At 21 Broad Street, Nantucket, island charm and current style combine. It’s that easy Nantucket vacation where you are near everything you might want, mornings are slow and unhurried, and evenings go on for longer than you expected. Only a few steps from downtown Nantucket’s cobbled streets, 21 Broad Street is exactly this kind of break, pairing up modern design with the laid-back beat of island living.
As soon as you go in, 21 Broad doesn’t feel like a typical Nantucket inn. The rooms are full of colour, with furniture made specifically for the house and amusing touches in the design – all of which gives the place character, yet doesn’t compromise on being cosy. Each room is carefully planned, all the way to the bathroom which is like a spa, with steam showers that turn a quick wash into something to look forward to.
You won’t have to do much arranging for breakfast. It’s included, but it’s more of a carefully chosen selection of foods than you’d find at a normal hotel. Local yoghurt, small quiches, new pastries, and cold brew coffee on tap get your day going. Then Nantucket is right outside your door. You could cycle on the island’s trails, walk to the beaches close by, or look around the town, going into small shops, art galleries and cafes.
Actually, one of the best ways to get to know Nantucket is to be there midweek. You get a quicker flight in with Cape Air, and you land on a quieter island. It’s the same lovely atmosphere and scenery, but with a bit more space. It’s simpler to get a table at a restaurant, the shops are more relaxed, and you almost have the cycle paths all to yourself.
At 21 Broad, in the evenings people tend to gather on the covered veranda or around the firepit to exchange their experiences of the day, or just enjoy the cool evening breeze. You can be sociable if you want, or have peace and quiet – the hotel is the sort of place that lets you decide what your break is like.
Lots of people think of Nantucket as a place to go in the summer, but 21 Broad does a good job of showing why you should go at other times of the year too. Autumn has cool air and golden sunlight, and spring is a peaceful way to get your energy back before the summer visitors arrive. Whatever the season, the hotel offers a stay that’s fashionable, comfortable and typically Nantucket, but with a more up-to-date outlook.
21 Broad makes the island feel both known and new at the same time, and that might just be the very best kind of holiday.