Cape Cod & the Islands resorts offer vacations with lavish comforts

Named one of the country’s top luxury hotels by TripAdvisor, the Nantucket Hotel & Resort has been welcoming guests to its special location close to beaches and downtown for over a century! A tradition of warm hospitality combined with modern amenities is why they return year after year. Stay in a cozy room, spacious suite or luxurious cottage (some accommodations have water views), dine on creative New England and international cuisine at Breeze, arrange for a massage or take a yoga class at the on-site Nantucket Club, stroll to the beach or soak in a heated pool or hot tub. Walk downtown’s cobblestone streets and check out its historic homes, intriguing shops and restaurants. Or, walk to scenic Brant Point Lighthouse.

Driving up to the Winnetu Oceanside Resort on Martha’s Vineyard, you’ll see right away why it was named among the top 25 New England resorts by Conde Nast Traveler. It’s the resort’s easy style, combining elegance with a sense of vacation fun. Stay in a roomy studio, expansive suite, townhouse, duplex or private home and enjoy resort amenities including tennis, bocce and pickle ball courts, a fitness center, yoga classes, outdoor heated pool and hot tub and supervised programs for children. Take a water taxi or shuttle into Edgartown for shopping and nightlife, or rent a bike and explore the island’s miles of trails. Stroll down to lovely South Beach to spend the day, then dine at Dunes restaurant, with the ocean in the background.

Fair warning: Book a room or suite at this fun resort in the heart of Cape Cod, and you might never want to leave. Spend your days in the huge water park with slides, wave pool, whirlpool and sauna as well as a little-tykes area. At night, take a dip in the year-round heated outdoor pool or enjoy dining on the deck or in one of two casual restaurants popular with locals and tourists. There’s a relaxing on-site spa, an arcade, basketball and pickle ball courts and special activities for kids (check the website calendar). A courtyard turns into a light show at night. Nearby activities include great beaches and shopping, museums, arts venues, golf, fishing and harbor cruises and ferries to the islands.

It won’t take long for you to see why guests return every year to the Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club, by the bay in beautiful Brewster. Accommodations, including breezy villas and exquisite mansion rooms, have amenities including private balconies with water views, whirlpool tubs, kitchenettes and dining rooms. There’s an on-site spa, fitness center, five sparkling pools, nine tennis and pickleball courts, and a spectacular 18-hole Nicklaus Design golf course. Dining ranges from sophisticated selections on the terrace to pub fare and by-the-beach lite bites. Plunk your umbrella on the private beach, go kayaking in a pond, go on a tour of oyster beds, listen to live entertainment or rent a bike and explore the nearby Cape Cod Rail Trail.