Hamptons on a Budget: Accommodations

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We decided to leave tonight and head out to the east end of Long Island. I've been thinking about going out there all summer but just hadn't put any definite plans together.

I try to get back to Long Island once a year. I grew up in Quogue, a little town just east of Westhampton Beach. I have family out there and it's important to me that my sons know them. I also get a kick out of showing them the house I grew up in, the schools I went to, where I had my first job, etc.

We got a call today that my grandmother is not feeling so well, so tonight's the night. We'll pack a cooler full of food, a couple of suitcases and hit the road. She's in her 90's and I don't want to risk not being about to see her again.

Doing the Hamptons for a cheapskate like myself is a little challenging. Actually, if you're looking for a budget Hamptons vacation, I would suggest Cape Cod instead. The Cape reminded me a lot of the eastern end of Long Island, only it was much more affordable.

However if you absolutely must visit the Hamptons, my best budget tip is to go during the week. There are many inns, hotels and motels that discount their rates for Sunday-Thursday nights. A few places offer cheaper rates if you get there the last week in June.

In the past several years we stayed at The Atlantic Terrace in Montauk (www.atlanticterrace.com). This place has a fabulous location and is right on the beach. You can walk into town from the resort. They were undergoing a complete hotel renovation last time I was there. Make sure to request a renovated room in case the renovations aren't complete. The village of Montauk is past all the glitz and glamour of East Hampton but retains all the charm of a beach town. The rates here are a little lower too. At The Atlantic Terrace, you can get significant discounts if you arrive before June 28th. A standard room is $140/night and includes a kitchenette. After June 28, that rate raises by more than $100. I would definitely stay there again.

At the other end of the Hamptons, in the village of Quogue, I've stayed at The Inn at Quogue (www.innatquogue.com). They slash their rates 50% across the board for Sun-Thurs. stays. That puts their cheapest category of rooms at $87.50 a night. We once fit our entire family into one of those rooms. But in the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you that I was not impressed. The room had a lumpy king sized bed and a hard tile floor that just didn't look clean. What my children remember most about that place were the mosquitoes.

Here are a couple places I haven't stayed at yet, but I'd consider for a future trip:

The Sunset Bay Motel (www.gosunsetbay.com) in Hampton Bays. Midweek rates are a flat $100 and all their rooms have a small fridge.

The Budget Host Inn in Riverhead...although technically not in the Hamptons, it's close to Westhampton Beach and near the Tanger Outlets, which you should visit even if you don't stay in Riverhead. You can find their rates on Hotels.com or Travelocity.

Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of staying midweek this time around, and since this is a last minute trip I'm finding that most rooms are either booked or out of our price range. The best we could find (thanks to a good friend's tip) is the Wingate by Wyndham in Commack. They say they are an hour from the Hamptons, although Mapquest only puts them 50 minutes from Westhampton Beach. The rate for a Saturday night in high season is $162.97 after tax.

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Photos

The house I grew up in.
While in the Hamptons, we drove by my childhood home. The new owners have done lots of renovations. When I lived there it was only a one story house.

Comments

[Edward Kogan]

Try Riverhead
Why not stay in Riverhead instead of the Hamptons its only 20 minutes North of West Hampton Beach. Gives you easy accee ss to the North and South forks plus all that Riverhead has to offer. Outlet shopping, nascar racing, Water Parks, Aquarium, Resturants, and Now two new Hotels the Hilton Garden Inn and Holiday Inn Express. for more on Riverhead check out my Blog thanks Ed. http://travellongislandnewyork.blogspot.com

[P05]

In my experience, Ed, Riverhead has seedy motels I wouldn't want to stay in, or nicer places that are just as expensive as the Hamptons. Whenever I look into Riverhead accommodations I leave unsatisfied.