Newport hotels

One of the best hotels in Newport and part of the Auberge collection, this classic property is where you’ll find the most interesting people. Set right in the heart of the city centre, you can walk to pretty much all the restaurants, bars and ice cream spots around town from here.

The hotel has a range of guestrooms and suites to choose from, all newly renovated and carefully curated. My favourite is the Alfred Suite, where I curled up by its custom bookcase with a warm blanket one wintery weekend as the fog rolled in.

The hotel’s downstairs bar and various eating establishments are always filled with an international crowd. As the social darling of the town, you’ll always find something fun going on here – I love playing a game of Mahjong in the Private Dining Room on Sunday afternoons. Don’t miss the rooftop bar, with its epic views across the water.

Located at the famed Cliff Walk, this glamorous boutique hotel is a converted Gilded Age mansion and Newport’s only 5-star property. Cliff Walk is your ticket to seeing all the mansions from the ocean side, and from here you can also walk to town easily, or straight down onto First Beach.

One of the best hotels in Newport for luxury lovers, The Chanler has just 20 beautiful rooms, all decked out in old-world opulence. The fine dining restaurant, Cara, offers stellar ocean views and serves only the finest New England ingredients.

I particularly love the bar here, where the bartenders will happily share all the local legend stories and gossip about this historical manse. If you want to learn even more about the hotel’s storied past, they also have a cultural ambassador that does fireside chats about the history of Newport society.

The Castle Hill Inn is set on a 40-acre estate facing the ocean by Narragansett Bay. Established in 1875, this gorgeous spot is a bike ride out of town but feels like another world altogether. Even if you’re not staying at this Relais & Châteaux property, anyone can come and sit on an Adirondack chair on their stunning lawn.

The guestrooms are as swish as you’d expect, either in the grand old house, where you’ll find suites with giant bathtubs, down at the private beachfront in a cottage (very doggie friendly), or in the quaint Harbor Houses, where Grace Kelly famously stayed. For something truly unique, the Turret Suite is where to live out that New England fantasy.

As well as offering fantastic dining at on-site restaurant Aurelia, the hotel is also home to my favourite spa in town.

This romantic boutique property set in a classic Victorian mansion is just steps from the Cliff Walk. If you want to be close to all this little town has to offer without being right in the heart of the action, this is one of the best hotels in Newport.

There are just 16 guestrooms and suites to choose from, all of which are elegantly decorated. One my favourites is the Atlantic Suite in the Cottage Suite building, which has a four-poster bed and its own little deck for summer evenings.

I love that the hotel is just a five-minute walk from First Beach, where you can watch the surfers zipping in and out of the waves. Breakfast is served on the veranda each morning, and this is a great place to meet other guests. I also love that the hotel is dog-friendly, with plenty of outdoor seating spots.

With just seven rooms, this whimsical property dates back to 1880 and is located in the heart of the city centre. This is one of the best hotels in Newport if you want to be able to walk to the beach, the harbour or the Cliff Walk.

The sweet guestrooms and suites are all named after famous women from Rhode Island. My favourite is the Catherine Williams room on the third floor, which has a clawfoot bath – she was a writer and a leading figure in the Dorr Rebellion in support of universal suffrage.

Chart House Inn serves breakfast (with the best coffee, courtesy of Parlor out of New York) and afternoon tea on the porch, along with a selection of games. The same owners also have Stoneacre Brasserie and Stoneacre Garden a quick walk away – both are well worth checking out.

If you’re after a luxury waterfront experience, The Brenton is one of the best hotels to go for. From here you can enjoy fantastic views across the harbour while still being in the midst of all the action.

There are 57 rooms and suites, all with big windows overlooking the town or its storied harbour. Despite being a big hotel, it has a charmingly residential feel, with the suites offering full-service catering. When the stormy weather comes in, cosying up in a suite – with added in-room spa services – is just what you need.

My favourite part is the hotel’s Living Room area, where you can sit at the bar and chat with locals, and the rooftop is another great spot. Don’t miss the chance to head out on the hotel’s 36’ Hinckley Picnic Boat for a sunset sail with friends.