For Tara Poulakis, The Hampton Maid is home.
This family-run boutique hotel nestled in Hampton Bays on Long Island has been operating since 1959. Poulakis has been part of the family business as far back as she can remember but officially took over the reins in 2019.
“I spent my life learning the business," she said. "Between the ages of 16 to 20, my grandmother taught me guest relations. And from 20 to 30, my grandfather taught me the financial side.
“My parents spent the last decade passing on their vision and passion, empowering me to push forward as I take over. I'm now ready to take everything I’ve learned and realize my own vision: keeping our family values while elevating the hotel and restaurant into a top-notch, quiet-luxury destination.”
The 13-acre property boasts accommodations ranging from windmill rooms to spacious LEED-certified suites. It is also the home to the dining destination R.AIRE, run by chef Alex Bujoreanu. The restaurant offers a variety of options including breakfast, a Spanish-inspired a la carte menu including tapas and paellas, and a chef’s tasting menu for the adventurous food lover.
The restaurant will host several wine dinner series throughout the season, beginning with a special Spanish wine dinner May 12 with Luis Manuel of Spain’s Bodegas Bagordi and a summer cookout Aug. 18 featuring a whole pig, paella and live music with Los Cintron, a Gypsy Kings cover band.
“I realize that third-generation family businesses often have challenges, but I'm determined to change that" Poulakis said. "I believe we can set the stage for my own children, the fourth generation, to succeed on their own terms."