Hotel Moraine

Hotel Moraine

Hotel Moraine sits five kilometres outside Southold's center, on a bluff over the Long Island Sound, in a building that has stood since 1960 with just twenty rooms. That scale keeps it apart from the larger North Fork resorts nearby: there's a bar, a restaurant serving local fare, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, a conference hall for the occasional business gathering, and a private beach stocked with complimentary chairs, towels and paddle boards. What sets it apart, though, is its certification as a Surfrider Foundation Ocean Friendly Hotel, meaning refillable water stations replace single-use plastic bottles throughout, and the food and beverage program is built around sustainable sourcing, standards that most small coastal hotels don't bother pursuing. Rooms carry bathrobes, mini bars, blackout blinds and hypoallergenic bedding; the Luxury Room adds a fireplace, and a couple of studios run 325 to 346 square feet. Pets travel free of complaint here, and dry cleaning, laundry and a safe-deposit box round out the practical list. Check-in starts at four, checkout is eleven, and what meals come with the room depends on the rate booked, so it pays to read the fine print. This suits couples chasing a quiet, unfussy coastal stretch and dog owners who don't want to leave the dog behind. It will frustrate anyone wanting a full-service resort with round-the-clock dining or a property large enough to disappear into. Twenty rooms and one stretch of beach: what you see is what you get, and here, that's the whole appeal. Twenty rooms, a bluff over the Long Island Sound, and a Surfrider Ocean Friendly certification most small coastal hotels skip. Good for couples and dog owners after a quiet, unfussy stretch of beach, not for anyone wanting resort-scale amenities. Check-in is four, checkout eleven.