I emerged bleary-eyed from a 6:00 a.m. flight from Los Angeles to Boston, blinking at the late afternoon sun. The air, though, was pleasantly crisp, and the temperature was absolute perfection in that transitional weather that’s the perfect sweet spot between late summer and when fall was getting ready to swing into full foliage.

Though I had a small road trip ahead of me, I could not have been more excited to be heading towards one of my favorite places in the world: Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

The perfect seaside destination where I had summered for many years in the cutest Cape Cod beach towns. I didn’t think the Cape could feel any more magical of a place to me than it already did.

But I found Cape Cod to be even more spectacular during the sweater season, making me fall in love again, with a whole new perspective, and it was all thanks to one of the coziest, yet most elegant places I’ve ever stayed at while vacationing in the area.

After a jaunt from Boston Logan, I finally arrived at the former Gilded Age Mansion-turned-luxe-resort, ready for New England sweater season. And Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club welcomed me with a dazzling bonfire and cocktail to kick off my cozy stay.

Perfect Room Configuration For Every Stay

An overview of Ocean Edge Resort’s extension room options

First things first, I headed to my room in a wing located right next to the Mansion to freshen up after such a long journey. Ocean Edge Resort had begun life as the Gilded Age vacation home for the Nickerson family, who, in 1890, built the predecessor house to the current building.

While after 1906, a new structure was built and dubbed the Nickerson Mansion, the rooms at Ocean Edge Resort today evoke the same kind of luxurious, leisurely comfort that Gilded Age visitors would have expected back in the day.

With the most stunning bathroom decked out in marble accents, the most comfortable and largest bed I’ve seen in a Cape Cod hotel, and an incredibly spacious room where I felt like visiting royalty, it was a level of hospitality that I’m sure the Nickerson family would have been proud of in the Gilded Age.

Ocean Edge Resort’s Front Lawn and Mansion House Hotel

I also came to find out that Ocean Edge Resort was more of a lodging compound than a single hotel building too. While I was staying in a mansion hotel room, the resort’s extension property also houses the Bay Pines cottages and spacious villas in The Village as well.

The Bay Pines Collection, which encompasses two to three-bedroom cottages along Cape Cod Bay seemed ideal for families who want the flexibility of a vacation rental with the accessible amenities of a hotel.

The Villages were equally homey villas right on the Nicklaus-designed golf course (the Cape’s only such course) in one to three bedroom configurations.

I made a mental note to bring my husband back during the summer to try his hand at the course, knowing full well that staying right by the green would mean he’d be out on that course from breakfast to dinner (while I could escape to the spa, but more on that later).

Ocean Edge Golf Course, Hole 17

After exploring the resort’s many room options (and yes, all of them come with access to the resort’s amenities, including a beach!), and relaxing for a while in my own sumptuous yet quaint nautically themed room, I headed to dinner to indulge myself in a piping hot bowl of New England clam chowder.

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Seaside Wellness Amenities For The Activity-Focused Visitor

From a quaint spa to beachside yoga

The Mansion itself feels elegantly frozen in time, and yet is filled with all the amenities that you would expect from a modern hotel.

Though the walls are clad in rich, deep mahogany wood, and there’s no shortage of those stunning antique glass windows you’d expect to see in the early 20th century, the hotel is able to feel simultaneously luxurious and historic and yet deeply welcoming and cozy.

I think a lot of that warm hug, magical feeling that I felt in the building also came from the activities available in and around the Mansion.

As I made my way from my mansion hotel room, I headed to Bayzo’s Pub located in the basement section of the main building. Immediately, it was like being transformed into an old English countryside public house, where the atmosphere was warm, but the food was even warmer.

I wanted nothing more than a classic bowl of chowder, and my expectations were exceeded by their menu. The group I was traveling with all had our New England favorites in mind that we wanted to eat consistently throughout our trip, like lobster rolls, fish and chips, and bourbon steak tips, and none of us were disappointed.

And of course, for research, we all have to try the delicious desserts on the menu, with a classic pie topping our rankings.

Throughout my time at Ocean Edge Resort, I found that the culinary experience topped my expectations for Cape Cod. Though the Cape has fantastic dining options and restaurants you need to try when you visit, the availability of delicious food on-property at Ocean Edge Resort blew my previous experiences out of the water.

For those avid golfers who will likely be sticking around the Villages, Linx Tavern was the standout choice from the property’s restaurants. Located in the same building as the golf course clubhouse, you don’t have to go far to find a yummy meal.

Open for both lunch and dinner, the food here is much more elevated than you’d expect from a course-side restaurant. As someone who is obsessed with dining at Michelin star and James Beard award-winning restaurants, I was so impressed with what Executive Chef Philip Flath created for this delightful, New England menu.

Ocean Edge Resort Seasonal Beach Bar at Sunset

Of course, when I went to dinner on my last night at Ocean Edge Resort at yet another restaurant on property, the Roscommon Room in the Mansion, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the Old World elegance that the restaurant exuded.

