The beloved Hob Knob luxury boutique hotel is a deluxe getaway that complements its historic Edgartown setting, while pampering guests with contemporary amenities and excellent service.
New England aficionados will love this New England-themed boutique hotel. A tranquil wraparound porch graces the Hob Knob luxury boutique hotel. It’s engulfed in soothing trees and flowers sheltering you and creating an oasis just steps from the historic village of Edgartown. Each of its 17 rooms are embodied by a different animal motif—there’s the pig, the horse, the cow—just to name a few. A smaller shed outside has beach umbrellas, beach chairs, and more for guests to use at their leisure. This luxury boutique hotel could’ve just been any other Edgartown hotel, but it isn’t. Thanks to the Owner Diane Carr, coolness and upscaleness prevail making it a must stay in Edgartown.
As soon as you step foot on the property you realize the Hob Knob Hotel is a luxury boutique hotel, the kind you can only find on the coast of New England. White wood paneling on the exterior and interior walls, elaborate moldings, different patterned wallpapers, dark wood floorboards intermittently broken up with tiles and carpeted floors, armchairs upholstered in delicate light-colored patterns, and a discreet and efficient staff. The property was an eclectic mix of New England charm, Southern drawl, and British style—maybe that’s what made the property so unique.
Your first encounter with the Hob Knob Hotel is a Southern touch. A big wraparound porch with a white railing hugs the luxury boutique hotel. Rocking chairs, rattan loveseat gliders, and trees planted so their huge branches hang over the porch provided natural air conditioning. Intermittently, there were colorful blooms sprouting from many potted planters. Multi-colored cushions dressed the chairs and gliders inviting one to sit and relax. I stepped up to the front door, a dark bottle green wooden door with a small handle. This was the prime jewel of this truly enchanting Edgartown hotel. This fresh and sweet-smelling oasis, which bloomed like an unknown and magnificent flower in this historic village.
A polished wood staircases, exclusively for suite 18, rises to the top in the front. I noticed a cow motif on the number 18, but didn’t think much of it. I made my way to the back of the hotel following a white staircase with cow motifs up to our room. Various old paintings and artwork alongside white, floral, and striped wallpaper accent the intimate atmosphere. As you walk throughout Hob Knob Hotel you’ll notice repetitive motifs of animals and nature on doors and staircases. The former owner used to be a rancher in Colorado and loved cows. At one point, there were pictures of cows everywhere in the hotel! It was subtly fine tuned to make them less prominent.
Pat and I finally made it up to room #16 on the top floor. An oval hand-drawn painting of a pig with the number 16 marked our room. The artwork on the doors is original and by a very well-known artist on the island named Linda Carnegie. She did each of the paintings on the doors and murals in the kitchen, gym, and suite in room #18.
One of the staff opened the door for us and talked us through the amenities before leaving. The room was bright with a small skylight window above the bed. One of my favorite things in the world is staying at a luxury boutique hotel. The ones with big, beautiful beds and fluffy comforters and pillows that you sink into like quick sand. The ones that leave you homemade baked cookies upon arrival or turndown service every night. Yes, I’m talking about the Hob Knob Hotel. The charming bedroom contained wooden furniture that looked as if it had come straight out of an antiquing magazine. The elegant, over-sized guest bedroom featured individual climate control, a small reading nook, a safe, complimentary hand-sanitizing wipes (these are COVID times!), robes, reading magazines about the island, and more.
Setting down our things as the door creaked shut behind us, we walked to the window on the other side. We surveyed the small hotel parking lot hiding behind trees, while eating the welcome cookies they had left for us . They tasted incredibly good and were dipped in powdered sugar on the bottom. I watered it down with everybody water, a local Massachusetts based company that changes the lives of women and girls through sustainable water.
The room had interesting details hand-painted on the side of the bedside tables. English paintings hung on the wall contrasting against the leaf wallpaper. Ever noticed how when you stay in a hotel you like, you end up taking showers that are extra long? I do. After a 5:30AM wake-up call, long drive, and ferry to Martha’s Vineyard, I hopped in the shower. I let the water run, enjoying the tropical shower treatment alongside Hob Knob’s Molton Brown products (one of my personal favorites, I even took a bar of soap home with me!). And when you’re finally finished? You can snuggle into a warm bathrobe, one of the nice luxurious kinds, and lay on the bed reading a book—in my case Whaling Captains of Color by local Martha’s Vineyard writer Skip Finley.
