USA In person: Provincetown
With a mission to reinvent the fusty bed and breakfast concept, Salt Hotels has added lashings of style and flavour to its three American properties, including one in the hip Cape Cod getaway of Provincetown author: Patrick Whyte
Salt of the earth C
urling out of the US east coast into the Atlantic like a flexed arm, it is easy to understand why Cape Cod has become
a nautical paradise. At the end of where the knuckle would be is Provincetown, the peninsula’s cultural hub and the final stop on Route 6. It was here – not Plymouth – where the Pilgrim Fathers actually first made landfall in what was to become the United States. Its advantageous position and large harbour made it a natural hub for the whaling industry in the 18th and 19th centuries, and at one point it was the richest town in Massachusetts. Unsurprisingly, many of Provincetown’s older
houses have a seafaring history and Eben House is no exception. Built by captain Eben Snow in 1776, it has passed through various hands and now rests in those of David Bowd and Kevin O’Shea, who transformed it into a modern B&B that opened last year. Eben House is a marriage of the old and new; Provincetown is about as historic as the US gets and the owners, mindful of this, have kept plenty of the older features. I was stopping off here on my east-coast
honeymoon and our room atop the building was reached via a wooden staircase that squeaked under every footstep. The space was generous, the king-size bed gigantic, and we had a small private balcony overlooking the patio garden from which we had a perfect view over to the
Pilgrim Monument, which dominates the skyline and commemorates that first landfall almost 400 years ago. If you’ve got a head for heights and can handle the 116 steps and 60 ramps, it offers further jaw-dropping views of the Cape Cod peninsula.
Shaking things up Bowd says he is keen to “get rid of some of the rules” that can make stays at boutique-style hotels more trying than they should be, so at Eben House there are no set check-in times and guests are contacted prior to arrival to find out when they might be arriving. There’s a refreshing degree of openness between staff and guests, with both mingling in the communal areas. “One of our mutual hates is when you arrive at the hotel and are told, ‘check-in time is three o’clock – come back then,’” Bowd explains. He says there is “always a room” and staff will look to accommodate people whenever they arrive. While Bowd and O’Shea have set out to give
B&Bs a fashionable twist they also focus on getting the basics right. For Bowd, that means the holy trinity of bed, shower and breakfast – and the breakfast is especially memorable at Eben House. After a restful night’s sleep, we made our way
Need to know Salt Hotels was launched as a brand last year with the opening of Eben House and The Chequit in Shelter Island, New York and these hotels joined the firm’s first property, Salt House Inn, also in Provincetown. Founded by David Bowd and Kevin O’Shea, Salt Hotels is set to expand in 2016 as it eyes openings in the UK and US. Rooms at Eben House start from $195 plus tax,
salthotels.com
down to the small dining area, where walls were clad in white wooden panels with nautical knick- knacks randomly yet somehow artfully placed. There’s a Mediterranean feel – patterned tiles,
outdoor furniture, a sideboard and shelving unit – and on the wall, the day’s breakfast menu is written in chalk. The selection included a range of home-cooked delicacies, from chia pudding or frittata to strawberry cake, usually washed down with excellent coffee or an incredible almond milk cappuccino. Provincetown’s location at the end of Cape Cod
makes it difficult to get to without a car, but once you’re there it’s the perfect size to explore on
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foot, and for this Eben House helpfully provides an illustrated map that points out the best places to shop and eat. But you can’t really go wrong on your own anyway, as Commercial Street is packed with traditional stores, galleries and restaurants. What makes Provincetown such a remarkable
destination is how it manages to accommodate so many cultures; the town has long been a favoured haunt of artists and actors, and since the 1970s has become increasingly popular with the LGBT community. Rainbow flags fly proudly up and down the street and drag queens perform nightly to packed clubs. Little wonder that Provincetown has attracted Broadway and Hollywood legends including Liza Minnelli, Eartha Kitt and Alan Cumming. But turn slightly off the beaten track and your
feet will be in the sand. Here, tourists sit and watch the water lapping the shore, surrounded by locals, often accompanied by their dogs. As Bowd says: “Nobody cares who you are,
what you do or how much money you’ve got. It’s much more about enjoying this beautiful spot on earth.”
Pictured 1. Provincetown 2. Eben House breakfast menu
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