Set in the coastal town of Montauk,  at the end of New York state, The Surf Lodge is effortlessly chic, understated glam and quite simply the cool-kid headquarters.

Stefan and I spent 9 days away in New York state last month and our stay at The Surf Lodge was hands-down the most genuine hotel experience we've had in a long time. Its style is surfer-chic with rustic natural woods, white-washed walls and vibrant vintage patterns; it's beautiful. The boutique hotel has roughly 20 rooms that all overlook the peaceful Fort Pond. The rooms are neatly mapped out with a clever but simple configuration - bed in the middle of the room, facing the spectacular hammocked balcony with a spacious modern bathroom, vintage stereo, fridge and even a swing...! 

The hawaiian hotel theme means all colours are bright and tropical which create warmth and positivity, even during some of the rain and stormy squalls we experienced during our stay. 

The hotel itself has fantastic break-out areas with sunken sofas, picnic tables, outdoor lounge areas and an easy-going bar. The walls are littered with vintage surfer memorabilia and alluring scenic shots that reinforce an atmosphere of creativity, relaxation and happiness. Free vintage-style bikes are provided for you to explore the local surf spots, cool bars and quirky shopping - and we certainly did use them a lot! It's hard to rent a car on the coast so if you're keen to travel further a field, you should drive down from NYC. We didn't and instead cycled everywhere which was a much nicer way to explore the beautiful landscape and hidden hotspots.

The outdoor area is low-maintenance decking with all weather furniture that you can leave out and forget about - perfect for those of us who like to entertain spontaneously. Decking is elegant and extends your entertaining space to the outdoors very effortlessly. It's not cheap to install but can effectively double your ground-level square footage so certainly worth the investment in tropical climates where you can use it all year round. The beauty of wooden decking  versus tile or gravel is that the wood will age beautifully, silvering with wear and tear.

The Surf Lodge experience was truly inspiring and something that we want to replicate in our next build project, Vela. We love the white-washed wooden boarding contrasting against bright colours and natural woods - it's simple and clean without being too stark, which is the perfect vibe for Caribbean living here in Cayman.

A description of The Surf Lodge is not complete without mentioning the famous parties and concerts they host. We were a smidge too early for the start of the events (it all kicks off for Memorial Day weekend at the end of May), but we weren't after that on this holiday.

Nevertheless, we will definitely be going back to experience the array of superb acts that perform at this intimate setting. Check out the list of acts here. They've had Taylor Swift, Wild Belle, Trombone Shorty and Solange Knowles just left last weekend!

Montauk, and The Surf Lodge especially, will always have a special place in our hearts - an amazing holiday that culminated in this: