About Orleans Waterfront Inn
The Orleans Waterfront Inn is an 1875 sea captain's mansion on the cove that opens into Nauset Harbor. It has a long local story: Aaron Snow ran a store here and built a wharf on Town Cove from the timbers of a wrecked ship, where the inn's back deck now sits. After he died in 1892 locals nicknamed the empty building "Aaron's Folly." It later served as a boarding house, gained two wings after World War II and became a hotel. Ed and Laurie Maas bought it in 1996 and restored it, and the walls are hung with oil paintings by Laurie's father, Clifford Gustafson.
The inn has eleven guest rooms on its upper level and is pet friendly. The hotel is open from May through October, and check-in runs from 3 to 10 p.m.
Downstairs are a waterfront dining room, a tavern and an outdoor deck over the water with clear side panels for weather. The menu centers on seafood such as lobster, clams and chowder, with seating Monday through Saturday from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on a first-available basis. In 2026 the dining room closed for the season after August 26 and is set to reopen in June 2027. The inn also hosts weddings and receptions.
Cape Cod Lavender Farm in Harwich is about 15 minutes southwest, close enough for a summer morning in the lavender before a seafood dinner on the cove.
What to do
- Stay in one of 11 rooms in an 1875 sea captain's mansion
- Bring your dog: the inn is pet friendly
- Eat lobster, clams or chowder on the deck over Town Cove (summer)
- Look for the Clifford Gustafson oil paintings around the inn
- Ask about weddings and receptions on the water
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Inn open May through October; restaurant open in summer (2026 dining season ended August 26; reopens June 2027)
- Hours
- Restaurant in summer: Monday–Saturday seating 4:30–8 p.m.; inn check-in 3–10 p.m.
Good to know
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Accessibility
- Guest rooms are reached by stairs and none are wheelchair accessible
- Reservations
- Recommended
Tips for your visit
- Guest rooms are up a flight of stairs and are not wheelchair accessible
- Restaurant seating is first available, so arrive early on summer evenings
- Call ahead if you will arrive outside the 3–10 p.m. check-in window
- Cancel before 6 p.m. on your arrival day to avoid a penalty
Pair it with a lavender farm
Cape Cod Lavender Farm · about 15 minutes away
Cape Cod Lavender Farm in Harwich is about 15 minutes southwest, an easy outing from a stay on Town Cove.
Getting there
Questions
Is the Orleans Waterfront Inn pet friendly?
Yes, the inn is pet friendly.
When is the inn open?
The hotel is open May through October; the restaurant runs in summer and reopens in June 2027.
Is the inn wheelchair accessible?
No. Guest rooms are reached by stairs because the building is historic.
How old is the inn?
It was built in 1875 as a sea captain's mansion.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Harwich & the Lower Cape, Massachusetts
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
