What it is

A 120-room Cape Cod darling with a beachfront pool and 18-hole course beloved by Golf Digest.

What it isn't

Just for grown-ups. They’ve put the “We” in “Wequassett” with their kids offerings, including cooking classes, scavenger hunts and a mini water park themed after a pirate ship.

What we think

There’s a reason this place is renowned as the best wedding venue on Cape Cod: it’s charming enough to wow every generation, from eagle-eyed mothers’-in-law to the most persnickety moneyed grandparents. Which is why staying there when it’s not your wedding day is even better—you can soak up all the splendor in peace. Beachfront guest rooms are fitted with gas fireplaces, marble bathrooms with air jet soaking tubs, Molton Brown bath products and floor-to-ceiling windows that peep out on Pleasant Bay or Round Cove. Insiders love the second story suites known as The Villas Premier, which have vaulted cathedral ceilings and decks facing manicured gardens. The resort has five restaurants with something for everyone; we love Zagat-favorite Twenty Eight Atlantic, where you can tuck into lobster and tarragon ravioli with vanilla poached salsify served on Limoges china, under twinkling hand-blown chandeliers.

You're here because

The resort straddles the immaculately groomed Cape Cod National Golf Club, an 18-hole championship course designed by Brian Silva.

The Moment

After an afternoon on the links, it started to pour, a summer squall that left you hankering for a fireside tumbler of single malt scotch. Blessedly, Wequassett has just the thing: Thoreau’s, a clubby bolthole with baby soft tufted leather chairs facing the flickering flames. After a few sips you splurge on a chocolate mousse layer cake and feel a second wind coming on. Maybe a round in the rain would be magical? Everything else here is.

Restaurants & Bars

Twenty-Eight Atlantic - Native, seasonal ingredients with creative flair prepared by Chef James Hackney

The Verandahs - Alfresco setting on a seasonal basis

Outer Bar & Grille - Seasonal seafood prepared by Chef James Hackney

Thoreau's - Extensive wine list, and a wide selection of Martinis and specialty cocktails

LiBAYtion - Beachfront bar offering the best water views on Cape Cod

Location

On Cape Cod’s proverbial elbow in the storybook town of Harwich, Massachusetts, just upshore from the tranquil, creek-fed cove of Jacknife Beach. Exploring Cape Cod National Seashore is a must, especially in the off-season, when you’ll very likely have it all to yourself.