Lovingly renovated old buildings are beautiful reminders. They provide a sense of place and an appreciation of a long-gone style. Those buildings can also be a doorway to another world, influenced by luxurious furnishings and creative food that provide an escape from the frenetic pace of life. It is that way with the Wildset Hotel in St. Michaels.

The Wildset Hotel campus contains multiple historic yet thoroughly renovated structures on Talbot Street, the main artery that runs through the town. The owners are young and vibrant members of the Erkiletian family, successful Washington, D.C., real estate developers. The rugged beauty of the Eastern Shore has captivated the family’s attention for 40 years and birthed the idea of this restful escape.

The Wildset is beautiful — worldly but approachable. That is obvious from one glance. There is no pretense in the furnishings or the attitudes of the staff. The experience is still meticulously designed to reflect grace and beauty. Details of handcrafted tiles, natural fabrics, custom furniture, and brass and pewter accents provide a welcoming tactile experience. The clean, light-flooded rooms also offer the technological amenities any guest may need. One would expect that a hotel in a laid-back resort town like St. Michaels would bring many tourists, but locals also use the hotel as an extension of the homes, their out-of-town guests frequently staying in one of the 34 rooms. Some visitors, like Brian Ball, the well-traveled Wildset general manager, even have become locals. His reason is simple: “I fell in love with St. Michaels.”