Chatham Bars Inn: The Quintessential Cape Cod Experience

That succinctly sums up our afternoons at the Chatham Bars Inn, on Cape Cod, Mass. The 217-room inn – actually, a series of independent cottages with 68 suites – offers a gracious, incomparable experience, where impeccable service, excellent food, an easy-to-reach beach across the street from reception, and a luxurious afternoon nap -- is all part of the vibe. It's a historic place – where memories continue to be made.

It's been that way here for a long time. A brief geography course: Chatham is located at the southeast tip of Massachusetts. If Cape Cod is viewed as a bent arm, Chatham is at the elbow, surrounded on three sides by the ocean – to the east is the Atlantic, to the south is the calmer, warmer Nantucket Sound, and to the North is Pleasant Bay. The town has been welcoming well-heeled travelers since about 1887, when the richest families in Boston and New York City began spending their summers here. By the 1890s, Chatham matured into a resort town, as its warm waters and shallow pools of Nantucket Sound attracted families who didn’t want to deal with the rough Atlantic waters. By 1937, when the bus lines closed the railroad, automobiles were widely purchased, and hard roadways were installed, the numbers of travelers went from a trickle to a torrent.

In June, 1914, stockbroker Charles Ashley Hardy opened the inn, after acquiring the land where sheep and cattle once grazed. Back then, and now, the sea rules, and the ocean is the theme and the raison d'etre for all who are welcomed. Indeed, we checked in on a Sunday, immediately hit the resort's famed "Beach House" (a relaxed yet upscale restaurant and bar) for a quick lunch, then luxuriated on the beach, all the while basking in the beauty of it all (hoping not to become as red as, well, lobsters). Nautical décor is found throughout, and small model ships hang on the wall of the main inn. The cottages all have charming names such as Seabreeze, Bayview, and Beach Plum.

Children's activities include sailing lessons and even lobster fishing – the Chatham Bars Inn even has its own lobster traps. An expansive front porch lets you take in the authentic Cape Cod scenery – from the water and seagulls to the sands. Situated in the geographic location that it is, summer moonrises, over the water, from this verandah can be absolutely breathtaking.

Care to spend some time on the water instead of just in it? The resort features a private yacht that will take you to Nantucket for lunch. And at dinner, the property's restaurants serve "extraordinarily fresh fish," says Managing Director Paul Zuest. "It comes down off the dock right down the street and into the kitchen – that's about as nonstop as you can get," he says with pride.

The sea even makes its way into the alluring spa treatments. Debbi had the Signature Massage ($130 for 60 minutes) in which the therapist used oil along with heated periwinkle shells on Deb's face, cowrie shells on her body and cone shells on her feet. (More on the spa in a minute.)

It's no wonder then, that the Chatham Bars Inn is a member of Leading Hotels of the World, is a AAA Four-Diamond winner, and was named "Best of Boston" in Boston Magazine in 2007. Today, after at $25 million renovation, the Chatham Bars Inn is better than ever.

While all of the Chatham Bar Inn's accommodations are an experience in refined luxury, the Spa Suites are the most decadent to book. One of the particularly attractive features about them is that they offer you constant access to a separate pristine, heated adult spa pool, located right next to the building that houses the Spa Suites. There's another heated pool for kids next to the Beach House (across the street from the front entrance) but because of the inn's terrific Children's program (which is complimentary), the pool is usually swarming with kids. If you desire a quiet, sybaritic experience, the spa pool is where you'll find that. You can also rent a cabana, and order lunch there, or just sit outside after a treatment (it's a great place to let your toenails dry). The spa suite/guest rooms here are quite large – ours included double sinks, a Jacuzzi front and center, an enormous shower stall with two shower heads, a fireplace, and unbelievably, a private sauna. It also comes with L'Occitane amenities, a refrigerator, and an espresso-coffee maker – and you can have as many caffeinated and decaffeinated pods as you want. You can certainly have a treatment here in your Spa Suite – unless, of course, you want yours in the spa, or outdoors in a cabana, even by candlelight.

Hungry? Executive Chef Anthony Cole's offerings are designed to impress. We thoroughly enjoyed the Inn's famous weekly clambake – with all of the traditional fixings – and noted the pizza and French fries for the 'small frys.' The Main Restaurant features regional and Continental standards such as clam chowder, Wellfleet oysters and steak with demiglace sauce, which are paired with a choice selection of Bordeaux and Burgundies, from the stellar list created by Food and Beverage Director Mara Bouvier, which includes many esoteric varieties. Entrees ranged from the $22 green and white asparagus risotto – spa cuisine – to the $45 1 ½-lb. lobster poached in lemon broth. We say this with amusement – not disparagingly – but we have always found it curious that in the most highfalutin' restaurants, portions are quite small, yet pricey. By comparison, we absolutely loved eating in the inn's Tavern – where the portions were heftier and less expensive. The baby mixed green salad is a huge offering with balsamic vinaigrette, and the large portion of grilled swordfish were probably the best that Debbi has ever eaten – for $26. It came with a scrumptious avocado spring roll, vegetables and Debbi special- ordered a side dish of ratatouille. The Tavern, with its bar area, is more casual, and has a fun, lively atmosphere. In fact, we can't wait to eat there again.

The Spa at the Chatham Bars Inn is a destination in itself. The 4,000-sq-ft. facility offers The Full Monty of pampering pleasures, including massages, facials, scrubs and wraps in a showstopping setting complete with Zen gardens, tranquil pools and a sleek interior. Try the new Cranberry Crush that uses organic cranberries harvested locally, or the 'pedicure journey' that uses a masque of Indonesian ginger. Prestige brand Kerstin Florian has customized a private-label line for the spa, which also carries Dibi, a cult favorite that is the most popular skincare in Italy.

Covering an area of approximately seventeen square miles, the historic village of Chatham sits on the "elbow" of Cape Cod. With Nantucket Sound to the South, the Atlantic Ocean to the East, and Pleasant Bay winding in and around to the North, Chatham is surrounded by nearly 70 miles of shoreline. At the heart is a picturesque town full of life, a charming balance of past and present. Cool summers, beautiful warm Indian summers and relatively mild winters make it a wonderful place to visit year-round.