Last weekend, we headed up to Rhode Island to visit our son at school in Providence, and detoured to one of my all time favorite places - Newport, Rhode Island. We were away from home for all of 36 hours, but we packed a lot into a short amount of time and it really felt like a vacation!
We stayed at the incredibly elegant hotel,
The Chanler at Cliff Walk. Originally one of the grand "cottages" in Newport, The Chanler was the first mansion built along Cliff Walk, as the summer retreat for New York Congressman John Winthrop Chanler and his wife Margaret Astor Ward, great
granddaughter of the distinguished businessman and millionaire John
Jacob Astor. Today, staying at The Chanler is the closest you can get to experiencing life in the Gilded Age (unless you happen know someone who owns one of the few remaining mansions dotting the coastline).
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| Our Room - The Regency Room |
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Each of the twenty rooms are different - featuring interior design inspired by the "grand interiors of the past". We stayed in the Regency Room and it was absolutely stunning - with an elegant design with high ceilings and architectural details that truly made me feel as if I was a guest in one of the Newport mansions. We had a huge terrace that looked out onto the lawn with views to the ocean beyond. It was a gorgeous setting to say the least!
While each room is unique in style, they all offer gas fireplaces and luxuriously appointed bathrooms. Some rooms have ocean views and terraces, others are smaller with views of the gardens. This is one hotel where it makes sense to go through the photos on their web site and pick the room you love and book that exact room - everyone's taste is different and not all rooms will appeal to all people.
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| The Louis XVI Room |
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| The Renaissance Room |
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| The Georgian Room |
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| The English Trellis Room |
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| The Williamsburg Room |
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| The Martha's Vineyard Ocean Villa |
As its name implies, the
hotel is right at the start of the famed Newport Cliff Walk, offering direct access to one of the prettiest walking paths in the world, along
the rocky coastline of Newport. Beyond the beautiful interiors and killer views, The Chanler is also home to
The Spiced Pear - voted one of the most romantic restaurants in the country, as well as the The Veranda for breakfast and lunch; The Cliff Walk Terrace open during the summer season; and The Bar, a classic spot filled with mahogany and leather and famous for its cocktails. If you decide on a night on the town (or a day of shopping) the hotel offers a house
car to take you the short distance in and out of town - no need to for a designated driver or to hunt for a parking space.
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| The oceanfront fire pit is the perfect place for evening cocktails... |
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| What a perfect setting for a wedding! |
I took a ton of pictures on my phone and many of you saw them on
Instagram. Because we visited in early April before anything was in bloom (and the fact that I was using my iPhone), I decided to share the hotel's photos instead of my own. But after my visit, I can attest 100% that even these photos don't truly display the beauty of this lovely hotel - not to mention the genuine and attentive service of the entire hotel staff. You will just have to go visit it yourself!!
PS...I did snap this photo of the ladies' room in the lobby...isn't it pretty? :)
