22 Best Hotels in Long Island, New York

Outstanding service and stylish interiors are two high points at this luxury hotel, in operation since 1874. The complex has several buildings; the newest was completed in the 1980s. Charles Lindbergh, who slept here the night before his transatlantic flight, is one of the hotel's many illustrious guests. The Polo Restaurant, a popular special-occasion venue, serves refined American fare with contemporary touches.

Victorian elegance defines this hotel dating from 1846, a three-story brick-facade house with a white-pillared porch that looks out onto Main Street. Each guest room has turn-of-the-20th-century antiques and spacious bathrooms with whirpool baths. An on-site restaurant and bar inhabit four intimate, antiques-filled rooms, including a front room with a Steinway piano (and a pianist Wednesday through Sunday in July and August) and a bar room that attracts a sophisticated crowd.

Off the beaten path and a world away from the Hamptons "scene," this down-to-earth yet nicely appointed motel on a pretty waterfront spot in Hampton Bays is popular with families and couples. Rooms have wooden floors and a contemportary homey feel; all include microwaves, small refrigerators, and coffee makers, and some have kitchenettes. There's an outdoor pool and barbecue area, and boat slips are available. Several restaurants, a popular weekend nightclub, and a beach are within walking distance, and water-sports rentals are right next door. Cottages accommodating four guests are fully updated with full kitchens, flat-screen TVs, and all the comforts of home. If you're missing anything, the friendly staff will help you find what you need.

This beachy little hotel, steps away from the bars, restaurants, and shops of Ocean Beach and a four-minute walk from the ocean, offers basic, clean rooms in the heart of this popular and touristy Fire Island community. Here you won't find too many frills, but it will give you just what you need for a summer vacation, right down to the complimentary beach chairs and towels. Breakfast is served on a lovely garden-like sundeck. Catering to a grown-up crowd, the minimum age to stay here is 25.

Stepping off the ferry at Ocean Beach, you practically fall into Clegg's Hotel, in the center of town and a five-minute walk from the beach, and this is authentic, no-frills Fire Island. Fashioned after a sailors' rooming house, it has the feel of a college residence, but details like a flower painted on each door—done 20 years ago by a now locally famous artist—give it a touch of charm. Rooms are basic and clean; studios have water or garden views and private bathrooms, and regular rooms face the garden and share four bathrooms. Owner Tyler Streck takes pride in his place, started by his grandfather Eugene "Gene" Clegg in 1946, and welcomes guests like family. He provides bikes, beach gear and board games and avoids having TVs or clocks in the rooms to encourage carefree bonding time.

This inn near a marina on the harbor has spacious rooms with antiques and views of Long Island Sound. The nautical-themed rooms are techie-friendly with iPod docking stations and flat-screen televisions. Guests can enjoy the sea breeze while multitasking or relaxing on the plush sofas. Some guest rooms have fireplaces and balconies.

The accomodations are not fancy and it's not cheap, but what you're getting is a location right on the beach in the Hamptons and a low-key atmosphere for a relaxed getaway "free of attitude and ego." Some rooms have ocean views, and some are adjoining, which are a great option for families and larger parties. Bicyles are complimentary, as are the weekend yoga classes and tennis courts. The on-site restaurant, Saltwater Grill, has live music on weekends. Memberships for the pool and facilities are available.

This modern hotel on five landscaped acres is a pleasant 15-minute walk from the ocean or town and attracts young people, and its amenities for kids make it a good choice for families too. A large heated swimming pool, kiddie pool, barbecue area with outdoor seating, and children's play area create places for vacationers to relax between shopping and sightseeing.

On two acres in the Shinnecock Hills, 5 miles west of downtown Southampton, this unassuming motel offers efficiencies with full kitchens, contemporary furniture, and free Wi-Fi; a deluxe room can accommodate families. It also features a pool, tennis courts, basketball hoop, and barbecue area.

This hotel more than ably demonstrates how an inspired touch can really transform a 1950s motel into a sleek, minimalist lodging—and it's not just down to the cool, modern color scheme. Rooms are spacious, with light-wood platform beds, graphic rugs, and metal accents, and bathrooms are large and right up to date. a block from the waterfront. Cuvee is the on-site farm-to-table restaurant and bar, open in high season for dinner Thursday–Sunday and brunch Friday–Sunday. There's an outdoor pool.

