Carpe Diem Guesthouse

Lovely property. Beautiful garden and spa. Solitude in central Ptown. Great breakfast and wine receptions at 5 daily. I only stayed one night but I didn’t want to leave. Great value. Highly recommended.

We really enjoyed our stay at this gorgeous guesthouse! The staff were incredibly kind, fun, and professional.
The night we arrived we had a little issue with our room and they responded right away and let us stay in a different room without any problems — not only that, Eddie and the staff were incredibly friendly about it. The rooms are very comfortable, cozy, and clean. The Eugene Oneill room was gorgeous with plenty of light and room for the two of us.
Our breakfasts in the morning were served by an amazing host. Day 1 was eggs Benedict and day 2 were Belgian waffles. Yum!
We used the spa facilities twice — they’re a small spa, but perfect for our mini vacation. We dipped in the hot tub, went in the steam room, dried up in the sauna and came out so refreshed and «zen».
Ptown has so much to offer and carpe diem is right in town center, in the perfect location. We are definitely going to return to this wonderful family!

I had a decently-​long day of errands and chores — and with the cold weather — decided it might be fun to try a day pass at the Carpe Diem Guesthouse Namaste Spa. Great call!
The facility was impeccably clean, serene and just what the doctor ordered. The staff could not have been friendlier and I was able to enjoy an off-​season discounted winter rate. There is nothing so relaxing as unwinding in an outdoor hot tub under the crisp, quiet, star-​filled winter skies of Cape Cod.
I’m definitely going back and hesitated to write this as I selfishly wanted to keep this little gem all for my self.

My husband and I traveled to Provincetown for Valentine’s Day weekend, and were lucky enough to stay at the Carpe Diem Guesthouse. It was truly lovely. The entire staff was considerate, helpful, and kind. We stayed in the Tennessee Williams room, which had just been redecorated, and it was beautiful. Soothing, comfortable colors with lovely accents. Breakfast was wonderful, too, Paul, one of the owners, described the offerings to us and was very welcoming and helpful. Eddie at the front desk the afternoon we checked in was also very informative and considerate. Only a few tiny things prevent me from giving it 5 stars — the room was very warm, and instead of being in the holder, the remote for the a/​c and heat was in the closet on a shelf, we didn’t see it until leaving. Although Eddie described almost everything to us as we toured the property, he didn’t mention the wine and cheese offerings that evening in the dining area, we saw them on our way out to dinner, and we certainly would have partaken had we known! The last, nothing really to do with the Carpe Diem, was that almost NOTHING was open on Commercial Street — we arrived in town around 1:30 p.m., and walked around as many other people were doing, but almost no stores or restaurants were open. It would be nice to have known that before hand. Overall, a wonderful escape for us and we certainly intend to come back again!
We heard about this beautiful inn from the website, Trivago. It was the only site that allowed us to book only one night, everywhere else there was a minimum of 2 nights, which didn’t work for us.

Wonderful Eddie!
I booked Carpe Diem at the last minute as a mini mini vacation before joining my friends for Christmas. I was very lucky.
The property is well wonderfully decorated and maintains a casual elegance while still providing superior up-​to-​date amenities. Fireplaces, fabulous beds, all day delicious coffee and wine, full made to order breakfast, steam room, two saunas and a hot tub.
All this comes with Eddie… The perfect host.
Don’t stay anywhere else in P-​Town.
Ps. Great location.

This is the next best place to heaven… as a matter of fact, it could be better. The management and staff take hospitality to the highest level.

