Locals in preppy coastal town are outraged over plans for gaudy new hotel where cheap rooms and bright decor go against the grain

The opening of a gaudy new resort in a quaint coastal town has raised eyebrows among locals who are used to quiet luxury. 

Linchris Hotel Corporation are opening the new tropical-themed Margaritaville Resort Cape Cod in Hyannis this summer. 

They plan to offer more affordable family fun that will 'seamlessly blend together [our] brand inspiration with the surrounding destination and community.'

But some locals say the resort chain's palm tree wallpaper and frozen margaritas are at odds with the Cape's laid-back preppy aesthetic.

Local restaurateur Bob Jarvis told The New York Post: 'Other towns on the Cape would never allow anything like this.'

Linchris Hotel Corporation bought the property from the Cape Codder Resort & Spa, a beloved family-owned operation that had been there for 47 years, in 2022.

The new owners are based in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and own several other properties in New England. 

There are 40 Margaritaville resorts and hotels across the US with 20 others in the works. 

Chief marketing officer Tamara Baldanza-Dekker told The Post: 'I think we're most excited to open our first lodging location in New England. 

'It's such a perfect fit for us as a brand given the elements of escapism and ties to the beach and the sea.'

The 272-room, 18,000 square feet resort will have meeting and event spaces, a water park, a spa, a pickleball court and two restaurants and bars. 

But some have turned their noses up at renderings of the hotel which show a brightly colored, festive resort with ocean motifs and neon signs. 

A giant blue flip-flop stands in the lobby of the hotel, while surfboards and fake palm trees adorn the interiors.  

Jarvis told The Post the plans don't fit with the resort's location. 

He said: 'You're not near the water, but you are a block away from an Olive Garden and you're dead-center in Hyannis, which is a city.

'Other towns on the Cape would never allow anything like this, but big chains are kind of their forte in Hyannis. 

'This wouldn't fly in Chatham or Wellfleet or Falmouth or Sandwich.' 

Jarvis said the owners will struggle to find staff to work at the hotel. 

He said: 'In the olden days you'd get a bunch of college kids from UMass Amherst who would rent a cottage and work in the restaurants and have a great summer.

'But all those little cottages have been gobbled up and turned into VRBOs and Airbnbs. 

'It's changed the game drastically … Good luck to 'em if they're trying to get help around here.'

Despite the grumbles, the hotel promises to offer something different in an otherwise inaccessible market. 

The full-service resort is accepting reservations from the last week in August with rates starting at $368 a night for a standard king room. 

In comparison, a night at the Chatham Bars Inn for the same dates starts at $1,210.

Jarvis said: 'I think they'll do fine in the summer months if they can get those young families looking for something affordable. But winters here can be long, especially when your customers go down to Florida for the season.'

Not everyone is opposed to the new resort, resident Sharon Hyatt, 79, has frequented the Cape her entire life and is welcoming the new relaxed, fun aesthetic. 

She said: 'People looking for that 'Old Cape Cod' feeling probably won't like it.

'But for a younger generation that wants to party, have margaritas, and have a good old time like in Southern Florida, they might like it. 

'If you don't like it, you don't have to go.'