Sole East Resort

"Why book? If you’re looking for a St.Tropez-inspired, kick-your-feet-up kind of getaway, head to Montauk’s Solé East Resort. Like most East End properties, the hotel is seasonal, and open through the end of October. The resort offers a unique kind of glamour in its simplicity—where hip meets luxe and beachy meets chic. With bungalow-style rooms in an American Tudor building, the location is conveniently only a 5-minute walk from both the beach and a mile from Montauk’s downtown village area. Set the Scene For what it is, the hotel arrives modestly. Natural sunlight awaits guests in the lobby, complemented by a sand-colored interior. To your left: surfboards resting adjacent to the fireplace. Dead ahead: a doorway next to the lobby desk, leading to the vast and well-manicured 2.5-acre backyard. From there, a walkway of green bamboo leads the way to great things: from lush lawns, pool beds, and hammocks to a second property, home to their restaurant and garden cabana suites. The resort governs itself; by day, poolside games and activities for all ages, and by night, a firepit to gather round for a wholesome nightcap. The space is humbly vast, and it’s a hot destination for lively guests to celebrate. The backstory Solé East Resort opened back in 2006, when owner Dave Ceva came across the property when visiting Montauk on a surf trip. Already involved in real estate development work, Ceva and a business partner were looking to invest in property in Miami and Hoboken. After stumbling upon the property that was in dire need of renovation, the market quickly changed in 2008 and led Ceva to the classic real estate investment crossroads: to give the property back to the bank or make it work. At that point, Ceva committed to the renovation and moved to Montauk with his family, who have since poured their hearts into the resort—his wife curates well-known special events, and his children are employed as staff. The Ceva family looks forward to their annual off-season renovations, including their newest extensive plan of re-launching their backdoor restaurant for a Summer 2024 opening. The rooms The two-floor property has 60 rooms, all recently renovated and designed with attention to detail in the places that matter. Their simple addition go a long way and scream “rejuvenation,” whether it’s ocean photography frames that hang above-bed, or chic, pop-of-color throw pillows that contrast with the all white interior. A choice of one king bed or two twins, all of the (180-200 square feet) rooms include Simmons pillow-top mattresses with 300 thread-count Italian linens. Another option is the 7 garden suite cabana rooms in the outdoor property. These rooms are favored by guests who prefer more privacy and space, as well as easy open garden access (at 500 square feet.) Whether coming from the pool or out-and-about, heading back to the rooms at Solé is a perfect cherry-on-top to the day. After a refreshing, standing, glass shower, guests have the option to purchase a bottle of wine or cocktail from the backyard bar as a to-go treat. The perfect recipe: sips of one of their finest wines in the comfort of a ridiculously cozy white Solé robe. Food and drink Top tier in convenience and style is Solé’s Backyard Restaurant. A separate property from the accommodations, just left of the pool, the hub opens its doors 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Backyard menu offers fresh American dishes, a raw bar, poolside options, and chef dinner specials that vary each night. Though renovating for 2024, the restaurant will forever hold this light open-air vibe along with a fully stocked bar. For a swanky dinner, drive 4 minutes along the water to Maverick’s Montauk. Re-launching for business this past summer, the sleek restaurant debuted a totally new– and absolutely mouthwatering, dining experience for the East End. With a west-ward facing location along Fort Pond, a reservation during sunset is highly recommended. Thanks to a collaboration between Architecture Outfit and Damon Liss Design, the space holds a coastal luxury design where large windows naturally illuminate the room, darkening as day turns to night. Maverick’s dinner and extensive wine menu was curated by Managing Partner Vanessa Price, Wine Director of Wildflower Farms, an Auberge Resort Hotel, and James Beard-nominated chef Jeremy Blutstein. The selections reimagine the traditional steakhouse, with a wide variety of local Montauk seafood and produce. The neighborhood/area If you wish to venture outside of the resort, the property is in a prime location. There’s a fleet of beach cruiser rental bikes to cycle to either the ocean or bay beach, both only around a quarter mile away. It’s a 5-minute walk to the heart of the village– and the classic journey to the Montauk Lighthouse is a less than 15 minute drive. For golfers, it’s 2 miles to Montauk Downs Golf Course; for saloon-lovers, a 7 minute drive to cash-only classic joint The Dock. The property is within a mile of the LIRR station. The service Poolside to dining-in, the food service is on-point with timing and hospitality. For any questions, ranging from recommendations for hitting the town to extra amenities needed, the lobby desk was always readily available and seemed genuinely happy to help. Another rejuvenating plus is the resort’s tranquil area called the Zen Den—a massage room with in-house masseuse service. During the summer, the resort offers outdoor movie screening, open-air and aquatic exercise classes, as well as indoor and outdoor yoga and meditation. The Solé team is especially on-it when it comes to visibility when booking with respect to event planning. As a major destination for outdoor parties ranging from pop-up shops for local vendors to off-season wedding celebrations, the team informs guests of any events on the agenda before booking, so each stay is suitable to visitor preferences. For families There’s a spark of “happening” at this resort—and as much as the DJ pool parties out back are charismatic and lively, it doesn’t necessarily take away from those who want a different experience. The vast acres of open space, along with poolside games and hammocks next to the fireplace, all cater the space as a great resort for traveling families. The oversized pool beds do wonders for traveling parents with tons of pool ‘stuff,’ and because there is plenty of space, it doesn’t feel over-bearing when little ones are roaming about. Through the well-kept grounds and garden areas, there’s room for everyone to run and play. I will say, if looking for more of a quiet getaway, check with the friendly staff to see what kind of events might be on for the duration of your stay. Eco effort The Backyard Restaurant is 100% straw-less, uses only compostable plastic, and sources sustainable dishes, especially in preparing their fish and raw bar. As a part of their renovation for 2024, the resort will no longer be offering single-serve bathroom amenities. For example, instead of plastic-packaged shower products, they are installing refill product holders that will be mounted to the wall. Accessibility Each of the rooms are climate controlled with in-wall A/C units noted to be ADA compliant rooms, including remote controls for easier use. The resort is pet-friendly, with dogs-only allowed. If a pup (or two) joins the reservation, guests must alert the hotel in advance and pay an additional fee of $300. Anything left to mention? The events. All summer long, the resort hosts live entertainment every Saturday. Mostly booking local musicians, there’s also a range of 4-6 national acts during in-season, where bigger names performers play, including this year’s St. Lucia concert. During these events, all hotel and dining guests are guaranteed entry. Weddings are only available to book during the off-season months of May, June, September and October. Last but not least is a notorious celebration of Solé: their go-out-with-a-bang bash. Every year, at the end of October, the resort hosts a Halloween party with a live DJ, free bar food and drink specials, to mark the season’s end. The 2023 celebration is on October 26th– note, if you arrive in a costume, you are eligible to win a weekend stay." - Jessica Chapel

"Located within the beautiful gardens of Sole East Resort, Backyard serves Mediterranean dishes (like grilled octopus, cavatelli, and lots of dips) throughout the sprawling property. They also do both poolside dining and live music (including reggae on Thursdays and jazz brunch on Sundays)." - Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Team Infatuation