The Montauk Beach House, originally the Rancho hotel from 1953, celebrates 70 years with a 1970s renovation that keeps its mid-century bones. A hand-built Moai statue from 1960, the original pool, and restored signage remain. Rooms blend retro furniture with hip-hop culture, and the bar serves a non-alcoholic Ronjo cocktail reviving the old Keys.
Chapters
Here at the Montauk Beach House, we'll take you back to when this was the Rancho. The boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Montauk is paying homage to its history.
This property originally opened as a hotel space as the Rancho back in 1953, so this is the 70th year of this property as a hotel.
They pulled inspiration from their past to transform the space into a '70s oasis.
They were the stars. They— that's Miss Montauk, by the way, featuring old brochures, artwork, and of course the iconic statue, which everyone calls a tiki, but it's actually a Moai statue that they built that in 1960 by hand. It's probably one of the most photographed spots in all of Montauk.
Inside, the lobby celebrates 1960s '70s hip-hop culture. The furniture is a '70s-inspired collection, and the original sign was recently restored and is proudly on display.
The success formula we have here was, was renovating the property but keeping the historical nature of the original property.
If you've been a guest here before, some things stay the same. You'll recognize the original pool. Their restaurant is reminiscent of the original design. You can order tacos, pizza, and their specialty cocktail. This one's non-alcoholic, the Ronjo. They're also serving a '70s-themed cocktail menu. They even brought back the old Ronjo Keys, but of course the rooms are totally different.
The interior rooms of what they look like—
which they don't look like anymore— it was a 1975 summer rate, $95 for the weekend. I'll take it. Yep, those rates have gone up. But this season's stay does include a dose of nostalgia.
It's a place where art, music, and fashion converge.