Filled with high-class, Irish fare, it’s the best spot to enjoy a whiskey cocktail near a blazing fire, with a hearty stew waiting for dinner. It’s a kind of place where you want to celebrate something, and I wouldn’t hesitate to say it would be a fantastic spot to host a wedding rehearsal dinner or have a special anniversary treat there.

Wellness Activities: The Spa, Yoga, And Sound Bath

Ocean Edge Resort Beach House Manicure and Pedicure Station

After the day of travel, I had had my first night at the resort. I was very much looking forward to the wellness activities that my group had planned for our time at Ocean Edge Resort.

First up, we made our way down to the beach (the resort has direct access from their grounds), and with the weather as perfect as it was, we were able to indulge in some invigorating morning yoga.

With the Brewster Flats stretched out before us, an active oyster farm harvesting in the waters close by, and a community group going on their morning beach walk, it brought a smile to my face that there was so much activity happening in the area.

As I breathed in the sharp salt air and felt the characteristic sea breeze in my face, I couldn’t help but feel grateful during our yoga session that I was there at that moment.

Extending my morning gratitude from the beach to the pool, we headed to the resort’s indoor facility for one of the most relaxing experiences of my life.

Now, as a disclaimer, I’m a bit of a skeptic when it comes to meditation, so when I learned that we were headed to the pool, not to swim, but to float on large inflatables for an on-water sound bath, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

Little did I know, floating on a giant mattress in a pool with a lavender-scented towel over my eyes, listening to the melodic ringing of brass bowls was just what the doctor ordered to de-stress. During our session, I went in and out of consciousness (in a good way) and focused on my breathing in ways that I hadn’t in years.

Of course, for true relaxation, I couldn’t not get a massage at Ocean Edge Resort’s Spa after that sound bath to round out my experience (again, for science and research, indeed).

The Beach Spa House, tucked away among the trees across the street from the main mansion, was an oasis of sea-themed decor and zen-inducing services, from facials, to massages, to indulgent mani-pedis. After a thoroughly relaxing massage and a quick peruse around the spa’s extensive shop, I headed back to my seaside hotel room escape for a cup of coffee and a soak in my enormous bath tub.

Around The Resort: Community Focused Activities And Programming

If the amenities on the grounds weren’t enough, the opportunities around the resort were soothing for the soul

While it was absolutely possible for me to spend my entire trip just on property at Ocean Edge Resort, I ventured into town in Brewster, one of the most underrated beach towns on Cape Cod, to explore the local shops and sites. Equipped with a beach cruiser I rented from the hotel, I biked along the calm roads to head to some of my favorite Brewster highlights.

First, I made a stop at the Brewster Bookstore, a delightful, locally-owned and operated shop housed in a classic Cape Cod cottage for some fun souvenirs – I grabbed an autographed-by-the-author guide to Cape Cod’s best hikes for my trip next summer – and then I was off to the Brewster Store.

Located in an antique church, I explored every nook and cranny of this two-story Cabinet of Curiosities, coming home with some of my favorite local finds like the Brewster Store’s soaps, chocolate covered cranberries, and a much-envied baseball cap (I grabbed the last one) that said The Cape across the front.

Everyone was all smiles during our jaunt into town, and I only fell more in love with the Cape when we headed over to Nickerson State Park to explore the kettle pond.

Accompanied by the gentle lapping of the pond’s water, and shrouded in a thick forest of fairy-tale-like trees, we settled in for a charcuterie board in the woods. Some of us ambled over to the Cape Cod Rail Trail, one of the best East Coast trails you shouldn’t miss if you’re in the area, while the rest of us took in golden hour at the pond’s edge. Again, it was like experiencing magic.

And Ocean Edge Resort more than understands the assignment when it comes to capturing the local community’s magical essence too. Collaborating with many local businesses and offering programming that invites locals to engage with the hotel, residents of the Cape should keep an eye out for their many events.

From a massive 4th of July lawn party to a fun, Harry Potter-themed event, the resort has no shortage of engaging programs that are open to everyone. Locals can also purchase memberships to the resort’s grounds, too, accessing the beach, the pool, and other onsite amenities. And the public is welcome to dine at the on-property restaurants.

Ocean Edge Resort believes in welcoming their community into their spaces, which in of itself, feels magical, particularly in a world where resorts are increasingly attempting to become more and more exclusive of their local communities.

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As I packed up my room, ready to head back to the airport, I reflected on what a perfect stay this was on Cape Cod with Ocean Edge Resort. It was like I was living in a sketch that showed off all the best parts of the destination, and everything I loved about New England.

From the resort building’s rich history, to the extensive amenities, to the delicious food, to the delightful people, this was a trip for the books, and I can’t wait until I’m back on the Cape for New England summer and eating at Linx Tavern once again.