Chatham Bars Inn, Cape Cod

A world without whales, lighthouses, anchors, and lobsters on clothing is not in New England. New Englanders are enamored with their rustic beach culture that often pervades onto their wardrobes. Old school ways have a tight rein on Cape Cod.

Sometimes the simplest private beach clubs consisting of little wooden storage huts and a burger stand are the most exclusive and expensive memberships. New Englanders take pride in their Yankee heartiness, so how does the Chatham Bars Inn, a Preferred Legend hotel, revise those rustic traditions in order to provide a luxury beachfront resort?

The answer lies in the pleasures this unique Cape Cod coastline brings: great seafood, sand bars, lazy sunning seals, poolside lobster rolls, and beach cabanas.

Second is the level of service each guest can expect. I experienced probably the best check-in experience of my life. Since my husband and I arrived separately, and I had packed all morning and driven the two hours driven with my kids, the sweetest words I could have heard in my harried demeanor were, “Just point to what stays in the car, give us your keys, and the rest will be in your cottage closet.” The level of service was friendly and efficient in every encounter, from the docks to the restaurants.

Where is the Chatham Bars Inn?

The town of Chatham is the at Southeastern-most stretch of land on the Cape, the closest to the island of Nantucket. The main street in town offers numerous options for browsing and eating.

If you like shopping, Chatham’s stores can fill an afternoon easily. Take the kids to the Where the Sidewalk Ends bookstore.

The resort’s beach is private, but after a beautiful walk further south, you’ll see the Chatham lighthouse and numerous sand banks with seals on the outer beach sunning themselves.

Rooms at the Chatham Bars Inn

The Inn celebrated its 100th birthday recently year but guest rooms have undergone complete renovations under its current owner. Accommodations are either in the main building or in cottages scattered around property. Some have great views of the ocean. They will state Ocean View in the cottage description.

Decorated with bead boarding, plantation shutters, and lots of scale model sailboats, you can’t forget that you are in Cape Cod for one moment. The renovations have retained the hotel’s historic character while providing modern amenities, air conditioning, and free wi-fi to keep everyone happy in a clean nautical style.

Family Rooms

My children were delighted to see chocolate lobsters waiting for them in our cottage, Bay View, the perfect ocean-view choice for a family. The rooms at the main inn is better suited for adults without kids with the exception of the Presidential suite, which has two bedrooms and would be great for families.

Our First Stay in Bay View Cottage

We have stayed twice, and both visits have been in ocean view cottages. (All cottages are suites at CBI. If it isn’t a suite, it will be called a room). Both cottages were exceptionally comfortable with a fire-placed living room with sleeper sofa. Our most recent stay was a two-story cottage with incredible water views, and I could watch the seals sun from my window. This unit was recently built and very spacious.

Our Recent Stay in Day Break Cottage

The Beach

After a ride on the resort loaner bikes or a competitive game of croquet, it’s time to relax at the beach. The resort enjoys a protected calm beachfront, so the water is still and easy for swimming. There are enough shells to make walks fascinating for the kids. The recreation staff gathers in the afternoon during the summer months with games for the kids while you relax in your cabana.

For the best authentic beach experience

For the Atlantic Ocean’s waves, there is an out beach sand bank further out from which that the resort offers regular boat rides to every day from 10 until 4. This is a must do.

The boat ride might be only ten minutes long, but you’ll hop out in ankle deep water and walk along your own private island. After crossing cove beach, you’ll climb over a dune and see the wild Atlantic ocean on an undeveloped beach. The shelling is incredible, and you’ll see numerous grabs in the shallow waters and seals in the waves.

The beach and main building face due east, so there are no California sunsets here. It’s all about the sunrises, so I told myself I had to catch it no matter what. The resort even has a special coffee and pastry display from 5 to 7AM every morning to reward those in the know. For stepping outside at 5:45 in my robe on our patio, I think the photo came out well.

More Boating Activities

In the morning, we took one of the resort’s beautiful boats, the Bar Tender, to see the seals sunning on the nearby sand banks. Jack was our captain and enjoyed sharing his knowledge of marine life with my kids and the oceanfront real estate gossip with me and my husband, a total win-win. The seals dove into the water as we got closer to the sand banks, but there were so many of them, it was an incredible site.

I’m a child of the 1970’s, traumatized by Jaws, so I had to ask about the Great White Sharks in the area. Because seals are the Great White’s favorite food, scientists have seen a recent increase in shark sightings as the seal population has flourished. The Chatham Shark Center will open in 2015 and will be a great resource to learn about these fascinating creatures.  The site for Ocearch  has wonderful shark resources to show children ages 8 and older, and watching the migration paths of the tagged Great Whites is fascinating. For a more relaxed vacation, you may just want to show these to your kids once you are home from the beach.

The Pool

The outdoor pool area is sleek and beautiful, encased with glass walls to protect the views of the Atlantic ocean. Its zero-entry area has splash fountains and a water tower for kid play as well as a wading pool for the smallest swimmers. Private cabanas and an adult-only hot tub retain a luxurious feel to it.

Chatham Bars Inn Restaurants

There are two indoor dining options on site. Stars, the fine dining restaurant overlooking the beach serves dinner in the summer season. Stars restaurant serves breakfast daily in its formal dining room, and we enjoyed excellent food.

In the summer, the Beach House Grill offers lunch, themed cookouts, and clambakes for dinner. These outdoor meals really shine, making the Inn a truly amazing venue for a summer wedding.

The Sacred Cod, a cocktail hour destination and pub serves lunch and dinner.The Sacred Cod Tavern was a wonderfully elegant meal. My husband and I started with mini lobster tacos drizzled with chili oil and homemade guacamole that were amazing followed by beautiful halibut with a cauliflower purée and local greens and fiddleheads. Even the children’s first course of crudité and dressing were served with an artful presentation, too. The house-made rolls and butter were very memorable, ideal for any brioche fan.

The inn has a farm in nearby Brewster to grow much of its produce. For guests staying longer, the resort will shuttle them into the center of Chatham to other restaurants, too. The children’s room service menu is balanced with healthy options and the usual standbys.

After our wonderful dinner, we returned to find plush baby seals waiting for our kids. My son asked who they were from, and I explained they were probably from the nice lady, Kathleen, who gave us a tour of the resort when we checked in. “Why does she love us so much?” My three-year-old asked, convinced that anyone who picked him up and gave him a chocolate lobster and a stuffed seal must be a loving relative.

Lobby lounges

In the main building there is a large lounging area offering coffee and afternoon tea with an antique music box that plays throughout the day. My children were delighted to hear a special concert.

The Chatham Bars Inn is clearly one of the most enviable places to be in the world in July and August, where many families will book up to a year in advance. I get it. The resort has a very large European clientele, too, for those seeking the quintessentially glorified American summer experience. They found it. I’d love to believe there are loyal French guests shamelessly sporting lobster or whale-adorned sweaters while filling their Longchamp shoppers with endive at the Parisian markets.

Cope Cod’s Best Spa

Compared to the rest of the resort, the Spa (read my separate review) is entirely new construction and abandons the vintage-New England feel for the most modern and tranquil space. There is an adult-only pool for use by spa guests and there are adult-only spa suites for those in need of ongoing pampering. Outfitted with oversized hydrotherapy tubs, saunas, steam showers, and fireplaces, guests can have most treatments in their rooms if they choose. For deal hunters, I know there are great spa-inclusive packages in the colder months. Read our review of the spa suites, too.

Booking Your Stay at the Chatham Bars In With Perks

Luxe Recess readers can book a stay at the Chatham Bars Inn with several VIP perks for no extra charge! Reach out for assistance here.