It’s a luxe summer camp for adults — with a very grown-up price tag.
At just six rooms, Greenport, L.I.’s exclusive Lin Beach House hotel isn’t your ordinary sleepaway.
Instead, the elite boutique property, situated in a renovated 1800s-era building, steps from the water bills itself as an immersive experience unlike any other — one that’s setting guests back upwards of $6,000 a night for a group of six.
Want some liquor? It’s made in-house, for the taking whenever you want to knock one back — they’ll even teach you how to make your own.
The succulent fish you’ll feast on for dinner will have been caught in Greenport Harbor earlier that day — often on a fishing excursion organized just for you.
And the scrumptious breakfast spreads each morning are prepared by Michelin-star caliber chefs — who also teach cooking classes to guests.
Over the top? That’s the point — and it doesn’t come cheap.
To afford the shocking $12,000 two-night rate, since the Lin can only be reserved for full-house buyouts, eager guests will need to find at least five other people they’re willing to spend a short weekend with who don’t mind paying $1,000 a night.
It’s a nightly rate comparable to beloved hour-away hotspots like Gurney’s in Montauk or East Hampton newcomer, Hedges Inn.
But the difference is that those bougie stays fall short on offering the unique, yet intentional experience the Lin does, which the owners say was inspired by an “old hospitality model” — one popularized in Europe long ago.
“The idea of a place like ours is a lot more predominant in other parts of the world. In Italy, agriturismos, where guests stay at farms and working vineyards, [are] a very big thing there,” Leslie Merinoff Kwasnieski, who runs the Lin with her husband Brian, told The Post. “We don’t really have it that much in the States.”
“While I know the price tag is high, it’s really all inclusive, she added.
Now, the worldly pair is bringing this top-dollar taste of the good life to the North Fork — and clued-in coastal types are flocking to the area for a sampling.
A unique Long Island experience
Upon booking a stay, guests are welcomed with a curated weekend itinerary — and many optional (quite pricey) add-ons, because according to Merinoff Kwasnieski, what guests pay for in the base price is the eating and drinking. (Which includes a not too shabby farm-fresh menu of freshly baked strawberry and rhubarb tarts for breakfast, chicken sandwiches and local candies for lunch, fish-focused dinners and a “dedicated bartender that makes seasonal drinks with our own spirits.”)
The luxe hotel has its own yacht, which lodgers can take for a two-hour $1,500 joy ride.
Want a massage to unwind from a stressful week? That’s another $275.
And so it goes.
The two-night minimum is intentional because over the course of three days, guests wanting reprieve from the hustle and bustle are immersed in various adult-friendly activities.
They have the option to go pound-trap fishing (a stationary method which uses poles and nets to catch fish) for that night’s dinner on the open waters, which, before you panic, is prepared and cooked to perfection by the property’s culinary director, Chef Meg Huylo, who studied in Paris and Spain, and has whipped up dishes everywhere from Portugal to Italy.
They can visit local farms and go foraging (if that floats their boat).
Hotel-goers can even create their own signature gin at the couple’s Greenport distillery, Matchbook Distilling Co, which is served at high-end Big Apple eateries like Eleven Madison Park.
Those craving less doing and more relaxing can opt for yoga, pilates, beach visits and guided walks through some of the North Fork’s top vineyards.
And for hungry foodies, the property offers cooking classes from Michelin-level chefs.
While the experiences were initially only offered to pros in the food and beverage business, this year Merinoff Kwasnieski has opened bookings to the public, as long as they’re prepared to pony up for a bespoke buy-out — which they seem more than happy to do.
Los Angeles resident, Pete St. Peter, had long heard about Merinoff Kwasnieski’s distillery, “so when I finally visited it and the Beach House, it was absolutely stunning. My jaw fell on the floor,” he said of his recent visit to the renovated 1800s-era building — which features details like the dining room floor made from the basketball court from a local high school, a chandelier hanging over the rustic lobby, and a hunting-themed room with the head of a prized deer on display.
“I thought it was such a unique experience and a reprieve from the chaos of the city,” the satisfied customer said.
Greenport rising
As many flock out east to set up shop, Merinoff Kwasnieski said she fell in love with Greenport at first sight.
“I remember taking the ferry, getting off and suddenly I’m in the most charming town,” she recalled.
“I saw all of these little restaurants, this cheese shop, and a bunch of little galleries. Very quickly, I’m like, ‘Wow, this is a fishing village that’s also an art village that’s also full of people who just love food and community.’”
The area’s profile has been rising for years — reaching a fever pitch more recently.
“The North Fork has been a hidden gem for so long and is finally having its moment,” Katie Salerno, a local who chronicles the area on social media, told The Post.
“I used to have to explain to people that it’s the ‘anti-Hamptons’ at the end of Long Island, but now people are more familiar with the area,” she said.
“The price of hotels and lodging has gotten steep, especially in the high season. It’s hard to find an affordable room anywhere east of Riverhead.”
Merinoff Kwasnieski founded Matchbook out here a decade ago.
Instead of creating run-of-the-mill libations like tequila or vodka, Matchbook quickly shot to acclaim thanks to a huge roster of unique flavors, including amaros made from blueberries, strawberries and squash, all made locally at an expansive distillery, with another made with leftover bread from Brooklyn’s She Wolf Bakery.
“I think in general I’m just awestruck by the natural world,” she told The Post. “It’s fleeting in the sense that moment by moment and season by season looks and smells so different than the next. The closer you take it in, the more you see, and the more you appreciate it.”
Through that lens, she developed the idea of the immersive Beach House stay. “I spent a lot of time when I was growing up visiting countries in Africa, whether it be a month in Rwanda or Uganda,” she recalled of her globe-trotting formative years.
“I’d visit places where agriculture, food and community are not just a part of life, but they’re central to it.”
“I think it’s great that visitors are starting to appreciate what the region has to offer,” said Salerno, who visited the Lin last summer.
“We are looking forward to seeing how they use the space moving forward. Their cocktails were one-of-a-kind, a creative blend of unique liquors you can’t find anywhere else.”
“One thing I love about the Lin is that they’re doing stuff to help and shine a light on the local community,” happy guest St. Peter added.
“They are all about what’s going on around them and as a result, everything they do is really special. Leslie has a fun brain to be inside of.”
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