Faraway is more than a place, it’s a mindset.
Faraway is a new lifestyle, boutique hotel brand located in Nantucket, MA. Created by Boston-based Blue Flag Partners, Faraway focuses on the redevelopment of existing “urban core” historic properties. The brand fuses locally rooted design with sophisticated hospitality offerings, catering to the young at heart.
Faraway Nantucket, a 62-key hotel and 140-seat restaurant and bar with additional retail offerings will launch this coming summer located on Centre St. in the heart of the Island’s downtown, taking notes from history.
“We drew inspiration from a story we created of a woman who grew up on Nantucket, stole away on a ship in her teens and then arrived back on the island decades later with her own ship, a pile of treasure and stories to tell,” said Jason Brown, partner, Blue Flag Partners. “We loved the idea of designing a space that felt as if she bought this old collection of houses in the center of it all, dropped her belongings (collected over the years on her rum and spice routes) and opened her eclectic residence to those looking for a bit of fun, a bit of inspiration and, always, a good laugh.”
Blue Flag continues its partnership with Life Hospitality, who will operate the property, and branding firm, LMNOP on the launch of Faraway Nantucket.
“We tried to pick pieces that reflect Nantucket, as well as the adventures of being at sea in general. Nantucket has this incredibly rich and diverse history as one of the most influential ports of the 1800s; we wanted to draw on that and combine it with the incredible pieces that our Captain might have brought back from her voyages around the world,” Brown added.
One piece of history in particular—literary history to be exact—resonated with the Blue Flag leaders, who made it their mission to create a hideaway reminiscent of one of history’s most profound leading ladies.
“Faraway is a bit of revelry tucked into a historic and refined collection of buildings; It’s like what we imagined might have happened back in the 20s in Gertrude Stein’s living room in Paris, but on an island,” said Brad Guidi, partner, Blue Flag Partners. “We also found ourselves re-reading A Movable Feast during the early days of quarantine and wanted to build on this idea of creating a place that felt like it embodied the entire soul of a city but was actually someone’s living room or garden.”
From reading Ernest Hemingway memoirs to creating stories of their own, Brown and Guidi translated all of their inspirations into the hotel’s design.
“The guestroom experience is light and airy with coastal details, inspired by the maritime adventures of an exotic Captain,” Guidi said. “The folly of quirky textiles and Objets d’art reflect the cherished treasures from her visits to tropical ports, now curated upon the Grey Lady. Her story unfolds within the walls of the 200-year old classic New England architecture. Getaways always center around two fundamental elements to us: one, using a residential-feel to convey a sense of comfort and safety both of which are crucial for those in a new place for the first time; second, creating intimate spaces for people to feel like they can own their experience. Overall, these are key pieces of an overarching idea for us: trying to use design (furniture, greenery, lighting, sound and scent) to deliver profound experiences through physical spaces.”
The indoor and outdoor public spaces serve as the heart of the property, Brown said. Additionally, the hotel has a new coffee bar, lounge and restaurant that spills out into a redesigned outdoor patio.
“Throughout both the public space and the rooms, we’ve created a trove of hidden gems to explore, each reflecting a small piece of the story behind our fearless Captain and the fellow travelers she encountered on her adventures,” Brown said.
