Why The Maidstone Hotel In East Hampton Is Better Than Ever

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Two years ago, LDV Hospitality’s charismatic founder, John Meadow, ushered in a delightful new era at the beloved Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton while still honoring the historic property’s roots. This summer, LDV has expanded farther east with Barlume Beach, bringing sun-kissed, easygoing Italian beach club vibes to Montauk. Let’s dive in!  

What was The Maidstone’s draw for you and LDV?
The Maidstone is actually the oldest business in the entire Hamptons region; before East Hampton was even incorporated, the area was known as Maidstone, so there’s a lot of history there! It was originally two homes that were connected and turned into a hotel more than 150 years ago, and we came in in 2024. The Maidstone will always be of the town; it’s an iconic, cultural community cornerstone. Maidstone was here before LDV, and is going to be here for a long time after us, so we’re fortunate enough to be its stewards of the moment.

How have you put your stamp on this Maidstone era?
LDV stands for la dolce vita, so it’s this idea of bringing Mediterranean charm and Italian cuisine and style of hospitality to prim and proper East Hampton. In the rooms, there’s Santa Maria Novella soaps and Frette linens, but there’s also a distinctly New England aesthetic throughout, so it’s a real harmony of those two worlds. Also, it’s our first hotel property, so it’s nice seeing the identity of the restaurant inside and out in the garden, crossing over into the rooms, all speaking that dolce vita language of ours. We’re proud of it. It’s the most intimate project I’ve ever done, and it’s quite personal for me. It’s the jewel box of my career.

The Maidstone

Any fun new additions to The Maidstone this summer?
We have a partnership with Fellini, the Soho-based Italian coffee roaster; they’re doing a super cool Airstream trailer outdoor coffee bar. Stuart Weitzman is doing a July pop-up, and Madison Avenue jeweler David Webb will have an August pop-up. Plus, we’re doing a trunk show in August with my tailor buddies from Italy, Nicola Radano and Battistoni. And Fuze House from Miami is hosting a series of Pilates classes every weekend in the garden.

What’s your go-to meal at The Maidstone?
I love an early evening dinner in the garden. The Maidstone has a sense of place that’s distinctly, quintessentially ideal Hamptons, and you feel that above all else in the magical garden. It has the comfort of home, but you still get the action and excitement of seeing people dressed up and coming together. I’d start with an Aperol spritz, then order rosé to drink with a bright, light pasta, like the spaghetti alla Nerano, a dish that comes from the Amalfi coast and has zucchini and provolone del Monaco. Then, I’d get the sophisticated, indulgent Dover sole, and you have to order the strawberries with basil for dessert. After that, I’d go inside to the bar for a drink, which has creaky floors, a funky ceiling, two fireplaces, and a real soulful patina, followed by a cigars in the back garden.

John Meadow

Divine! What’s the scoop on your new Montauk project?
Yes, Barlume Beach at 435 East Lake Drive soft-opened on Memorial Day, and it’s on a unique site: six acres right on Lake Montauk, a 10-minute walk to the fantastic Gin Beach. There’s a lot of action on West Lake Drive, but East Lake is even farther and remote; we’re technically the easternmost restaurant on Long Island! We opened Barlume, a Mediterranean restaurant, in the Flatiron District last year. The word “barlume” means glimmer of light in Italian, and we serve light, sunkissed, healthy food in a communal, convivial environment. Barlume Beach is a 220-seat indoor-outdoor restaurant, with a huge outdoor dining area in the sand, plus an outdoor lounge, and a beach area with fire pits. You know that classic Hamptons idea of a clam bake on the beach? Apart from being cost-prohibitive for most, you don’t connect with other people. At Barlume Beach, you can literally take off your shoes, put your feet in the sand, and have that experience, but with a communal vibe. There’s also an adjacent fabulous outdoor nightlife tent, a glamorized disco version of a Moroccan Bedouin tent in Montauk.

So fun! How did you land on this concept?
Ultimately, our vision is the European beach club. There’s great restaurants and great nightlife in the Hamptons, but the beach club doesn’t exist, where you go with 10 people at 3 p.m. on a Saturday for a dinner feast, you keep ordering rosé, there’s a DJ and a real vibe; it doesn’t turn up to nightclub levels, but it’s a fun, social, European-style beach hangout. We also have 19 marina slips, 19 hotel rooms, and there will be some exciting sports and wellness, music, and retail pop-ups, too. It’s the whole package, with a laid-back, elegant European sensibility. I don’t want to do 100 restaurants in the Hamptons, but now I’m grateful to have my town center property with The Maidstone and beach property with Barlume Beach. It feels good. It feels complete.

The Maidstone

Beyond The Maidstone and Barlume Beach, what are your haunts Out East?
I love the Serene Green farmstand in Sag Harbor—I buy whatever fresh seafood they have—and Carissa’s is the best bakery out here by far. They sometimes make a chocolate baguette on Saturdays, and it’s insane. I love their miso chocolate chip cookie, too, and they import the best Portuguese and Spanish tinned fishes. Everyone loves Round Swamp Farm, but to me, Loaves & Fishes has the best prepared foods. They do a halibut salad sandwich on a croissant, and eating that on the beach is heaven. For shopping, Double RL Barn in East Hampton is one of the best retail experiences in America; I love its curation of vintage pieces, like watches and old military gear, and the barn environment is so great. It’s just such a unique place. And Lisa Crawford’s LSC Design runs estate jewelry sales by appointment only; she has a dreamy treasure trove of spectacular vintage jewelry.

Any go-to events of the season?
I love the South Hampton Fourth of July parade. It’s got such a sweet, multigenerational, small-town Americana feel.

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