TRAVELism Edition #28: Montauk

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“Meet me in Montauk”

— Clementine (Kate Winslet) in the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Welcome back, travelers—

Edition No. 28 takes us all the way to the end of Long Island. And getting to Montauk still requires something rare in modern travel: intention.

The highways narrow. The city energy fades. Cell service gets spotty. And eventually, almost unexpectedly, New York dissolves into dune grass, fishing boats, surfboards, and Atlantic salt air.

There are really two versions of Montauk.

The loud one everyone posts about. And the quieter version still deeply tied to the ocean.

Our basecamp this week is Marram, which belongs firmly to the second category.

Set directly on the beach, Marram strips away most of the performative Hamptons energy and replaces it with something calmer: driftwood textures, open fires, barefoot mornings, surf checks at sunrise, and long afternoons that encourage people to put their phones down for a while.

This is not the Montauk of velvet ropes, bottle service, or reservation anxiety.

This is your curated travel brief for experiencing Montauk the way it was always meant to feel: sunset sails, natural wine beneath lantern-lit trees, dockside seafood, cold post-surf beers, and entire days organized around the rhythm of the ocean.

Next stop… The End.

✈️ Cheers,
Logan & The TRAVELISM Crew
⬆️All DMs Welcome

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Marram feels less like a hotel and more like a carefully edited beach house stretched across the dunes.

The design stays intentionally restrained: warm woods, handmade textures, sandy neutrals, woven details, and oversized windows that keep the ocean constantly in view. Everything about the property is calibrated toward calm.

Even the social energy feels quieter here.

People gather around the fire pits at night instead of a DJ booth. Mornings start with coffee and surfboards instead of recovery brunches.

That distinction matters.

The rooms at Marram continue the same restrained design language found throughout the property: warm woods, woven textures, sandy neutrals, soft linen palettes, and natural light that shifts beautifully throughout the day.

Nothing feels excessive. Nothing feels staged.

Instead, the rooms create the kind of calm that makes people slow down almost immediately after checking in.

The Dune King room is a strong example of Marram’s approach. Functional accessibility details are integrated cleanly into the design without sacrificing atmosphere. The room includes a private deck, signature bedding, high-speed wifi, accessible bathroom features, and easy-access parking proximity for a smoother arrival experience.

Nightly fire pits with complimentary s’mores, beach chair and umbrella setup, yoga sessions, meditation programming, RetroSpec bicycles, and creative workshops all reinforce the property’s quieter philosophy of hospitality.

Worth the splurge: The Beachfront Balcony Suite.

This is the room category that fully delivers on Marram’s point of view. A separate king bedroom, living area, breakfast nook, wet bar, and private terrace overlooking the Atlantic transform the stay from “weekend hotel” into something that feels much closer to a private coastal residence.

The ocean becomes part of the room here.

Mornings start with coffee facing the water. Afternoons stretch longer without needing to leave the suite.

Mostrador Marram — created by Chef Fernando Trocca and restaurateur Martín Pittaluga — brings the spirit of Uruguay’s Atlantic coast directly into Montauk.

The setup stays intentionally communal and outdoor-focused: abundant seasonal plates, wood-fired meats, local seafood, vegetables pulled toward simplicity instead of complication, and pastries that somehow make breakfast feel like an event

☀️ Breakfast
Go light, fresh, and beachy.

The whole breakfast vibe feels very “slow morning after a surf lesson.” Vogue specifically called out the granola bowls and homemade almond milk coffee as standouts.

🥗 Lunch
This is where Mostrador really shines.

The counter-service setup lets you build these beautiful colorful plates that somehow feel both healthy and indulgent. The restaurant is known for abundant seasonal vegetables, grilled meats, and local seafood.

🍷 Dinner
Dinner should absolutely turn into a lingering bottle-of-rosé situation.

The Argentine-Uruguayan influence really comes alive at night with wood-fired meats, seafood, and rich Latin flavors that still feel refined and coastal.

The experience works because nothing feels overly precious. There is real confidence in the restraint.

Most beach hotels in Montauk force guests to choose between the pool or the ocean. Marram quietly gives you both at the same time.

The pool deck sits directly against the Atlantic, creating one of the rare setups in the Hamptons where the atmosphere feels calm instead of competitive. No oversized cabanas. No bottle-service theatrics. No exhausting DJ energy fighting against the sound of the water.

Just rows of loungers, salt air, and the kind of stillness people usually travel much farther to find.

🍸 Crow’s Nest: the scene feels impossibly Montauk: lantern-lit trees, barefoot guests lingering over spicy rigatoni, oysters, and chilled rosé while sailboats drift across Fort Pond Bay at sunset. The crowd blends surfers, downtown creatives, and quietly luxurious summer regulars settling into marathon dinners that stretch deep into the night.

Pro Tip: Crow’s Nest runs entirely first come, first served, and summer waits can stretch. Arrive before sunset, put your name in early, then wander down the bluff to the tucked-away tiki bar for a cold cocktail and one of Montauk’s best golden hour views while the bay lights up.

🌊🥣 The Clam And Chowder House At Salivars Dock: This is the classic, creamy, dockside Montauk clam chowder energy. The vibe is pure old-school fishing village Montauk: marina views, salty air, sunset beers, and bowls of chowder that feel mandatory after a windy beach day. It’s one of the town’s longtime seafood institutions and even gets shoutouts in major Montauk food guides.

🌅The Montauket: Sunburned surfers, fishermen, and downtown escapees gather on weathered decks for cold beers, live music, and legendary sunsets overlooking Fort Pond Bay.

What To Order: A cold Montauk Summer Ale, steamed peel-and-eat shrimp, and whatever fresh local fish sandwich is coming off the grill.

🍝🍷 Alimentari Beach: The scene feels chic but unfussy: candlelight, coastal Italian plates, natural wines, and barefoot summer people wandering in after the beach. Think East Village wine bar energy accidentally washed ashore in Montauk.

What To Order: Spicy vodka rigatoni, local crudo, grilled branzino, paired with a chilled skin-contact “orange” wine or a coastal Italian red while lingering beneath glowing candlelight until midnight.

🏄 Dawn Surf + Ditch Plains Breakfast: Wake up before the crowds, surf at Ditch Plains Beach, then grab coffee and breakfast tacos while wrapped in a towel watching fog lift off the ocean. The unofficial Montauk religion.

Surf Lessons —> East End Surf Club

🎣 Dock-To-Dinner Sportfishing: Montauk is still one of the East Coast’s legendary fishing towns. Head offshore for striped bass or tuna, then have your catch prepared dockside at a local restaurant. Pure saltwater fantasy. 🐟🍸

Charter Boat —> Montauk Fishing

🛥️ Sunset Cruise Around The Lighthouse: Charter a small boat at golden hour and circle the cliffs beneath Montauk Point Lighthouse while seals surface nearby and the Atlantic glows copper at sunset.

Golden Hour Sail —> Cruise Montauk

Montauk delivers the version of summer people fantasize about all winter: surf at sunrise, oysters at lunch, sunset sails, candlelit dinners, salty beach bars, and barefoot luxury stretched across the edge of the Atlantic. It still feels wild in all the right ways, balancing old fishing-town character with quietly polished coastal escape energy.

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