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 Baker House 1650, a glorious English manor house converted to one of the country's finest luxury inns with five sumptuous rooms, an English garden, and the most coveted guest amenity of all—beach parking permits.

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 magnificently refurbished Baker House 1650 (formerly the J.Harper Poor Cottage) in East Hampton has been recognized as one of the finest luxury inns in the United States. It was named "Inn of the Month" by Travel and Leisure magazine, and Town and Country said the cottage "offers the kind of plush accommodations that you'd expect to find in an area famous for its residential real estate." Time Out New York said "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."
   HISTORY
   The Baker House, one of the oldest continuously occupied structures in the United States, dates back to the earliest settlers of the Village of East Hampton. The house, first constructed in 1648 by a sea captain, Daniel Howe, was sold to Thomas Baker in 1650. Thomas Baker, one of the Town's original founders, turned the house into Baker's Tavern. The early structure served many other functions in the newly settled area, including town meeting hall, community center, and as the first location of religious services.
   Joseph Greenleaf Thorp, a prominent turn-of-the-century architect with ties to the English Arts and Crafts Movement, was employed to dramatically expand the house in the Elizabethan style that was his signature, coinciding with a period of Anglophilia, which prompted an attempt to change the Town name back to its original Maidstone. The renovation concluded in 1917, when the shingled house was wrapped in stucco, completing the transformation of an American Colonial house with hand-hewn beams into an expansive English manor of many rooms and refinements.
   THE GUESTROOMS
   Each bedroom is beautifully decorated, with individually controlled central air conditioning and heat, Bartech minibar, in-room security safe, televisions with full cable services and DVD, top-of-the-line Bose radios and CD players, multiple telephone lines, and wireless Internet access. Most of the rooms have wood-burning fireplaces, whirlpools and flat screen televisions. Bathrooms are lavish, with amenities by L'Occitane and bathrobes by Mascioni.
   BREAKFAST, ETC.
   Each morning begins with a sumptuous breakfast served in the garden-side breakfast room, in the garden itself during spring, summer and fall, or before a wood burning fire in winter, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. You can also opt for continental breakfast in your own room, delivered with your choice of morning paper. Local organic produce and farm products are used wherever possible. There are outside tables for eating, reading, or lounging, and drinks are served from a well-stocked bar including a selection of wines by the glass, bottle, and half-bottle.
   SPECIAL EVENTS
   The Baker House is available for special events including weddings, private parties, and photo shoots. Many memorable weddings have been held in the house and gardens, starting with the wedding of J. Harper Poor's daughter, Mildred, in 1915, for which a private train from Pennsylvania Station was arranged to bring some of the most distinguished families of the time to East Hampton for the occasion. The original wedding invitation and newspaper announcement of the event still hang in the lobby of The Baker House and the bride's preserved Gift Book makes fascinating reading.
   THE BAKER SPA
   The last thing one would expect in a historic 1648 house is a state-of-the-art spa facility, but that is what one finds on descending the paneled staircase leading to the lower level. An endless pool, spa tub, sauna, steam shower, and change room comprise the spa and although it is modern in every aspect, builder/designer David Tosher and design consultant Gary Jay Paul have created a room that seems to always have been there. The opportunity for guests to reserve the spa privately for treatments and purification provides unparalleled luxury for an inn of this size.
   THE GARDENS & POOL
   Planted in evergreens, flowering perennials and blooming shrubs, the informal gardens cover nearly a full acre. Its paths wind past border plantings that include herbs whose scents echo those of the aromatic oils used in the spa. The sweeping lawn and beautiful English gardens have been featured in many books and magazines. Outdoor terraces, a 200-year-old wisteria, and vine-covered garden walls transport the guests to a manor house in France of the English countryside. A new outdoor infinity-edge pool has been added for guests with teak chaises for sunning. In the summer, guests receive coveted East Hampton Village beach parking passes, as well as beach towels, umbrellas and chairs.

Within walking distance to Main Beach and the village shopping district, and with manager Kathy McCormack and assistant manager Heather McCormack fulfilling most every whim, the Baker House 1650 is a B&B for those looking for a vacation in the lap of luxury.

Regarded by critics and guests alike as the most exclusive and luxurious small hotel in the Hamptons, The Baker House 1650 has a distinctive European fell with ivy-covered walls and beautiful formal English gardens. Less expected are state-of-the-art amenities such as flat-screen TVs, wireless Internet, two swimming pools (one indoors and one infinity-edge outdoors), and The Baker Spa, providing unparalleled luxury.

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.

Head downstairs and sip a glass of wine at the honor-system bar (drink as you please and keep track yourself), read a book in the library, or visit the beautifully designed basement with its lap pool, sauna, steam shower, and treatment room where guests might partake of numerous massages, facials, and body polishes. Delicious!

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.