Stayed for a cold winter weekend in February to get away. This is one of those reviews I hesitate…read moreto write because I don't want to let the cat out of the bag but we had a great experience. There are surely some nice places to stay in Newport but we wanted something a bit more eclectic and unique/boutique. When we saw the pictures of the decor and that each room was decorated uniquely, we were sold.
We learned when we arrived that this is operated almost like a bed and breakfast with Will and his partner as the hosts. Check-in is available until 8 p.m. and the hosts live on property and can texted or called with any needs after hours. Each morning a cold gourmet breakfast is provided with takeaway items. Everything is homemade and unique. There are no hot items such as breakfast sandwiches but you'll find poached pears, chia seed pudding, fruit cup, hard boiled eggs, etc. The breakfast items were a bit more sugar-centered than we normally eat, it was a nice treat/calorie splurge.
The room was spotlessly clean, as were the common areas. Hand sanitizer was located throughout the hotel and most guests wore masks. Little touches like free bottled water, french presses and coffee, and open cabinets for glasswear. They also had a wine hour with free glasses of wine. There is a big stone firepit with chairs which they will turn on when you want to use it. This was nice for a cigar and a glass of wine in the cold.
We stayed in the St. George Suite on the 3rd floor. It had some funky purple wallpaper and a mini-library/gas fireplace in the small sitting room area. It felt hip and eclectic and fun. The windows had water views in the distance which was nice. The room also had a Tivoli radio (unfortunately bluetooth connection was impossible) and a wall mounted tv. A skylight above the bed was nice but ensured an early morning wakeup as there was no way we could find to close it.
The bathroom shower was amazing. It was literally almost the size of our bedroom with 3 showerheads and a little thing with jets. It had a skylight so lots of natural light and a small bench. The white marble was classy and the water temperature was good. We loved the shower! The only thing we did not like about the bathroom is that it was right next to the bed which could potentially make things awkward soundwise.
The doors on the rooms also did not to much to protect the sounds. We could hear others' conversations clearly and were all 'treated' to quite the 2 a.m. lovemaking performance by our hallway neighbors. That was really the only fault we could find with our stay.
Overall, if you are looking for unique and classy, this is a great place to stay. The design elements are unique, the hosts are friendly and thoughtful and it's very comfortable and clean. It's one street's walking distance of the famous Cliffwalk (bring a mask, even though outdoors people wear masks in RI). You can drive or uber to downtown quickly and there are a few restaurants that are walkable.
I also will commend the property for not charging the ridiculous 'resort fees' or parking fees that many properties charge. I'd rather know the total price upfront vs. being charged $30 for wifi and newspapers and am glad this hotel doesn't do the resort fee nonsense.