Some sunny weather after a very long winter prompted my husband and I to take an overnight boondoggle to the Cape and we visited Provincetown for the first time. To our great delight, Carpe Diem had a couple of rooms open (this was a mid-​April trip so definitely on the shoulder of «the season»). What a wonderful, wonderful place. We were immediately made to feel at home with a friendly tour of the spa and the beautiful antique building. Nothing has been spared in terms of top quality furnishings and features — yet there is nothing fussy or austicious either.
On our way through the communal dining room, we were greeted by a smiling young chef who proudly presented some incredible homemade goodies she’d made for that evening’s wine and snacks event. As we chatted, she was winding fresh, homemade brioche dough into lovely, raisin studded breakfast buns the next morning. The whole kitchen and dining area smelled warm, inviting and just as if you’d stepped back into your favorite auntie’s kitchen after a long journey away from home.
We found our room (one of their «standard rooms») to be impeccably clean, comfortable and well maintained. The bed was so very comfortable and the fact the windows opened fully gave us an opportunity to enjoy the spring breeze. Again, not one detail overlooked including fresh robes and slippers to be worn to the spa downstairs.
The evening social event which starts at 5 PM is not to be missed — as other guests have noted. What’s different about Carpe Diem is that the actually have a staff host for this event — an engaging young man who was a great icebreaker and made all of us feel included and comfortable in the conversations. It was really fun! He was quick to help make dinner reservations for a couple who needed them and provided good information for us as to what to explore for our first trip to the area.
The next morning, after a blissfully uninterrupted sleep, we were greeted with a sideboard just groaning with earthly delights. Homemade granola and breads, sticky buns, cheese, roasted chicken slices and ham, yogurts, bagels. muffins — and yes. The freshly baked raisin brioche I saw being started the evening before. If that wasn’t enough, our chef invited us to choose Belgium waffles (with a side of freshly whipped cream and warm, clearly homemade strawberry sauce) or scrambled eggs. Or both. The coffee was hot and plentiful and the tea selection was outstanding. I have yet to have had a breakfast buffet to match Carpe Diem. Truly. Almost needed to go back upstairs and nap my hedonistic breakfast behavior off, but the sun, sparkly ocean, and spring day beckoned me outside to walk a few yards down to the fun of Commercial Street, Provincetown. What a great stay!
If I had any notes to folks considering staying that would be of consideration. The bathrooms in the main house are very small. Really small. This is an antique house and inside plumbing clearly not part of the original design. They are very well appointed, but if counter space, etc. is important, be sure to ask before you book the older rooms. Also, the ventilation fan, at least in our room, was automatically turned on when you switched on the lights in the bath. The fan is meant to pull out the steam — and it does so. But it’s really noisy. Was worried I was annoying neighbors having it on, but as I couldn’t hear their fan, I assume they couldn’t hear mine.
Another note — perhaps to management — is that I really would have loved to use the spa. It was absolutely stunning. But as a «woman of a certain age» the clothing optional part was intimidating. Might have been a time in my younger life — but for now I would have appreciated just a few hours during the day where a «cover that stuff up» rule could apply. Perhaps in the morning? Just a thought.
If you’re considering Carpe Diem — don’t hesitate. It truly was one of the best last-​minute weekend jaunts I’ve take in a number of years. Just GO!

Amazing place. Amazing Spa. Amazing team. Great place to relax. Breakfast is delicious and cooked in front of you. Perfection…

WOW! My husband and I spent two nights at Carpe Diem Guesthouse as part of our weeklong honeymoon. It was our first time in Provincetown (or Cape Cod, for that matter) and we were completely blown away by the experience at Carpe Diem.
We stayed in the Eugene O’Neil room, which is cozy but definitely space enough for two, and had all the amenities you’d want or need. The manager, Eddie, gave us a lovely tour of the property and spa when we arrived, and promptly booked us both massages for the following day within 10 minutes of us making an inquiry. The massages were excellent, and the spa itself was so tranquil — we enjoyed the steam room and sauna very much! The 5PM wine and cheese hour is the perfect way to ease from day to evening, and Carpe Diem really goes all out — six varieties of wine, an assortment of cheeses, crackers, nuts, and other snacks — and breakfast was equally ample and varied (a buffet, plus eggs cooked-​to-​order and a hot special every day). You could easily just eat, chill in the spa, eat again (and drink wine), and not leave the guesthouse until dinner. But if you do decide to head out, the staff is extremely knowledgable and helpful about the surrounding area, whether you’re looking for tips about shops, hikes, restaurants, etc.
In short: a lovely guesthouse, run by lovely, helpful people, that we can’t wait to visit again! Great value for your money and truly the kind of restful place that takes a vacation from excellent to stupendously awesome.

