Steps away from the beach, shops and art galleries of Cape Cod stands an inn so special it was ranked by Trip Advisor as the number 1 most romantic hotel in New England.

The 1830s structure, renovated in creamy tones and modern coastal décor, has consistently attracted customers to its doors since husband-wife hoteliers Jeff and Kayla Ippoliti took over the property four years ago. Their dream was to “go big” in the quaint, seaside town they loved.

“My wife has a hospitality background and was studying to be a sommelier, and I had owned a restaurant in upstate New York, when the opportunity to come to Chatham, Mass. presented itself,” Jeff Ippoliti says. “I’ve loved Cape Cod my entire life, and we both wanted to be in Chatham, so when the property came on the market, even though it needed a full makeover, we decided to take the chance and open The Chatham Inn.”

Having done their share of traveling to boutique hotels, they took note of what worked and what didn’t. And after they purchased the 15,000 square-foot property at 359 Main St. in Chatham, set to work on creating an oasis for discriminating Cape Cod travelers.

“We gutted the entire property and started over,” Ippoliti says. “We did a total renovation, from all new plumbing and electrical, to an entirely new restaurant and wine bar that’s been so popular we’ve had to triple the size of the kitchen.”

In this week’s Q&A with Recipe for Success @ Boxerbrand, Ippoliti talks about the challenges and rewards of running a year-round inn on the sandy shores of Cape Cod.

Q: How does The Chatham Inn consistently rank so highly with guests?

We began by building the place that we would want to stay at. We kept a notebook of the thing we liked at other nice properties, and when we finally opened our own place, we took those great ideas and put them into one place. Our goal was to create the very best place in New England. We built something very romantic and comfortable, with incredible fine dining, a chic wine bar, and a casual bistro. Our rooms are decorated with incredible attention to detail, from our bathrooms, which feature solid onyx and marble, to wood-burning fireplaces in most of the rooms.

All of our guests are given a breakfast, which includes our fresh-baked pastries and a full off-the-menu selection of items. We also offer a turn-down service, welcome and departure gifts, and we place locally made dark chocolate truffles on the pillow.

Q: What has been your biggest challenge?

Everyone has the same challenge—building the right team and staff. Because it’s busier in the summer on the Cape, but we’re open year-round, the staff grows in the summer and shrinks in the winter. I’d say that’s the biggest challenge.

Q: What were the considerations when you remodeled a 200-year-old property?

It was truly time consuming, and being in a historic district, we had to work within the parameters of the historic committee. We worked to strike a balance between the old and new. So, for example we retained the hardwood floors, but added new furniture and a modern feel. The result was that we created a beautifully renovated and completely refurnished boutique hotel that has the finest amenities and luxurious appointments, and also blends historic and classic Cape Cod.

Our 5-star Inn has been rated number 1 Chatham, number 1 on all of Cape Cod, and is in the top 1 percent of all hotels in the world! —The Chatham Inn uses iCandy from Boxerbrand’s menu cover collection. Thank you!