At Duryea’s Sunset Cottages in The Hamptons, it’s all about stillness and open horizons

Set on a windswept bluff above Fort Pond Bay in Montauk, Duryea’s Sunset Cottages distil the legacy of one of the Hamptons’ best-known restaurants into a tucked-away retreat: four one-bedroom hideaways that merge the ease of a private rental with the polish of a boutique hotel. It’s a landscape steeped in nostalgia; all salt air, stillness and open horizons, tempered by the architecture’s quiet modernity and sense of restraint.

What began in the 1920s as a family-run lobster market evolved into Duryea’s Lobster Deck, a waterfront fixture that has since become a summer ritual for locals and visitors alike. Purchased from the Duryea family in 2014 by Apollo Group CEO Marc Rowan and his partner, designer Carolyn Rowan, the restaurant underwent a deliberate transformation that aimed to preserve its much-loved spirit, while adapting for a new generation.

The cottages are the latest chapter in Duryea’s story; a continuation of the Lobster Deck’s lineage. Conceived by Viola Rouhani of Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects, specialists in coastal architecture, alongside co-owner Carolyn Rowan, the project reworks Montauk’s familiar vernacular of surf shacks and bluff cottages through a more contemporary lens. Sliding glass panels dissolve the divide between interior and landscape; unfinished cedar cladding weathers to the region’s signature silvery patina, and native plantings root the structures to the slope.

Restricted to the site’s original footprint, just four cottages were permitted. Each one spans roughly 650 square feet, open and airy enough to feel larger. Though similar in form, each layout responds to its orientation and favours privacy. Sunset Cottage, furthest from the shore, has a roof terrace with views over the glinting water, while Bluff Cottage retreats quietly into the greenery.

Inside, hand-stained mahogany cabinetry and bluestone floors fitted by local artisans anchor the interiors in their coastal context. Texture leads the design, with Venetian plaster, travertine, and swathes of polished marble, with soft lighting to mimic natural daylight. Each terrace is partially covered for year-round use, with a custom metal spa recessed into every deck for cool nights or post-swim thawing.

Beyond the dwellings, a shared lawn leads to a narrow gate and stairway that drops down to the beach. Each cottage has its own storage chest stocked with paddleboards, fins, yoga mats and folding chairs to take to the sand. Daily life here shifts with the tides: dawn walks on driftwood-strewn shores, afternoon rides into the heart of Montauk on complimentary electric bikes, where surf shops, fancy delis and classic diners keep the town’s easy-going spirit alive.

Service is discreet – breakfast hampers arrive as if by magic at the door, as do occasional treats like Duryea’s signature lobster rolls. As for the Lobster Deck itself: guests get priority tables, a coveted perk in high when the restaurant is otherwise walk-in only.

While much of the Hamptons chases spectacle, Duryea’s Sunset Cottages holds onto something quieter: the grain of weathered wood, the scent of salt and cedar, the slow hum of distant surf. Days unfold in an unhurried and elemental rhythm, as if time itself drifts more gently at Montauk’s edge.

Duryea’s Sunset Cottages are located at 80 Firestone Rd, Montauk, NY 11954, United States.