgasbord of fresh-baked cinnamon swirl breads and chocolate chip coffee cake, mini-frittatas, oatmeal and fresh fruit served in a small breakfast nook.

Bottom line

A fresh addition to a saturated B&B market on Martha’s Vineyard, The Christopher offers a bit of polish in an antique setting. - The New York Times

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