The call of the Hamptons can be hard to resist during the summer season, which officially begins this weekend. The sizzle returns to trendy restaurants, high-energy nightspots and world-class beaches. Historic sites reopen, and museums and theaters roll out star-studded summer shows. No wonder visitors from "up Island" - what Hamptonites call folks from western Suffolk and Nassau County - feel tempted to turn a day trip into an overnight stay.
If you decide to stay the night, you'll find accommodations ranging from deluxe to simple but clean - many of them spruced up with at least a fresh coat of paint and upgraded amenities since last season. A number of marquee properties, such as the Maidstone in East Hampton and the Montauk Yacht Club, have undergone a full-scale Hamptons makeover.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
Although Hamptons hotel rooms are famously expensive and booked way in advance of summer during fat years, the current lean economy means you may be in a better position to bargain away restrictions or slip into a room on short notice.
Jim Zaborski, president of East Hampton-based Dune Management Co., which manages eight resort properties, said that recessionary times mean tourists may find vacancies this season, even up to the last minute. Zaborski explained, "obviously, the choicest locations will probably be booked, but there are plenty of beautiful alternative spots that may be available."
GETTING A DEAL
Bargain hunters should look beyond the beach and its premium oceanview rooms. Laraine Creegan, executive director of the Montauk Chamber of Commerce, said lodgings nestled around Montauk Harbor, with its old-time fishing-village ambience, can be a relative bargain. Hampton Bays and Southampton Village also offer less costly, yet presentable, accommodations.
Many lodgings require minimum stays on weekends, especially during holidays. However, if there's soft demand for rooms, minimum stays, which require guests to buy two or more lodging nights, may also fall victim to the recession. "There is a lot more flexibility than there was in the past" regarding minimum stays, Zaborski said.
Says Creegan, "When it gets closer to the weekend, they knock the minimum stays off."
Looking for a room with a view? Or just a place to hang your beach bonnet? Here are select Hamptons lodgings where the rates range from splurge-worthy to real deals.
AMAGANSETT
Known for beautiful beaches, restaurants and a number of historic sites, it's the easternmost hamlet before Montauk.
Splurge:
Gansett Green Manor, 273 Main St., 631-267-3133,
gansettgreenmanor.com. Cost: $250-400 per night
An inn and small cluster of cottages with private entrances, patios and sitting areas. Walk to antiques shops, boutiques, restaurants; the beach is 11/2 miles to the south. Free beach parking passes.
Deal:
Ocean Colony Beach and Tennis Club, 2004 Montauk Hwy., 631-267-3130.
duneresorts.com/oceancolony. Cost: Less than $250 per night
This 8.8-acre resort has been spiffed up with new decks and a mahogany stairway to the boardwalk, as well as interior renovations. Mesmerizing dunes and a private 400-foot beachfront form the backdrop. Tennis courts, a pool and a clubhouse full of board games will keep the whole family occupied; 69 units.
BRIDGEHAMPTON
Visit one of the South Fork's trio of wineries, golf at the nine-hole Poxabogue course, take the kids to the children's museum. The summer-climaxing Hampton Classic Horse Show is held on local fields.
