Home to two universities and a number of internationally-recognized businesses (GE, anyone?), it's surprising that up until very recently, Fairfield hasn't offered much in the way of hotels.
Out-of-town wedding guests and meeting attendees have been forced to bunk in rooms at a sprinkling of motor inns and motels that leave quite a bit to be desired, but no longer. Since the opening of the posh new Delamar Hotel in Southport, you can now invite your fashionista friend living in Paris to visit without fretting about her digs.
Turn onto Old Post Road by Switzer's Pharmacy and it won't be long before you come across a charming white clapboard New England-style building, across from the new Gray Goose Restaurant (formerly The WineKnot.) This complex, originally intended as a super-luxe condo community, fell victim to the bad economy and was shuttered for some time before the Greenwich Hospitality Group took it over and transformed it into the Delamar Hotel. Following the success of their Greenwich harborfront property, the group saw an opportunity to build a luxury property in northern Fairfield County and pounced on it.
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Its sister property, the Delamar Greenwich, has already made a name for itself as a top property with a prime harbor location and a hotspot restaurant (L'Escale), and the Southport hotel is expected to gain a similar following very quickly. "We've already had a few sold-out weekends," said Gary Mitchell, vice president of sales and marketing.
You will step back in time, quite literally, when you enter the Delamar Hotel. The lobby, located up the stairs, is paved in creamy 2,000-year-old tile imported from Jerusalem. A high-backed chocolate brown sofa has a bit of a glamorous Alice in Wonderland look, while a fireplace sets a warm tone. It's more "intimate living room" than grand lobby so don't expect to plunk down and while away the afternoon people watching, but it's welcoming and warm.
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From hand-stenciled walls and triple-paned windows to artwork hailing from local galleries, God is definitely in the details at this pedigreed property. There are 45 unique rooms and suites at the Delamar. Fine Italian bed linens, Elemis or Bulgari bath products, flat panel high-definition televisions, iPod docking stations - the creature comforts are endless. While all rooms have a slightly different decor, there is a definitive style at this elegant hotel - a sort of glammed-up version of classic Yankee sensibility.
The three-bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom Presidential Suite, of which there are two, is drop-dead gorgeous. It looks and feels like the home of a well-traveled (and well-heeled) bon vivant. Unique decorative accessories (including a handmade armoire crafted from the antique crates that once held the lobby's tiles), a full kitchen that would make a gourmand drool and spacious bedrooms offering extreme privacy make these two accommodations the piece de resistance. Don't worry if you can't fork over that kind of cash, since the deluxe and superior rooms still offer a taste of the good life.
The weekend rate for superior rooms (two adults, no kids) is $279 a night, while the weekend rate for deluxe rooms is $239 a night. The weekend rate for a junior suite is $549 a night, and the weekend rate for a presidential suite is $1,750 a night, according to the Delamar's Web site.
The Delamar has a fitness room and private spa (open to guests by appointment only.) The restaurant, slated to open later this fall, will be similar to the Greenwich spot (minus the water views.) The outdoor landscaped patio (still under construction) will serve as the overflow for the restaurant, which will serve three meals daily in addition to room service. Since the restaurant is not open, the Delamar currently serves a breakfast buffet in one of the event rooms, and guests are encouraged to walk across the street to the new Gray Goose for lunch and dinner.
If you simply can't bear checking out of this palatial hotel, channel a little bit of Eloise and rent one of the one-, two-, or three-bedroom residences located within the hotel's complex.
The Delamar Hotel
275 Old Post Road, Southport
203-259-2800