Attracting a high-end clientele, including city dwellers seeking a luxury North Fork getaway, most rooms at this three-story, gray-and-white inn have balconies, some with harbor views. All rooms have high-speed Internet access and flat-screen TVs. Interiors are contemporary and bright, with cherrywood furniture, leather armchairs, and light-color carpeting. Down comforters and Frette linens outfit the beds. For a really big splurge, you might consider the Terrace Suite; at 800 square feet, it's double the size of the regular rooms, and it has a 1,000-square-foot deck.

This two-story motel is steps from the dunes and the beach, just across the two-lane Old Montauk Highway. The bright, clean, one- and two-room suites have full kitchens and ocean views. You can walk the seaside path to town and restaurants or splash around in the heated pool.

Near Gosman's Dock and Montauk Harbor, this boutique hotel brings a little bit of chic to Montauk without going over the top. Rooms are bright and airy, with comfortable beds, white bed linens, and splashes of color from Aztec-style rugs. You can lounge around the outdoor pool by day and cozy up to the firepit at night. Several apartment-style efficiencies with kitchenettes can accommodate the entire family. Custom Sole' cruiser bikes provide perfect transportation to nearby beaches.

Close to major East End attractions and at the beginning of Long Island's wine country, this boutique hotel has plenty of amenities and activities right on-site. The casually elegant restaurant features local musicians, and there's a large outdoor pool area, fitness center, weekend yoga classes in-season, on-site spa, and a friendly staff eager to please. It nicely blends the sort of luxury amenities you'd expect of a large hotel chain, down to its Aveda bath products, with a decidedly local feel.

All rooms at this motel overlook Peconic Bay and its sandy beach, and its quiet spot right on the water allows endless opportunities for swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding (fee), and fishing. The family-friendly apartments and suites, furnished in a contemporary style, are especially roomy, and some units have full kitchens. Its location makes it a great base for exploring the North Fork's wineries, farms, shopping, and dining. When booking this property, it's best to call, as prices drop when you book multiple nights.

Hanging baskets of flowers and picnic tables on the deck invite you to relax and enjoy the charm of this in-town two-story inn with sea views, a half block from the ocean. Staff is welcoming and helpful. Some rooms have whirlpool baths and more than one bathroom, and all are well maintained and clean.

Affordable, comfortable accommodations and a Shinecock Bay beach right across the street have garnered a loyal band of repeat guests for this family-run motel, and rooms with kitchens, on-site pool, and playground make it a good family choice. Some rooms have Jacuzzi tubs, and all rooms have a small porch or balcony.

On arrival at this boutique hotel you are greeted by velvet ropes and a red carpet, because here everyone is a V.I.P. The hotel, with a main building and additional cottages and suites scattered around town, is about down-to-earth luxury and comforts like marshmallowy soft beds and fully-equipped kitchens. It's a hip scene without being "a scene." Perfect for family celebrations or a friends' weekend, many rooms can be configured to accommodate large parties—the presidential penthouse accomodates up to 10 people (reserve well in advance), and many outdoor seating areas include one bayside with barbecues and kayaks. Outdoor movies are screened.

Across from the marina and within walking distance of Main Street, this two-story hotel has simple but spacious rooms, each with a sitting area and French doors leading out to a patio or balcony for views over the harbor or the pool. The Simmons Beautyrest matresses are all fairly new, and although bedspreads are on the older side, they're spotless. All rooms have flat-screen TVs. The breakfast room and promenade deck have harbor views.

Not all motels have to be about 1950s kitsch, and rooms in this one have chunky, country-style furniture and accessories that work well with highly polished wood floors, floral drapes, crisp white window sheers, and lacy white bed linens. Formerly known as the Enclave Inn, this one-story motel and its tree-filled grounds are just minutes from the Hampton Jitney bus stop and a few miles from area beaches.

An international crowd has flocked to this trendy hotel ever since celebrity hotelier Andre Balazs (of Los Angeles's Chateau Marmont and SoHo's Mercer) opened it in the late 1990s. Each retro-style guest room has a sundeck that looks out over the parking lot to the water. The beachfront French bistro–style restaurant provides the best people-watching around, and a great place to relax with a cocktail and enjoy the lingering sunset.

This modern two-story motel was built on a rise so that each room would have an ocean view from its private terrace, and it's popular with couples and families for its proximity to the beach and Hither Hills State Park. Most rooms have been nicely updated with wood floors and simple, modern furniture that suits is surroundings. Although the word "resort" is in its name, don't expect a luxury resort experience where you'll be pampered with service, activities, and amenities. Here it's simply all about the beach.