In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- All rooms are practically identical – the only thing that changes is the position of the bed and the view. If you’re after something quieter, go for one of the rooms on the top tier, further away from the restaurant. Or if you’re bringing kids, opt for a Sunset King room so you have sofa beds ready. Each room has its own private sundeck with sunloungers, king- or queen-sized bed with cotton sheets, linen duvets and down pillows, and minibars stocking cookies from the local Tates Bake Shop, Havaianas and bottles of rosé and champagne. The broom-cupboard bathrooms are small and simple but soon to be improved – the hotel has plans to take out the very old-school kitchenettes secretly stored behind a door in each bedroom and replace with expanded bathrooms.
- Packing tips
- Big glasses, small swimwear and the latest It-bag to transport it all. A small animal poking out will only do you in good stead. Some cosy cashmeres may be required for the chilly evenings.
- Also
- The hotel has a glorious Game Room which gets sun-drenched for most of the day – luxurious white-linen day-beds piled with paisley blue cushions and surrounded by hundreds of books.
Current offers
- Smith card offer
- Bottled water and a fresh fruit platter
More photos
Sunset Beach
Hamptons, United States[view map]
- Style
- Breezy beach house
- Setting
- Glamorous island hideway
This boutique hotel in the Hamptons brings St Tropez to the shores of Shelter Island. Sunset Beach has a glamorous following of young movers and shakers – the who’s who of the Hamptons on an otherwise quietly residential offshore retreat. The elite come to party in this tastefully transformed Sixties motel, where gleaming glass doors and whitewashed private sun decks lead straight down to the ocean.
Need to know
- Rooms
- 20.
- Rates
- Low season, $175–345; high season; $520–650; excludes taxes (9.375 per cent) and breakfast (from $10).
- Check-out
- 11am. Earliest check-in, 4pm.
- Facilities
- In rooms: free WiFi and local calls, HDTV, DVD players, stereos with CD player, iPod docks, Kol Design bath products; complimentary cycle hire.
- Poolside
- No pool, but you can see the ocean.
- Hotel closed
- Mid-September to mid-May.
- Also
- Minimum two-night stay required at weekends; three-night stay over Memorial Day, 4 July and Labor Day. Pets are allowed for $125 for each animal.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- The Sunset Beach restaurant is a French-inspired bistro serving up New York strip steak, whole roasted branzino and bouillabaisse. For $25, the chef will prepare and cook any fishing fan’s catch of the day. The bistro has many parts and levels – the Sandbox is where to eat and tan at the same time, the mid deck is for casual dining in the shade and the ground floor is indoor (but open to the ocean) and decked out in white-wood, cushioned banquettes, French barstools and history-capturing photos of previous staff and customers on the walls.
- Dress code
- Super casual (but effortlessly glam) – sitting sand-covered in your bikini as a long lunch becomes dinner is perfectly acceptable.
- Top table
- Top deck for lunch to get ocean views and ocean breeze at the same time. Dinner is best in the Sandbox, once it’s cooled off a little.
- Last orders
- The restaurant closes at 10pm. The bar stays open until 1am – sometimes as late as 3am.
- Room service
- Everything on the restaurant menu is available until 10pm.
- Hotel bar
- The bar is part of the restaurant and has the same lively energy, backed up by a diverse DJ-performed set list, covering reggae, Indian and African beats. The crowd gathers to look attractive as they sip mixed-to-perfection mojitos long after the sun has set right in front of them.
Also worth knowing
- Children
- Cots are free, and some rooms have their own pull-out couches ready. Hotel staff will babysit with a bit of notice, for $20 an hour.
Smith Members offer
Bottled water and a fresh fruit platter
If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).
Click here to become a Mr & Mrs Smith member
Smith travel team
If you'd prefer to talk to someone, or don't want to book online, call our travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
Sunset Beach
35 Shore Road
Shelter Island
Long Island
NY 11965
