Accommodations range from small motels to extravagant resorts to tiny historical inns, but they all have one thing in common: In summer, they require 2- and 3-night minimum stays.
Campgrounds
Hither Hills State Park, Montauk (tel. 631/688-2554), is a gem of a beach park without the pretension of the Hamptons. It also has a rarity: camping just steps from the 2-mile-long white-sand beach. A campground in chic East Hampton seems like an anomaly (and it is), but Cedar Point County Park (tel. 631/852-7620) is set in a densely wooded area of East Hampton overlooking the Long Island Sound. The 190 campsites, which are a few minutes' walk from the water, can be used for tents and campers, though none have electric hookups.