Wasting away again in … Hyannis?
Soon, you’ll have the chance to channel your inner Jimmy Buffet, kick back, and slurp as many frozen margaritas as you’d like at the new Margaritaville Resort Cape Cod. Set to open in Hyannis this summer, it marks the brand’s first foray into New England.
But not all locals are vibing with the forthcoming tropical-themed resort.
That’s because for 47 years, they knew the premises at 1225 Iyannough Road as the Cape Codder Resort & Spa, a family-owned operation run by one of the Cape’s most beloved small business families. So when Catania Hospitality Group sold their flagship resort in 2022, it was a sign that things on the Cape were about to change forever.
The property’s new ownership, Linchris Hotel Corporation, hails from nearby Plymouth, Mass., and owns several other properties in summery New England locales, including the Brass Key Guesthouse in Provincetown, Mass., and the Pleasant View Inn in Westerly, RI.
Turning the Cape Codder into a Margaritaville, however, has come as a bit of a curveball for some. Renderings of the property show design details that feel decidedly at odds with the Cape: There’s a giant blue flip-flop statue and palm tree wallpapering in the lobby, and artwork of what appears to be a parrot flying by a Maine lighthouse in the bedrooms.
Margaritaville’s strategy with Cape Cod is to “seamlessly blend together [our] brand inspiration with the surrounding destination and community,” said chief marketing officer Tamara Baldanza-Dekker. “Overall, I think we’re most excited to open our first lodging location in New England. It’s such a perfect fit for us as a brand given the elements of escapism and ties to the beach and the sea.”
The problem is, most locals don’t associate 1225 Lyannough with either of those things.
“You’re not near the water, but you are a block away from an Olive Garden and you’re dead-center in Hyannis, which is a city,” said Bob Jarvis, a local restaurateur whose Jarvis Group owns The Pilot House in Sandwich, and the Quarterdeck and Bucatino in Falmouth.
“Other towns on the Cape would never allow anything like this, but big chains are kind of their forte in Hyannis. This wouldn’t fly in Chatham or Wellfleet or Falmouth or Sandwich.” And it’s not just about taking umbrage with Margaritaville’s decidedly Floridian ethos.
Beyond aesthetic concerns, the 272-room Margaritaville is sure to face the issues that plagues so many seasonal resorts: hiring and housing seasonal staff.
“The Cape has changed, like everywhere,” said Jarvis. “In the olden days you’d get a bunch of college kids from UMass Amherst who would rent a cottage and work in the restaurants and have a great summer, but all those little cottages have been gobbled up and turned into VRBOs and Airbnbs. It’s changed the game drastically … Good luck to ’em if they’re trying to get help around here.”
“[New England’s] such a perfect fit for us as a brand given the elements of escapism and ties to the beach and the sea.”
Tamara Baldanza-Dekker, chief marketing officer at Margaritaville
There might be a silver lining, though: Margaritaville Cape Cod may be able to offer a competitively priced, full-service resort experience in an otherwise rich market. The resort is accepting reservations from the last week in August, starting at $368 per night for a standard king room. A similarly sized room at the tony Chatham Bars Inn over the same dates starts at $1,210.
Pair those room rates with Margaritaville’s 18,000 square feet of meeting and event space, water park, spa, pickleball court and two food and beverage outlets. Still, some locals are feeling leery.
“I think they’ll do fine in the summer months if they can get those young families looking for something affordable,” said Jarvis. “But winters here can be long, especially when your customers go down to Florida for the season.”
Others seem to be more welcoming. Self-proclaimed “snowbird” and Florida resident Sharon Hyatt, 79, has frequented the Cape her entire life, and is looking forward to finding a taste of Margaritaville’s laissez-faire atmosphere up north.
“People looking for that ‘Old Cape Cod’ feeling probably won’t like it,” said Hyatt. “But for a younger generation that wants to party, have margaritas, and have a good old time like in Southern Florida, they might like it. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to go.”
