Nantucket, MassachusettsThe Cliff
Life House Nantucket
Botanical captain's inn
The Cliff Nantucket, Massachusetts
Renovated
2020
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Heritage SocialOutside the door
The house
Life HouseBotanical captain's inn
The 1833 whaling captain's home runs like an intimate inn, layered with botanical motifs and garden firepits for evening drinks.
What it’s good at
Notable
Fourteen guestrooms decorated with botanical patterns, wicker furniture, and colorful bathroom tilework.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler and AFAR.
This Nantucket hotel captures all of the island’s charms at a fraction of the price of the most well-known resorts.
“At the Nantucket property, which just opened summer 2020, the art on the guestroom walls comes with its own primer; the general manager delivers cocktails on the porch and lingers for half an hour to talk about his past; a firepit doubles as a neighborhood watering hole.”
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Residential Cliff Road is a ten-minute walk from downtown restaurants and the ferry at Steamboat Wharf.
The rooms
Rooms are named after island flowers and dressed in botanical prints, with colorful tiles in the walk-in showers.
At the table
The wood-paneled communal kitchen has scalloped floor tiles and a table set with morning pastries.
How it began
Whaling captain Robert Calder, an ancestor of sculptor Alexander Calder, built the mansion in 1833. It opened as an inn in 1870.
Nantucket
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The app
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.