The Hob Knob Hotel’s downstairs public areas are tiled and decorated in various New England colors. Startling red in the bathroom, cream and white shingles in the communal areas, and furnishings that are a striking mix of New England charm and antique pieces. The rooms invite reading (and if you don’t have your own book, grab their copy of Jaws from the bookshelf! After all the movie was shot on island.). The kitchen area had everything you needed for your happy hour drinks on property.
The best and easiest way to get around North of the island is by bike. We let the staff know we wanted to bike around the island, so they had bikes ready for us upon arrival. Hob Knob Hotel had already asked us for our heights in order to adjust the seat. We never had to leave the hotel to pick up the bikes. Hob Knob Hotel has an exclusive relationship with a local bike rental company named Wheel Happy in Edgartown. Guests also have the opportunity to bring their own bike and store it in the back. Next to the bike rack was a wooden shed. It had beach chairs, umbrellas, and more for guests to use on a first-come, first-serve basis. I loved this detail because it’s always such a hassle to bring your own beach gear from home.
Patrick and I hopped on our bikes and made our way towards Oak Bluffs, Jaw Bridge, and Vineyard Haven. The Wheel Happy bikes were top notch and the gears were perfect for those tougher Martha’s Vineyard hills. Before heading out we cycled around Edgartown a bit more. The area around the hotel was hip and shabbily chic. There were loads of cool bistros, wine bars, oyster pubs, and more. You could find all kinds of New England delights at the many local shops down by the main road.
On our way from catching the sunset from Menemsha, we stopped by State Road Restaurant to grab a burger to-go. Dinner tonight was at the Hob Knob Hotel. Because of COVID-19, the property allows you to get takeout from anywhere on the island and take it back to the luxury boutique hotel where you can enjoy it on the wraparound porch. Hob Knob Hotel even provides you with silverware and plates if you let them know beforehand. The luxury boutique hotel had left us a bottle of complimentary MVY rosé in an ice bucket in our room. We decided to bring it down to dinner with us on the porch. While I poured some MVY rosé into my glass, I took in the quieter oasis of the hotel around me. I could hear faint music and laughter in the distance coming from the restaurants nearby.
After finishing our meal, we chatted for a while on the porch before heading up to our room. All of a sudden I see Patrick’s eyes widen. He jumps out of his seat and yells, “Oh my god, it’s a skunk!” My muscles tense up. I immediately hop out of my seat and run towards the other side of the porch. This wasn’t our first time seeing a skunk in Edgartown! We had seen one wandering around someone’s property earlier that day during dusk. I never realized how many there were on the island.
When I had visited last year I had encountered many turkeys in Vineyard Haven. I had not seen even one during my stay this year. Maybe skunks were an Edgartown thing and turkeys a Vineyard Haven thing? Either way, the small guy scurried off as soon as he saw us. Pat and I grabbed our leftover food and went back indoors. At the front desk was a plate of homemade cookies for turndown service. Each was individually wrapped with a HK logo sticker. I grabbed one and went upstairs, put on my pjs, and sank into the comforter of our bed.
The next morning we headed downstairs for breakfast. They serve breakfast everyday between 8AM and 10AM. The full breakfast, served on the porch or in the courtyard, included scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit, orange juice, and coffee. While I was waiting for breakfast I saw someone order an iced coffee that came in a fancy looking glass. Another guest nearby and I said the same thing at the same time “That looks good, wish I had known!”
The Hob Knob Hotel is known for one thing in particular: scones. Now I unfortunately did not get the chance to taste their spectacular scones. I was either too late to breakfast or I missed them when there. If you get the chance, don’t miss out on them. The scones, baked fresh everyday, are well known among guests and the Edgartown community. They even share their secret recipe with you on a card in your guest bedroom.
The story goes that former owner, Maggie White, was in search of the perfect scone. She tried tons of recipes before settling on the final version with her original opening chef, Paul Donnelly. The recipe was discovered about 20 years ago and has remained a staple since.
Pat and I spent a few more moments after breakfast taking in the luxury boutique hotel. The Hob Knob Hotel actually has a fitness center available for guests (even during COVID, although capacity has been limited). We went up to pack our bags and dropped them off in the car before saying one final goodbye to the property. Some boutique hotels are lauded for their comfy rooms or warm atmosphere. The Hob Knob Hotel in Edgartown has both, but it’s the discreet yet welcoming service at this luxury boutique hotel that stuck with me most.
Rooms start at $229 p/night during low season.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Hob Knob Hotel. I want to thank Diane and her staff for their kind hospitality and an incredible stay. All opinions remain my own.
>> Next: Menemsha, Martha’s Vineyard: An Unchanged Place
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