Nantucket

Nantucket is beloved by many because nothing ever changes on the island—but change has been in the salty sea air since New England shopping mall billionaire and Nantucket devotee Steve Karp bought and updated the White Elephant, Wauwinet, and Jared Coffin House hotels (along with a few lower-profile properties). Now, Karp's building the White Elephant Hotel Residences, year-round condos that start at $1.5 million (508-638-2446; whiteelephanthotelresidences.com). The project is part of a wave of new accommodation styles on Nantucket, adding boutique hotels such as the Veranda House and Vanessa Noel Hotel, ultra-high-end timeshares, and luxurious home rentals to the stock of stately resorts (like the Wauwinet) and modest B&Bs. The ten residences of Harborview Place ($2.2 million to own, $495,000 for a one-eighth share), on the east side of town, come with a concierge and private beach (866-328-3725; harborviewnantucket.com). Cliff Road Estate, the newest addition to Time & Place Homes's stable of lavish rental houses, sleeps 14, backs up to a nine-acre park, and has a pool and a widow's walk. The cost: $35,000 a week in July and August (866-244-1800; timeandplace.com/locations/nantucket/cliffroad/). Too pricey? The Nantucket Lodging Association maintains a comprehensive list of all island accommodations and availability (nantucketlodging.org). High-season rates range from $450 a night for a typical hotel room to $1,450 for a two-bedroom resort cottage, and just over half that in the fall and spring. Keep in mind that three- and four-night minimums are de rigueur, reservations for high season are required at least four to six weeks in advance, and island rooms are generally small, even in the most expensive properties. If you want to try for a last-minute or single-night stay, the Visitor Services and Information Bureau updates a list of available rooms daily (25 Federal St.; 508-228-0925; nantucket-ma.gov). Most accommodations close in the winter.