The Lewes & Rehoboth Canal splits the village in half, with all sorts of vessels pulling up between its welcoming streets.
Meg McKinney
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Relaxing Lobby
The Hotel Rodney was built in 1926; the lobby’s glass block wall was added in the 1960s.
Sometimes we get away from home simply to do nothing. There’s something seductive about spending time relaxing and getting to know yourself again. This 377-year-old waterman’s town at the mouth of the Delaware River fills the bill. Check in here for a long weekend that can be as busy (there are options) or carefree as you desire. You’ll find two new boutique hotels, enough shops to fill an afternoon, plenty of good food, and waterfronts to inspire your musings.
Blue Hues
Tucked between the main street and the bay, Hotel Blue provides contemporary, Euro-style accommodations for adults. From the
lobby’s cream-and-indigo leather sofa to the rooftop pool and fireplace, the 16-room inn exudes cool.
As you check in, grab an espresso or latte to take up to your room. We like the posh spread of the junior suites best. Each offers a tile fireplace, two flat-screened TVs, fancy stereos, Frette robes, original local art, a small refrigerator, and a clear ice bucket akin to a lava lamp that changes hues from ruby to sapphire to gold. The most surprising splash of color lights up the huge bath--transparent double sinks have blue lights strung underneath them. It’s easy to become transfixed by the in-room light show. All the rooms sport queen-size beds topped with a beach ball pillow, ideal for napping with the window open to cool breezes. www.hotelblue.info or 1-800-935-1145. Rates: from $215.
Boutique Beds
Another small inn amid Second Street businesses draws discerning guests and their families. The 1926 Hotel Rodney, on the
corner of Second and Market Streets, recently reopened after a major modernization. The ground, second, and third floors have
been totally remodeled, and the basement is well on its way. It boasts 20 rooms and 4 suites that harken to another age with
modern conveniences.
Restored antiques populate the hardwood-floored rooms with new bedding and flat-screen TVs. The baths gleam with large black marble tiles, mirrored walls, and roomy showers. The master suite boasts a two-person walk-in rain shower and dressing area with Carrera marble sinks. Each room’s air unit looks like a Jetson-age steel appliance mounted on the wall; best of all, it heats and cools quietly.
Our favorite place to relax is the glass block-walled lobby. It’s an ideal spot to grab a cup of coffee and to read the paper on the fireside sofa. www.hotelrodneydelaware.com or 1-800-824-8754. Rates: from $110.
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