My husband and I have been going to Provincetown for more than 20 years. We were devoted patrons of the Brass Key Guesthouse since its opening. We have been disillusioned recently by changes that have been made there since Michael McIntyre sold the establishment and decided to try something new this time. We were allured by the reviews on TripAdvisor to try Carpe Diem, which turned out to be a big mistake.
Before booking our room, we called to ask about any noise issues with the rooms that were available. We were assured that the Ruan Ji Room was one of the quietest on the property (we now realize that the establishment was more interested in selling the room than being honest with us). When we arrived, we discovered that the windows of the Ruan Ji faced directly onto Bradford Street. When we commented to the guy that checked us in, he said «sorry» but assured us that «despite all the trucks and cars», that with the AC on, you couldn’t hear anything. Well, that proved to be completely wrong. The problem is that the hotel is located on the busiest street in all of Provincetown. 99% of the cars, buses, motorcycles, and delivery trucks for the town head down Bradford to turn onto Conwell to head to Route 6 — this is the main entry point for the entire town. The delivery trucks start before 6 AM and the traffic does not ease up until after 1 AM – it is bumper-​to-​bumper. It is very loud in the room and extremely disturbing (the windows are literally six feet from the street). Of course, there were no other rooms available and we were stuck. We were to stay for 4 nights but after the third night, we just could take it anymore and left early, losing our last night. We complained at the front desk when we checked out early that we had specifically asked about these issues when he booked the room. He argued with us that this was just like any other street in Provincetown (wrong!) and that somehow this was our problem — I have never had my concerns addressed by a hotel in such a rude manner. When you pay this much for a room, you expect far, far more.
The positives: the rooms are nicely furnished and very clean. The availability of cooked-​to-​order eggs at breakfast is a nice touch.
More minor negatives: the «clothing optional» policy at the spa makes it unusable if you don’t want to hang around with naked people (the Brass Key always limited this to a very isolated part of the compound that did not distract from the main amenities of the property, like the spa and pool); the bathroom window was a «tiffany» style window but had enough clear panes to make you an exhibitionist onto Bradford Street (we had to cover with a towel).
We will not be staying here again.

Being frequent travelers to PTown, we are so fortunate to have found Carpe Diem to become our home away from home. Having stayed in practically every room, our favorite is Raj Rao — the king size bed and proximity to the spa is a welcome comfort after a busy day in town. Both Raj Rao and Ruan Ji are surprisingly quiet considering the proximity to Bradford St — we have never been disturbed by street noise and both rooms are a nice retreat from the hustle and bustle of Commercial St. We love to meet other people, and the amazing breakfast and wine and cheese hour is a great place to get to know other guests from all over the world. The atmosphere lends itself to make you feel more like family than guests. Our arrival to friendly faces and the relaxed atmosphere completes our visit every time. Other luxury inns pop up in PTown all the time, but there is no other place we would rather stay!

Tranquility & positive, genuine interactions with the staff and ownership is the norm at this truly relaxing inn/​spa. A short walk from the wharf and right in the middle of the best part of Provincetown, the accommodations are clean, comfortable, and cozy. Our room had a private fireplace, huge bathroom, and was just steps from the spa and the breakfast area, where one of the owners prepares a delicious breakfast every morning, with many delicious options to choose from. The staff was great in providing dinner recommendations and was able to get us the best seats at many of the best restaurants. If you have an opportunity to stay here, I highly recommend it!

Don’t even question this place! I was so relaxed every moment I was there, and that was well worth the expense. We stayed in the James Baldwin and slept like babies. It is a great room w the fire place at your feet. When we walked in the room there was this lovely music playing, great touch.
They have a great wine and cheese spread at 5pm each day. My suggestion is to definitely be there to fully enjoy that and get to know the other guests. If I could do things differently I would have made my dinner reservations for like 7:45 so I could really linger and enjoy this.
Breakfast was nice, they have a special each morning or you can get eggs any style. They also have all the espresso, coffee and tea you could want.
At the check-​in desk they have free sherry and port, nice touch.
Did you know the spa are is clothing optional? Me neither. That was interesting. The facilities were really nice and we used them everyday.
Great proximity to the action on Commercial Street, yet surprisingly quiet at this place.
The staff are all of these adorable men. All kind and friendly.
Go, rest, and enjoy!

I stayed an extra night. And even then I didn’t want to leave. What does that tell you?
Carpe Diem is a wonderful space to relax and unwind. It’s quiet complex located near the bustle of Ptown, but you can feel like you are in your own secluded world if you like.
My room, the Eugene O’Neil, was a front-​facing room located on the first floor of the main guest house. There was very little commotion from the other guests, and it was a wonderfully relaxing room.
The general manager, Eddie, is the consummate host especially at wine and cheese hour where guests mingle and share stories. His ability to understand what guests need an any moment is impeccable.
And be sure to book a treatment at the Namaste Spa. It’s well worth the indulgence.

