These in East Hampton, N.Y., preferring every part from a quiet breakfast to late evening desk service are in luck. After final summer time’s drama, by which Scott Sartiano tried to purchase The Hedges Inn and make it right into a Hamptons outpost of Zero Bond, a lot to the dismay of locals, new proprietors have taken possession — and so they plan to maintain a lot of what makes the resort beloved the identical.
Andrew and Sarah Wetenhall, house owners of The Colony Lodge in Palm Seashore, Fla., since 2016, have bought The Hedges Inn from the Cumming household, with plans to be open after some minor updates for this coming summer time season.
Sarah Wetenhall says it’s arduous to think about one thing that isn’t interesting about proudly owning the property, which was initially inbuilt 1873 and is listed on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations in East Hampton.
“It’s ideally located because the closest inn to Fundamental Seashore in East Hampton, but additionally strolling distance to the village. Its location, its historic nature and albeit its untapped potential to be open and of service to the group are actually what attracted us,” she says. “It’s the cornerstone of East Hampton village. In plenty of methods, it jogged my memory of The Colony and its outstanding place proper within the village. There are plenty of similarities.”
The Cummings and the Wetenhalls have identified one another for years, having been related by mutual associates. Regardless of working The Colony in Florida, the Wetenhalls are very a lot a part of the Hamptons group, having lived between New York, Palm Seashore, Fla., and Sag Harbor for many years. Sarah is on the board of the Southampton Hospital Basis, is a member of the Girls Village Enchancment Society and is a trustee of the East Hampton Historic Society, Andrew can be on the board of the Southampton Hospital Affiliation.
Ultimately, their friendship with the Cummings became a dialog across the buy of the resort.
“The Hedges has lengthy been greater than only a property; it has been a cherished a part of our household historical past, crammed with reminiscences and experiences that span over 30 years,” says John Cumming. “As we transition into a brand new chapter, it’s of nice private significance to entrust this legacy to somebody with deep appreciation for the distinctive attraction and historical past of East Hampton to make sure that the essence of The Hedges might be maintained. The Wetenhall household exceeds that want. Beneath their stewardship, I’m assured that The Hedges won’t solely maintain its historic significance but additionally evolve to satisfy the wants and expectations of each locals and vacationers.”
Sarah and Andrew Wetenhall
Courtesy of Capeheart Images
“I’m thrilled that Sarah and Andrew Wetenhall have bought The Hedges Inn and might be bringing their experience and dedication to excellence to our city, simply as they’ve carried out with their great resort in Palm Seashore,” provides Jerry Larson, the mayor of East Hampton Village. “I eagerly anticipate working carefully with them, each now and within the years forward, to make sure that this historic gem continues to be a supply of satisfaction and delight for all, preserving its legacy as one of many Village of East Hampton’s most treasured landmarks.”
Within the 5 months earlier than Memorial Day, the Wetenhalls plan to do some minor modifications to the resort, with just a few extra intensive updates deliberate for after the summer time 2025 season.
“Our plans are, frankly, to make it the perfect model of what it already is,” Sarah Wetenhall says. “The historic nature of The Hedges is so key to the historical past of East Hampton village. So we hope in fact to protect it, to revive it just a little bit and to make it of service to the group.”
They plan to open a three-meal-a-day restaurant, which Wetenhall says is tough to search out in East Hampton, in addition to convey hits from The Colony, like their trivia evening, to The Hedges.
“It’s a giant hit and we really feel just like the group members of East Hampton might be excited to expertise a few of these comparable issues,” she says.
“We received’t be making any bodily modifications essentially to the property prematurely of opening [this summer],” Wetenhall provides. “We’ll be coming in with our employees and working our wonderful luxurious hospitality expertise on the present bodily vegetation for the summer time season of 2025.”
After Labor Day, they’ll shut all the way down to do some restoring to the visitor rooms — “I wouldn’t name it a renovation, I feel that’s frankly sort of too large of a phrase,” Wetenhall says. “We’re going to be refreshing the visitor rooms, bogs, portray, carpeting, including new furnishings, making it look lovely.”
Beforehand, The Hedges’ eating choices weren’t open to the general public, so Wetenhall is happy to convey The Colony’s hospitality contact, which has earned them the excellence of number-one resort in Florida by Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Selection Awards. Providing a full service restaurant can be in line with the inn’s historical past.
“Should you dig again into the historical past, Mrs. Caroline Hedges was identified for her breakfast,” Wetenhall says. “She used to at all times provide these scrumptious breakfasts to her friends, and so we’re actually eager to, in that spirit, provide breakfast, lunch and dinner, which is a rarity in East Hampton village.”