West Tisbury Inn

A peaceful, relaxing getaway with everything you need and no frills. The historic building dates from the 1800s and has a fantastic porch and backyard. It's within walking distance of the quiet village of west tisbury, and feels much more relaxing than staying in Oak Bluffs or Edgartown. You can get to all parts of the island conveniently from here. I'll be back!

The gardens climbing around the porches and the old parts of the building made the place feel wonderfully peaceful. We stayed in the historic section, once the rectory for the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury, and there’s a lot of charm in imagining how the island changed while this space stayed much the same. The 18th century doorway and tasteful updates fit together nicely. It was very clean and clearly cared for, with a mini fridge, jacuzzi tub, shared full kitchen with dishwasher, dining table, and full-sized fridge down the hall. Keith was great about our late arrival. He’d planned to leave the keys out and lights on, but happened to be outside when we got there, so he welcomed us in and showed us around. He also let us leave our bags the next day, which meant we could fit in one last beach day. We had French press coffee on the porch that morning, too. We’d decided on a Vineyard weekend on the spur of the moment, and didn’t realize we were arriving on the Inn’s first day back open. West Tisbury has only a few shops and places to eat, though Alley’s General Store is just minutes up the road and has plenty for a beach day. The town’s quiet, local feel added to the stay for me. It’s fairly central, with Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and Vineyard Haven about 15 minutes away, and the Aquinnah cliffs around 20 minutes away. Having a car makes getting around easiest, since Ubers do come but can take 15-20 minutes to arrive. We’d happily come back for another quiet escape.

The house was dirty and cluttered, with poor upkeep. Bugs were swarming around the trash, the front door stood wide open all day, and we even saw a mouse inside. Our room was a little cleaner than the shared areas, but the comforter seemed clearly unwashed and there wasn’t any soap in the bathroom. We had booked at the last minute for a July weekend because there weren’t many Vineyard options left, and regretted it. No staff were there to check us in, just an unlocked room with a key left on the dresser. There was a contact number, but nobody answered despite our trying several times. The out-of-the-way location was the least of our concerns, and that part was on us. I’m certain you’d be better off staying somewhere else.

We found a room at West Tisbury Inn when most of the island was booked for the Beachroad Weekend Festival. My dad had wanted to visit the Vineyard for his birthday weekend, since he’d never been before, and this ended up being a trip we’ll remember for a long time. The room was clean and spacious, with all the amenities we needed. Keith had picked fresh flowers from the garden for it, and the grounds were lovely, with flowers all around and a big wraparound porch full of comfortable places to sit. He was such a friendly, welcoming host and made us feel like family. In the morning, there was fresh coffee and pastries waiting for us, which we hadn’t expected. The Inn is right across from the town hall, where you can catch the bus around the island. It’s the only place we’d consider staying on the Vineyard from now on.