A New Hotel Is Opening at the Tip of Provincetown

Photo by Read McKendree

You probably don’t need an excuse to hop on the ferry to P-town on any given weekend, but this hotel opening in the West End is a pretty darn good one.

AWOL, a brand-new concept by boutique hotel collection Lark Hotels, is taking over the former Inn at the Moors at the very tip of Provincetown. It’s set to open on July 6, and will debut 30 bright, airy rooms as summer arrives in full swing.

The vibe is decidedly low-key. Designed by Amesbury-based design studio Butcher & Blood, each room draws inspiration from the natural beauty of the surrounding dunes. The details are chic yet understated: layered natural fabrics, polished concrete floors, straw light fixtures, dune grass accents, and soft, untucked bedding are fixtures of every room. It’s this sort of coastal simplicity that the designers sought to emphasize.

“No shiplap, no rope knots or anchors or nautical stripes,” reads Butcher & Blood’s website. “No tufted club chairs or floral wallpaper, and nothing particularly refined.”

Rather, it’s no-frills in a cozy, coastal way. Each room comes with a built-in platform bed, Lather bath products, and a private outdoor space. The third-floor Lark Suite, for example, boasts a double roof deck. Second-floor rooms feature balconies with day beds, while first-floor ones offer private patios with hammocks.

AWOL’s accommodations range from standard king and queen rooms to double queens for larger groups. As for amenities, each overnight stay comes with a tapas-style breakfast spread. Beach chairs, blankets, s’mores kits, and bicycles are available for guest use, and out of the 30 available rooms, 17 of the king deluxe rooms are dog-friendly. Pets that weigh less than 70 pounds are permitted, though it’s an extra $35 per night for a furry friend to tag along.

Photo by Read McKendree

While reimagining the Inn at the Moors, designers carved a pool area from the inn’s former parking lot, then topped it off with three fire pits, an outdoor bar, and long communal tables for lounging.

“People have a real affinity for the property,” says Rob Blood, CEO of Lark Hotels. “In the year that we owned it before the renovation, we heard so many stories about years and years of vacations spent and how much the property meant to the guests.”

The parking lot conversion stirred curiosity in the community, Blood says. He hopes the new-and-improved space will become part of many future P-Town traditions.

There’s no doubt that it will, thanks in part to AWOL’s superb location. Though it feels worlds away from the bustle of Commercial Street, it’s only a five-minute bike ride from buzzy eateries like Canteen. Plus, the West End is often overlooked by tourists. It’s a quiet, scenic setting where you can glimpse both sand dunes and lighthouses.

“The serenity and natural beauty of the spot invites you to relax by the pool or the fire pit or at the sand bar all day while enjoying the spectacular views of the tidal moors. But the proximity to town and the availability of bikes makes Commercial Street very accessible,” says Blood. “We love that AWOL feels like it’s at the end of the earth in many ways.”

Its location, coupled with an ultra-laid-back atmosphere, embodies the getaway spirit that AWOL’s name is supposed to to represent.

“We liked the mischief surrounding the idea of being away without leave; not really as much in the military context as in the colloquial use of the word,” explains Blood. “Provincetown feels more relaxed and natural to us than so many other New England vacation destinations. The idea of providing a place to escape really resonated with us, whether guests are escaping from or to reality.”

Rooms range from $209 to $1,200 per night for double occupancy, and prices vary depending on room type and season. For more information, visit awolhotel.com.

Photo by Read McKendree

Photo by Read McKendree

Photo by Read McKendree