The pandemic has meant the restoration project has taken longer than expected, but Shelter Island will finally return to its...
The pandemic has meant the restoration project has taken longer than expected, but Shelter Island will finally return to its most historic resort by Peconic Bay this summer.
On June 17, The Pridwin will begin receiving guests for the first time since November 2019. But it won’t be the exact same property that pre-pandemic guests might remember. The $28 million redevelopment on Crescent Beach by Curtis Bashaw’s Cape Resorts is an interior and exterior upgrade to the beloved but dilapidated hotel that opened in 1929.
The new Pridwin will feature 16 private cottages on seven acres, 49 rooms in the main building, a restored lobby and public areas, an elegant restaurant, and private beach and pool services.
Colleen Bashaw, vice president of design for Cape Advisors and sister of Curtis, created Pridwin’s new look. It retains the bones of the original structure and some of its fittings, but introduces modern designs to complement the historical elements. Three chandeliers salvaged from the 1927 dining room will be reinstalled in the restored Upper Hall.
The property aims to tap into Shelter Island’s growing demand for accommodation. The most famous hostel on the island, the famous Sunset Beach Hotel, has only 20 rooms.
Pridwin will have a more low-key vibe. It will likely attract new clientele to the limited-access island, which is only accessible by ferries from Sag Harbor in the Hamptons or from Greenport on the North Fork.
Bashaw’s Pridwin partner is the Petry family, who have owned and operated the resort since 1961.
“They have a huge legacy role,” Bashaw said.
Cape Resorts is the operating partner.
Bashaw planned to take over Pridwin almost three years ago but the project was unsurprisingly delayed by the arrival of the coronavirus.
He compared Pridwin’s revival to the reopening of Manhattan’s Chelsea Hotel by different developers.
“Like at Chelsea, we are bringing back a legacy. Pridwin was an icon but it hasn’t been renovated since the 1970s. We love restoring old places and this one has the old school charm and vibe,” he said.
Cape also owns the Barron’s Cove resort in Sag Harbor and several others in Cape May, New Jersey.
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