The best new and iconic Hamptons hotels for 2026

The Hamptons hotel scene is finally shaking off its rigid, same-samey reputation.This summer, we’re seeing a rare explosion of fresh new builds and major reinventions that are actually worth fighting the traffic on the Long Island Expressway to discover.There’s the at-last arrival of the Penny Lane, a waterfront newcomer in Hampton Bays that puts a fresh spotlight on one of the area’s more under-the-radar enclaves.

Faraway Sag Harbor makes its debut on the waterfront, complete with a buzzy new restaurant poised to draw as much local traffic as overnight guests.And did we mention the hotly anticipated Hedges Inn, designed by David Netto?Add in a major anniversary at one of Montauk’s classic stays and incredible perks at East Hampton’s the Baker House 1650? Suddenly the generations-old Hamptons feels newly reborn.Hidden right in East Hampton Village, the Baker House 1650 has the energy of an English country-house fantasy improbably dropped into one of the most expensive zip codes in America.

Inside the historic property, there’s plenty to obsess over: dark wood beams, crackling fireplaces, richly patterned walls and the sort of cozy nooks that practically demand a cup of tea.Outside, a pool scene worthy of a Slim Aarons photograph unfolds behind tall hedges and flowering gardens, while a second pool makes a splash at the carriage house.

Downstairs, the spa offers a sauna, a steam room and a pool.Guests wanting privacy can book one of the carriage house’s six secluded suites, including an enormous loft.

Spend the day at the ocean using the hotel’s beach parking passes, or at the Hamptons Polo House (where the retreat has an exclusive partnership this season), then return for sunset rosé in the garden in your finest linens.Amid a host of flashy newcomers, Baker House delivers a refreshed, and refreshing, version of the opposite.

Rooms from $771; Baker House 1650The “House at the Head of the Pond” is ditching its dusty reputation for a high-touc...