Absolutely fabulous… every minute was enjoyable. Fantastic service, food, lodging, massages, and facilities. Will be back as soon as is humanly possible!

Seriously. Seriously… I could live here!
Where to start. My boyfriend and I just celebrated our 3 year anniversary, and after a rather long and kinda stressful year, we felt the need to indulge and get out of the city. Thankfully, our good friend suggested Carpe Diem to us right away when we mentioned we wanted a BB spa-​resort kinda place. I checked out the website, liked it, called in, and got a reservation. No muss, no fuss.
First and foremost, the LOCATION. Right in the heart of P-​Town, just a 2 minute walk from Commercial Street, 5 minutes from the ocean… it’s quiet, it’s fabulous. My boyfriend and I are currently still here (couldn’t wait to write a review!) and it’s, you guessed it, late December. We wanted to go during a time when, truthfully, the rates were a wee bit lower and the crowds smaller. Coming from Boston, we didn’t want to travel too far, and this place was wicked easy to get to from the city. I would say about 2 hours without traffic.
This quaint, peaceful, and well-​kept property instantly mellows you out. You feel at home given the beautiful and serene ambience of the place. Very zen. It’s Christmas time, and Eddie (one of the managers) BEAUTIFULLY decorated the place head to toe with very tasteful decorations. Scented candles burning, beautiful holiday playing… you honestly can’t go wrong. I feel like I’m in a Home Goods catalogue living the freaking dream!
Oh yeah, and Eddie! Sweetest, kindest, most accommodating guy in town. His brother (and Carpe Diem’s slam-​bangin’ chef, Anthony) is just as sweet, kind, and accommodating. They instantly make you feel like family, not just guests. Whatever you need/​want/​crave they will go out of their way and make you feel like royalty. Other staff members, although I personally haven’t interacted much with them, always smiled and said hello to us. Everyone is just so wonderfully nice here.
The entire guesthouse is spotless — very clean, well-​kept, and smells amazing.
Ok, the food! Anthony makes breakfast — whatever you can think of, he can whip it up. Breakfast is ample with home-​baked fresh bread, pastries, cereals/​granola/​muesli, yogurt, fruit… oh my lanta, the tea! So much tea; fresh leaf tea of all kinds. And then the coffee, and the espresso machine! I done died and gone to heaven here. They also do wine and cheese hour (on them!) so you can chat with other guest mates, drink some high quality wine (red and white), and help yourself to an assortment of cheeses, olives, crackers, and other cocktail hour finger food. It’s a great way to socialize and get a nice buzz on before heading out for dinner. On our first night, my boyfriend and I, a straight couple but not that it matters, met two other couples (a lesbian couple and a gay couple — not that it matters lol) and we all hit it off so well at happy hour that we went downtown and got dinner together too! Had a night full of laughter and fun… all thanks to cocktail hour :)
Oh, and I must not fail to mention the spa. We treated ourselves to the steam room our first night, then got our massages the next morning… and followed that up with a Jacuzzi in the evening. Stressful year? What stressful year?! We haven’t felt this mellow and centered since… I don’t even know when.
I’m probably missing other great things about this place, but my boyfriend and I decided we are going to make this a yearly tradition, without a doubt. The people, the smells, the food, the ambience, the amenities… you just can’t go wrong. This is not at all a pretentious venue — you come as you are and you’re accepted as you are. This place definitely lives up to its namesake — Carpe Diem, seize the day! Not at all disappointed.

One of my very few, and far between, 5’s. Top to bottom extraordinary.
Two houses with a beautiful courtyard in the middle, with babbling brooks and beautiful background music.
Lovely and clean common areas.
Day spa, steam-​room, dry sauna, and Jacuzzi.
Most friendly and helpful staff. Wow, what a breakfast.
Very, very nice linens and amenities.
Member of the «Select Registry of Beds and Breakfasts». They should be proud to have them on their roster.
Seize the day and go. Will not disappoint.

