Coastal Winter Getaway | Wentworth by the Sea in New Castle, New Hampshire

By Courtney Hollands

Is there anything more relaxing than watching flurries seesaw to the ground as you lounge in a steamy outdoor hot tub?

At Wentworth by the Sea, the answer is yes: This snowy scene can be even more soothing if it’s bookended by a visit to the dry sauna and a Swedish massage in the Victorian hotel’s spa. There, you’ll settle onto a heated table that vibrates softly to classical music and is cushy in all the right spots. The extended foot rub? Pure heaven for soles that have been shoved into ski boots for months on end. Sixty minutes later, the technician will draw a cooling jade roller across your forehead and up and down your cheeks to cap off the transportive experience.

Indeed, your whole winter weekend stay at the Wentworth will feel this way—a world apart. Once you cross the bridge over the Piscataqua River, you’re on (New Castle) Island Time. This bit of New Hampshire’s smallest town starts to feel like your special place, just as it’s felt to visitors who return season after season, year after year. There’s no better spot to catch these escapist vibes than in front of the lobby fireplace, where the surrounding couch and chairs are never empty for long. There could be friends gossiping before lunch, or a child discussing the finer points of Harry Potter with her grandma. (See? Pure magic.)

Of course, this otherworldly feeling owes a lot to the 150-year-old inn’s setting. Set on a grassy hill above Little Harbor, the grand dame is especially pretty at night, with white lights outlining the hotel turrets. For a panorama of boats bobbing in the harbor and darting bufflehead ducks, book a two-bedroom Marina Suite: You’ll have your own personal fireplace kitty-corner to a wall of windows on the first floor, and if you leave the primary bedroom’s bathroom door open, you can even shower with water views. 

You’d be forgiven for staying put, braving the elements only to amble up the gravel path to the Wentworth’s main building for a dip in the indoor pool, a negroni in the cozy-chic lounge, or dinner at Salt (look for the seared bluefin tuna atop roasted potatoes and Castelvetrano olives, dotted with arugula puree). But if you’re bundled up and ready for action, it’s just a 10-minute drive to downtown Portsmouth’s shops, breweries, and art scene. You could also spend a sunny afternoon exploring New Castle’s historic sites—just follow the paved path out of the hotel’s parking lot and head east. It’s less than a mile to weather-beaten Fort Stark; a little farther on 1B is the Great Island Common, a seaside park with views of two lighthouses.

After checkout, you might notice a hot commodity. The sofa facing the lobby fireplace is open. Sit and feel the Wentworth’s spell drawing you back in—Why would you want to leave this place? Eventually, you’ll have to shoulder your luggage and trudge back to the salt-streaked sidewalks of wherever you live, to real life. But for now: five more minutes. —Courtney Hollands

Nightly rate for typical room option: $399 winter vs. $899 summer. opalcollection.com/wentworth

Wentworth by the Sea: Beyond the Lobby

BREAKFAST SPOT: If the candy-colored blooms at the café/flower shop Wild Valentine don’t cheer you, a cardamom-rose latte paired with a savory oat bowl surely will (try the chicken and mushroom with cashew butter, black sesame, and Parmesan—yum). Browse the shelves stocked with pottery and organic baby onesies, and take a little sunshine to go. Portsmouth; wildvalentine.co

NATURE OUTING: Have a Gatsby moment at the 330-acre Odiorne Point State Park as you glimpse Wentworth by the Sea from a whole different angle across the Piscataqua River. Dotted with graffiti-spangled bunkers and crumbling foundations from its past lives as a fort and a summer resort, Odiorne Point beckons to explorers on foot or snowshoes—bring your own or rent them from EMS in nearby Portsmouth. Rye; nhstateparks.org

RETAIL THERAPY: The beautifully curated housewares boutique Nahcotta is brimming with things you didn’tknow you needed, like hand-carved wood puzzles, neon pillar candles from Germany, and crystal-infused bath salts. It doubles as a gallery, too—one where you can buy the original paintings right off the wall, fulfilling the store’s mission to “make art accessible to anyone and everyone.” Portsmouth; nahcotta.com

DINING PICK: There’s no better place to be on a midwinter weekend morning than at The Wilder’s wraparound bar, tucking into a maple-pork-belly-studded poutine or a sizzling shakshuka. Or stop by later in the day for a Sneerwell (chai bourbon, sweet vermouth, black cardamom syrup, and whiskey-barrel aged bitters) to get a taste of how this homey gastropub is single-handedly upping Portsmouth’s craft-cocktail game. Portsmouth;wilderportsmouth.com

CULTURE HIT: The historic Music Hall may be the cultural hub of Portsmouth, but for a cozier, more intimate night out, take in a rising comedian or a string quartet at the 116-seat Music Hall Lounge on Congress Street (a reimagining of the Music Hall’s former Loft, it opened in July 2022). It’s like seeing a concert in your living room … if your living room had a bartender and a fireplace and served small plates. Portsmouth; themusichall.org

DON’T-MISS STOP: Shake off the cold and immerse yourself in the large-scale installations at the Museum of New Art (MONA), an ambitious art gallery that opened in Portsmouth’s c. 1905 YMCA building two years ago. It welcomes artists from around the world—including German painter Markus Linnenbrink, who painted an entire room at MONA in dizzying rainbow stripes—and hosts fun events such as dance parties and “drink and draws” (exactly what they sound like). Portsmouth; monaportsmouth.org