For most people, Long Island is known for its Great Gatsby summers—champagne, stars, bright sunny days, large luxurious homes, the Sound in one direction and the Atlantic Ocean in the other. However, Long Island does exist for all four seasons of the calendar year and the Topping Rose House, located in Bridgehampton, is out to prove it.
Owners Bill Campbell and Simon Critchell were very familiar with the unique history of the property. Originally built in 1842, the house was a private residence belonging to Judge Abraham Topping Rose. It didn’t change owners until the 1930’s when it went through various incarnations as a restaurant, inn and retail space. Mr. Campbell explained that after “culling through these usages” he was “inspired to create [the establishment] we have today.” He and Mr. Critchell intend to “honor the history” of the house when it opens as a hotel in the Spring of 2013.
How will they honor the history? With the help of general manager Jeff Morgan, who is a veteran of the hotel business. Mr. Morgan’s most recent experience was managing Parrot Cay & COMO Shambhala Retreat in Turks & Caicos and Jade Mountain in St. Lucia and he intends to bring lessons from the Caribbean to Long Island’s east end. “When visiting the Caribbean,” Mr. Morgan said, “guests were looking to escape from the stress of their day to day lives. They were pampered at every opportunity in order to enjoy every second away from the ‘real’ world. And we will strive to provide the same oasis for our guests.”
The Topping Rose House is set to be the only full-service, luxury hotel in the Hamptons with a unique combination of features: guest rooms, restaurant, bar room, spa, fitness center, heated lap pool, two indoor event spaces and an operating farm, which provides produce for the restaurant. Each room will feature luxury standards such as Naturopathica bath products, bathrobes by Chadsworth & Haig, Matouk bath towels, and Frette bed linen.
Mr. Morgan expects that the Cottage One Bedroom Suites will stand out the most, as guests staying in those rooms will have access to their own private roof terrace, which provides scenic views of the property. The terraces will have tables and chairs so guests can enjoy full room service from the restaurant while sitting beneath the stars.
While the Hamptons are known primarily as a summer hot spot, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Critchell and Mr. Morgan anticipate the Topping Rose House will become a year-round destination. They are already planning on using the event spaces to hold functions such as yoga retreats and art shows throughout the year. “With our level of service,” Mr. Morgan explained, “we believe that people will come to travel to Topping Rose House to take a quick break from their daily lives rather than to travel a longer distance to a warmer destination.”
With history and luxury crossing paths on Long Island’s east end, why shouldn’t they?
Photo courtesy of Tim Street Porter.