I’ve stayed at Carpe Diem twice. The first time was 5 – 10 years ago, and i LOVED it, and thought it was the nicest B&B in P’town. Since then I have stayed at many other B&Bs and maybe my expectations have been raised, but Carpe Diem may also have lot just a tiny bit of it’s luster. (By comparison, I think the White Porch Inn across the street and the Brass Key are just slightly more polished, overall, but it’s a very close race with all three being in the top tier of P’town accommodations, and all highly recommended.)
But that’s not to say there aren’t great things about Carpe Diem! The rooms are relatively big, nicely furnished and not overly fussy, while still being elegant. The food and amenities are top notch, however.
We stayed in the William Shakespeare room which has lots of light (due to 3 exposures), high ceilings sittle area with fireplace. There’s a very cool porthole window on one wall. The room also has a Fridge and safe in room, as well as beautiful sheets and towels and nice bath products.
However, the tiny awkward bathroom was simply awful, with the toilet set in alcove barely bigger than it was, making it incredibly awkward to use. The shower was also on the small size. This is due to the layout of the room, and the need to shoehorn a small closet in, taking up part of the bathroom. (Other rooms have normal bathrooms, so this an aberration with this particular room.)
There was also a huge crack on the ceiling which is one of the reasons i say the place overall needs gussying up. Nothing huge, it just needs a little TLC to keep up with the other B&Bs in town.
Carpe Diem has a great breakfast, featuring home made items and custom cooked eggs, as well as port and sherry, Tea and coffee available 24 hours, as well as a wine and cheese hour each afternoon.
There is a hot tub with adjacent sauna and steam-​room free to use for guests.

Carpe Diem Guesthouse is the best hotel/inn/B&B I’ve ever stayed in. It is right off of the main strip in Provincetown but is very private and it truly feels like home. The inn keepers are amazing and all of the rooms are unique and spectacular in their own way. I loved the wine and cheese hour as well as the complimentary breakfast in the mornings… what more could you ask for?
My boyfriend and I are going back to stay in a couple weeks and we are so excited to make a return visit! :)

I love it here. Is so quaint and the owners make you feel like you’re home. Each room is very unique where you want to come back and check it all out. Their wine happy hour is great. It give you the opportunity to meet some great people and it also give you a head start for what Provincetown night life brings. It’s centrally located which give Carpe Diem a 5 star.
Another wonderful this is their breakfast every morning. They have fresh pasties out as well as cold cuts to go with your breakfast. In addition each morning they have a special using the freshest ingredients such as their home grown eggs and bread.
Coffee and tea is available ²⁴⁄₇ in their main house. Great place to visit.

Like this place needs another five star review…
Well here goes. My wife and I spent the first three nights of our honeymoon here recently, and we loved the whole experience. The location is fantastic: right near everything and yet somehow you feel away from it all when you’re there. The rooms are beautiful, and the staff are great. The basics are all taken care of and then some.
Beyond that, we loved the wine and cheese hour that they have each day. It was great to meet the other guests, many of whom had come from other countries (Germany, Netherlands, UK) and get to know people in a relaxing environment. The same goes for the breakfast, which was fantastic (a special each day, or eggs any way you like, plus a spread of meats, cheeses, fruit and breads/​bagels).
The spa was great, my wife and I each got massages and took advantage of the sauna and hot tub. We switched time between there and the adjacent courtyard, just a totally relaxing setup, and fun to wander around.
We loved it here, and even though it was a bit of a splurge, I find it difficult to imagine coming back to P-​town and staying anywhere else.

Great place. Very well done. We made our reservation late and were lucky to find a room at Carpe Diem — the Stanley Kunitz room.
We arrived and were greeted by Jared, a cute if not a little flirty manager which I found fun. He showed us our room which was nicely appointed with a balcony, kitchen at the top of a very steep staircase. He offered a tour of the rest of the property which was very well maintained including an attractive courtyard and a total of 3 (?) buildings all around the courtyard.
Bedding and towels were what I would expect of a top rate inn. The breakfast was very nice and certainly more substantial than a continental Each day included a special from the kitchen such as an omelet or waffles. The staff was gracious and helpful. When introduced to the breakfast crew, they asked what room we were staying in which I thought was just a point of conversation. Little did I know that I think it was so they could dispatch someone to freshen the room while we were at breakfast. They made dinner reservations for us one night after we learned that some of the nicer restaurants were hard to get into. The wine and cheese hour was nice and better than how another reviewer described. Not sure if it changed in the mean time but I found it to be a nice addition.
The one odd thing that I found were some explicit instructions about using the hot tub in the guest information book which included instructions to shower after between any bowel movement and using the hot tub and an admonishment not to use it if you have diarrhea. Probably good advice but odd.
Finally, the clientele is mixed — gay and straight. So, depending on what you’re looking for, this may or may not be for you.
All in all, a great experience and I would certainly return.