Flanked on either side by Nantucket Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, The Wauwinet – say it like you’ve got a mouth full of mashed potato – epitomizes the effortless beach-chic that’s so characteristic of an idle summer on Nantucket Island. Trimmed in weathered gray shingles, the inn’s elegantly decorated cottages are considered one of the top country-house resorts in the United States – as well as being Nantucket’s only Relais & Châteaux property.
Opened in the mid-19th century as a restaurant serving “shore dinners” to patrons arriving by boat, Wauwinet quickly evolved into a hotel and soon became a Nantucket landmark as the island’s most famous luxury resort. Strategically located at the edge of the Great Point Wildlife Sanctuary on the northeast end of the island, Wauwinet feels a world away from Nantucket Town, yet it’s only nine miles – and easily accessible by launch aboard The Wauwinet Lady.
The inn’s Spa by the Sea opened in 2007 exalting use of the island’s native habitats of sun, sea, and sand. This summer four new locally inspired treatments are making their debut – as if you needed another reason to visit this classic New England destination.
Cobblestones can be a pain in the neck – but not when they are used to soothe pains in your neck.   Smooth, rounded basalt stones are heated and then used with essential oils in a deep tissue Cobblestone Massage. (60/90 minutes – $155/$225)
Seaweed clinging to your body as you try to swim in Nantucket Sound? Annoying. Warm, nourishing seaweed swathing your body in the detoxifying Atlantic Seaweed Body Wrap? Heaven. Natural seaweed is abundant in minerals, micronized vitamins, and enzymes – all of which your skin needs to look and feel its best. (90 minutes – $210)
If the salty air rising off of Nantucket’s world famous beaches doesn’t quite do it, try Nantucket’s Salt and Sea Scrub – a blend of aromatic sea & mineral salts and essential oils that are massaged into the skin to remove impurities and dead skin cells while stimulating circulation. (60 minutes – $155)
Gazing out at the soft purple lavender fields on Nantucket is a soothing escape in itself. But you can take flower relaxation a bit further with the Lavender Crush treatment, which uses the soothing powers of wild lavender in an invigorating aromatic full body exfoliation and massage. (60 minutes – $155)