INN OF THE MONTH

The 19th-century structure, renovated by novelist Gary Reiswig and his psychoanalyst wife, Rita, has five guest rooms, all with William Morris wallpaper, fluffy comforters, and big bathtubs. From the front door you can stroll along the town pond, adorned by a swan so stunningly large as to seem mythic, then pass some of the most luscious landscaping in America on your way to the sea. Or you might linger in the cottage's formal English garden, where tiny boxwood leaves tremble in the breeze. Going to sleep, you imagine returning in the off-season to spend hours reading before a fire. The rooms are so deeply comfortable that you secretly hope for bad weather as an excuse to stay in.

At last, visitors to the Hamptons don't have to rent a $30,000-per-month beach house or else risk settling for less -- much less -- at some "cheap" (but still overpriced) motel. The J. Harper Poor Cottage in East Hampton offers the kind of plush overnight accommodations that you'd expect to find in an area famous for its residential real estate; the five-room inn is poor in name only. Set in an Arts and Crafts-style mansion on Main Street, it offers views of East Hampton's picture perfect town pond and green from the front, while back windows give onto a formal garden and a pergola crowned by a wisteria vine two centuries old. Inside, owners Gary and Rita Reiswig and designer Gary Jay Paul echo both the house's architecture and its landscaping using an abundance of color and comfort, of art and craft. The twining greenery of the Great Room's William Morris-upholstered armchairs boldly plays against a blue-and-white tiled fireplace. There's a grand piano, plus ample books and reading lamps, but the mood is more comfy than stuffy. Upstairs the pale-green theme reaches full bloom on the walls of the guest suites, where Morris' botanical fabrics create the ideal backdrop for a gentle getaway. Each suite has its special pleasures--exposed beams and primitive-style antique wall paneling, a king-size bed close by a fireplace, a simple claw-foot tub--so you'll be as comfortable here as you are in your own spread on Lily Pond Lane.... There is a three-night minimum during July and August if your stay includes a Saturday night.

The most distinctive B&B on the East End is so mind-bogglingly gorgeous that it's hard to believe anyone is actually allowed to sleep here. The living room is papered with golden lilies; the formal gardens in back are surrounded by 200-year-old wisteria; and the beamed ceilings and paneled doors in some rooms are remnants of the structures that occupied this site in the 16th and 17th centuries. All of these elements have been beautifully incorporated into the decor of the current building, a large, Arts-and-Crafts-style manor.

The delightful garden is more than the ideal place for lingering over the full breakfast that's served buffet-style; periodically the Reiswigs open it to the public as an outdoor sculpture gallery. This fall's exhibit of marble nudes runs into early October. Once the owners of East Hampton's Maidstone Arms, the Reiswigs acquired the Poor Cottage two years ago, wanting to turn it into "the most luxurious place in the Hamptons." Maintaining the house's original details -- like the carved wooden door-lintel angel in front and the antique birdbath in the garden in back -- have helped them accomplish their goal.

When it's time to tear yourself away, East Hampton offers plenty of shopping and antiquing opportunities. A good dinner bet is Bamboo Restaurant and Sushi Lounge, offering fresh and imaginative pan-Asian dishes that won't compromise your low-carb diet.

Walking into the J. Harper Poor Cottage you feel as if you've walked into an Old English manor. A perfectly manicured terrace and elegant sitting room welcome you into this beautifully decorated, pristine hotel which has some of the most luxurious rooms on the East End. The inviting, oversized bathrooms are comparable with the finest hotels of Europe. Be prepared to spend some time in your room. But call well in advance - they're often booked by those in the know before the summer season even begins.

All the running around would have wiped me out had I not booked the perfect Hamptons retreat, the divine new Baker House 1650, situated in the former J. Harper Poor Cottage, just up from the pond as you enter East Hampton Village. The wonderful owners, Antonella and Bob Rosen, have created a relaxed, ultracomfortable inn outfitted with rich Arts and Crafts-style furnishings, but without the pesky conceits of a typical B&B. You'll feel like you're in a spiffed-up version of your own home as you sip wine at the honor bar, bask in the sun in the sunken garden, or lounge in the pool in the basement. And the breakfast - divine!