When I think of Nantucket, I think of beautiful harbor views, crisp coastal decor, and luxurious waterfront hotels. Despite living in Massachusetts for much of my life, I’d never traveled to Nantucket Island before. This spring, I visited the family-friendly White Elephant Nantucket resort for a weekend away with my family.
This gorgeous hotel embodies everything I always imagined about Nantucket. It is a luxurious hotel filled with kid-friendly amenities.
We had a wonderful time during this off-season getaway and absolutely enjoyed our stay in the hotel. I would recommend staying there, whether you are visiting in the quieter off-season or during the busy summer season.
Disclosure: Our stay was complimentary for purposes of review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. A purchase/click through one of our affiliate links may result in a small commission paid to us at no additional cost to you.
Review of the White Elephant Nantucket
The luxurious White Elephant in Nantucket consists of several different concepts and room types within one resort. These include the hotel and the White Elephant Village.
Our off-season stay was at the White Elephant Village, which is made up of rooms and suites at the Inn at White Elephant Village, and one-, two-, and three-bedroom residents. Since our original visit, the White Elephant Nantucket has added downtown lofts and garden cottages to their room inventory.
We had a two-bedroom residence, which was great for our family of four. There was plenty of room to spread out. It had the feel of a vacation home, but the benefit of a hotel staff and amenities.
These residences are definitely more expensive than a standard hotel room, but it could be worth it if you need or want the space. If you are staying for a longer vacation on Nantucket, you may want to have more space and the option to prepare some of your own meals in the kitchen.
Location of the White Elephant Nantucket
The White Elephant is located in a perfect location in Nantucket – right downtown. It’s just a quick ride from either of the two ferry terminals and is a short walk to the restaurants and shops of downtown Nantucket. The popular Children’s Beach is located adjacent to the resort. There’s so much within walking distance.
We didn’t bring our car across on the ferry, so we just walked around town during our stay. If you are planning a stay at the White Elephant, I’d recommend going without a car. It can be challenging to find parking in Nantucket, and you can definitely just walk around to most of the shops and restaurants downtown.
You’ll also save money on your ferry from the mainland Massachusetts to Nantucket without having to pay extra to transport a vehicle. It’s also easier to get passenger only reservations on the ferries.
Nantucket and the White Elephant Nantucket is also accessible via air. There are several airlines offering service from airports such as Boston Logan, Newark, Washington National, JFK, LaGuardia, Providence, and Charlotte. Some of these run seasonally, so you’ll need to check the schedule before booking.
Rooms at the White Elephant in Nantucket
Our two-bedroom residence at the White Elephant Villages was beautifully decorated with a casual coastal decor that is perfect for the island location. Residences include gas fireplaces, stocked kitchen pantries, flat-screen TVs with Blu-Ray players, washers, dryers, and comfortable linens. These rooms manage to be cozy yet still modern and fun.
The kitchen in the Residences is great to have for a longer vacation, because you can buy groceries in town and prepare quick meals yourself. We loved having the washer and dryer too. It’s always nice to go home with a suitcase full of clean clothes. If you plan to visit the beach for much of your vacation, it would be good to be able to regularly wash clothes.
Amenities at the White Elephant in Nantucket
The White Elephant offers a number of luxurious amenities, starting with the pre-arrival concierge, who can help you set up reservations that you’ll need while you are on Nantucket. During the busy season on the island, this can be especially helpful.
Definitely take advantage of this service and make reservations for the dining and activities that you’ll want during your vacation. Things are booked up in advance during the summer months.
To transport you around the island, guests of the residences have access to BMW courtesy cars, van service to and from the ferry terminals, and complimentary bikes. While the ferry terminals are within walking distance, you probably won’t want to walk with all of your bags, so take advantage of the van service. They also offer complimentary Wave passes so you can get around the island.
There are other amenities offered by the resort as well, including a front desk that is staffed 24 hours a day, a pool ice cream cart, a fitness center (at both the Inn and the Harborside Hotel), free WiFi, complimentary parking, a concierge during your stay, and a business center (at both the Inn and the Hotel). You can also borrow boogie boards, beach toys, diaper genies, and more.
There’s also an outdoor pool, which is located near the Inn and Residences. It’s open seasonally between Memorial Day and mid-September. Pool cabanas are available at the pool for an additional fee.
The White Elephant Nantucket offers daily coffee and pastries as well as afternoon cheese and port. Housekeeping is provided twice per day, and free newspapers are provided. Room service is offered. For an additional fee, you can have groceries provided for you when you arrive – saving you time.
There’s also the full-service White Elephant spa, which offers facials, massages, and other body treatments.
The onsite Brant Point Grill is a delicious restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We dined there on one of our nights and found the food to be absolutely delicious. Kids’ menus are available at the restaurant. Nantucket’s only 5-star restaurant, TOPPER’S, is located nine miles away at Wauwinet, the sister resort to the White Elephant.
If you are visiting during the summer, you can enjoy the pool service at the outdoor pool. It offers cocktails, beer, wine, sandwiches, ice cream, salads, and more.
Read more reviews about the White Elephant Hotel here and you can book the White Elephant here.
