To see the difference between private ownership and corporate ownership of a hotel, spend one weekend with Mark and Gwenn Snider, proprietors of the Winnetu Resort on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Ten years after the Sniders transformed a rundown motel and created a grand Victorian lodging with one to four-bedroom suites, the Sniders continue to thrive because their passion for entertaining rubs off on all their guests.
The parents of three go overboard to keep the little ones happy. This includes rides on a 1947 fire truck Mark found on eBay in Michigan; free lemonade and fresh-baked cookies every afternoon at 3 p.m.; rides on a fun bike, where six kids jump on the circular vehicle for a spin; and, this being New England, a weekly clam bake that features a visit from a local naturalist who brings his collection of snakes, snapping turtles, owls, and large African frogs.
The funny thing is that the Sniders could be Scrooge-like and you'd still be wowed by this
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To see the difference between private ownership and corporate ownership of a hotel, spend one weekend with Mark and Gwenn Snider, proprietors of the Winnetu Resort on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Ten years after the Sniders transformed a rundown motel and created a grand Victorian lodging with one to four-bedroom suites, the Sniders continue to thrive because their passion for entertaining rubs off on all their guests.
The parents of three go overboard to keep the little ones happy. This includes rides on a 1947 fire truck Mark found on eBay in Michigan; free lemonade and fresh-baked cookies every afternoon at 3 p.m.; rides on a fun bike, where six kids jump on the circular vehicle for a spin; and, this being New England, a weekly clam bake that features a visit from a local naturalist who brings his collection of snakes, snapping turtles, owls, and large African frogs.
The funny thing is that the Sniders could be Scrooge-like and you'd still be wowed by this resort. A short walk leads to one of the Vineyard's premier stretches of sand, the three-mile-long South Beach. There's a small pool on property, a pond to find turtles, a chef's garden, tennis courts, and bike trails that lead off in every direction like spokes on a wheel. In fact, one of the great joys of heading to Martha's Vineyard is leaving your car behind on the mainland simply to bike or bus around.
The Sniders can pick you up at the Oak Bluffs ferry, have bikes waiting for the family at the resort, even take you on a sunset boat ride to nearby Edgartown to have dinner at night. Bring some food, because each suite has its own refrigerator and microwave. There's also a small store on property to grab basic provisions like milk, bread, coffee, and juice, and an upscale restaurant, Lure, which caters to families and couples. Kids can dine on mac and cheese, burgers, and chicken fingers, while the adults dig into the fresh greens and seafood.
By all means, grab those bikes and head on a four-mile path into Edgartown, the Vineyard's oldest settlement, lined with whaling captains' homes. From Edgartown, it's a two-minute ferry ride over to Chappaquiddick, home to a Japanese-style garden, Mytoi, and the Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, where you can go sea kayaking with a guide. Or head back to Edgartown for the homemade ice cream at local fave, Mad Martha's. So much fun, so little time.
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