The end of summer is so bittersweet for me because I love spending those couple of months with my son before he heads back-to-school for another year. A few years ago we started spending the last week of summer together on holiday as one last hurrah before everything got a little crazy again with school, sports, work, and everything in between.
Martha’s Vineyard is a place we spent some of the summer for a couple of years, and we couldn’t wait to return. There was one place we had stayed before and absolutely adored and it was the Harbor View Hotel. We couldn’t wait to return, and our stay there was just as fabulous this time as the last!
I have so much to say about our trip, but first here’s a video of our stay this September.
We had such an amazing trip that it was hard to include everything in that video!
As you can see the Harbor View Hotel is absolutely stunning inside and out – and the view is incomparable. The porch views are so scenic that you find yourself sitting on the porch just taking in the view any chance you get.
For our stay we were in a Two Bedroom Captain’s Cottage that was more than enough space for our little family! Having a place to stay this fabulous really makes coming back to your room feel like heading home after a day of swimming and sight seeing. It was difficult to leave our Cottage because it was so comfortable. We had space to spread out with a living room and sitting area upstairs, two full bathrooms, laundry, and even a kitchenette.
Our son was so happy to have his own room AND bathroom! He set up shop in his own space and whenever we were in our Cottage he loved having his independence.
There were so many small details in our room that made our trip so much more special. We had left our sunglasses in different spots around the Cottage, and once we came back to our room there were little cases with sunglass cleaning cloths beside them! It was such a sweet little detail that we didn’t expect! All of our chargers were also in different outlets and the hotel staff came in and wrapped up our cords in hotel branded cases. I hadn’t seen anything like this done at a hotel or resort I’ve stayed at before, and it made us feel so special.
There were also umbrellas at the front door, and the kitchen was equipped with portable hand sanitizers, and water bottles we could use during our trip!
One of the best parts about staying at the Harbor View Hotel is that there is so much to do on the property that you don’t even need to leave.
There is so much to do in Martha’s Vineyard, but I have to admit sometimes we were reluctant to leave the hotel because our son loved just hanging out on the porch, playing the lawn games with his Dad, and swimming for hours in the pool.
When we did leave the hotel we spent a lot of time shopping and hanging out in Edgartown which was was an easy walk and less than ten minutes away, and we also decided to check out Katama Kitchen where we could have breakfast at the airfield, and we went to Island Alpaca as well – both were only a short Uber ride away. The hotel also offered a Mercedes on the property to borrow for up to three hours to tour the island on your own, or you could catch a ride on one of the electric golf carts into town as well!
Some of our favourite restaurants in Edgartown included Atlantic Restaurant, The Port Hunter, and the Seafood Shanty. Our favourite cafe’s included Behind the Bookstore, Among the Flowers, and Espresso Love!
We said to ourselves many times that it seemed impossible to find a bad meal in Edgartown!
We had dinner at Bettini at the hotel, and it was the highlight of our stay. The restaurant was buzzing every night which made us even more excited for our reservation! The menu was farm-and-sea to table, and their seasonal menu was fresh and delicious!
My husband started with the Clams Casino and then the Pepper Seared Yellowfin Tuna Steak, while I had the Local Heirloom Tomato Salad and the Lobster Ravioli. This was the best Lobster Ravioli I’ve ever had – I finished every bite and didn’t share one bit!
My son loved the fresh bread that came out so much that we had to order him more, and then he ate his pasta so quickly I couldn’t believe it.
Our week in Martha’s Vineyard was the perfect end to our summer, and as we noticed some of the leaves start to change for fall I thought about how gorgeous the island would be as the weather turned a bit cooler and all of the leaves started to fall.
We went home from our trip the most relaxed we had been all year, and I believe this was because every detail at the Harbor View Hotel was so meticulously thought of that it meant we really didn’t need to worry about a thing. Poolside there was always water, sunscreen and towels readily available, and our room had everything we needed from umbrellas, sanitizer, coffee, and and turndown service had little surprises like chocolates left bedside.
Never needing to leave the hotel is such a great feeling! We had Bettini for breakfast and dinner, and lunch at the Roxy Pool Bar was so easy because it was served right to our lounge chairs.
We loved spending evenings walking across the street to the Edgartown Lighthouse or for a walk on the beach, and sitting on the porch was our favourite thing to do in between.
If you are looking for a vacation where you don’t need to worry about a thing, then the Harbor View Hotel is where you want to be. The food was delicious, the views were incredible, the staff was so friendly and helpful, and the views were unmatched.
To learn more about the Harbor View Hotel in Martha’s Vineyard, visit their website here!
Thank you to the Harbor View Hotel for hosting our family!
Thank you to Golden Hour Photography for the gorgeous photos! They made up the majority of this blog post!
Items in this post may have been provided to me for review, but all opinions are fabulously my own.
I loved reading about your family’s end-of-summer stay at the Harbor View Hotel in Martha’s Vineyard! It reminded me of our trip when we took on the Kokoda Challenge as a family, finding joy in spending quality time together before the routine of school and work kicks back in. Both experiences highlight the importance of making unforgettable memories and appreciating the beauty around us.