Trip to Newport, Rhode Island with Lark Hotels

December is my favorite month– so festive and busy and bright (lights that is, because actual daylight is scarce). I am a huge Christmas nut and enjoy getting in the spirit in any and every way. December is also my and ASR’s birthday month, so it involves a lot of merry-making all around. Growing up, my parents used to take me to a New England inn every year for my birthday. It was always a special weekend and I have so many happy memories from those trips. We were big on local weekends away — a long trip is incredible for sure, but requires more money be spent and more time away from work; as such they tend to be infrequent for most of us. However, sometimes going an hour or two away for the night is all it takes to feel restored.

Adam and I have gotten in the habit of these mini-retreats as well– Portsmouth and Ogunquit have become annual traditions– and this year, thanks to Lark Hotels, we added another New England city to the list. Newport, Rhode Island! And in keeping with childhood tradition, we went away for my actual birthday to stay at The Attwater.

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Located centrally off of Bellevue Street in the historic district (and only blocks from the harbor), you can ditch the car and walk around town if you like. We did that during the day, but at night we caved and took an Uber to dinner because of the wind!

You walk in the front door and immediately see a driftwood table with newspapers against the prettiest blue geometric wallpaper (one of my favorite things about Lark Hotels is the design– hands down, Rachel Reider is a visionary genius).

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To the right is the main sitting room, and it was all done up for Christmas! However, in keeping with the modern nautical aesthetic of the hotel, the holiday decor had a flavor all its own. I loved the orange and blue color palette, as well as the rope mirror and the electric fireplace. The patterns and textures play together so well– it’s the level of funky and cohesive I aspire to mimic!

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To the left, is the dining area (for having free breakfast or all day coffee!) with blown glass chandeliers and more lovely wallpaper, as well as the location of the front desk. Check-in was a breeze and, as a bonus, they were able to accommodate our early arrival (we wanted to get to town and figured we’d see if our room was ready). We were handed the keys to room 24, a code for the front door since it’s locked after 8p, a parking pass, a paper map with some suggestions starred and circled AND an iPad to use during our stay, which was fully loaded with information on the hotel and the city!

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We walked up to the second floor (there is no elevator, so if mobility is an issue, be sure to call the hotel before booking to see if they can accommodate a lower level room) where we were greeted with a bright and beautiful seating area! I would kill for something like this in my home, I’ll tell ya.

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 We were thrilled to see what our room would look like! Naturally, it didn’t disappoint. Beautiful and unfussy, bright and welcoming, we were giddy upon entry.

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There was a fridge (for chilling birthday champagne!), a Keurig, a TV, a radio, a hairdryer, loads of bathroom toiletries, robes and even a hidden power strip next to the bed for charging up all your electronics while you sleep.

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After basking in our digs some more, we took off on a walk (so.cold.) to scope out the off season in Newport. We had dinner reservations for later and brunch reservations for Saturday, but no plans for lunch. We were about to lose our noses to frostbite, so we popped into Busker’s, an Irish pub, to get out of the elements. Turned out it was a great call! Our food (fish and chips for me, beef stew for ASR) was a hit and my sangria was festive.

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Once we were fed and warm, we were ready to brave a walk down Thames Street for some shopping! There are plenty of names you’d recognize, but also a bunch of small businesses and that’s where we visited. After poking around for a bit, ASR insisted we go to Cupcake Charlie’s and I thought we’d each get one, but he wanted us to pick out 6– so we did! My favorite was the Funfetti and the Carrot Cake, but they all were divine. Made fresh daily to boot!

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We headed back to get the car and went for a sunset ride down Ocean Drive. Seriously can we talk about #goals? I hope the people who own these properties count their blessings daily! As it was getting dark, we went back to the room to get ready for dinner and pop the Chloe prosecco open before dinner at 22 Bowens.

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Every time we mentioned we had reservations there, everyone told us we’d love it and they were right! Voted the best steakhouse in RI, I had the best filet mignon of my life and my handsome date had the redfish with lobster meat. We split a gingerbread cheesecake, with a candle, for dessert (so much sugar that day, ah!). It was a great vibe, special but unstuffy and we both said we’d love to go back.

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After-dinner drinks were just across the way at the very festive Clarke Cooke’s and then we were ready to hit the hay.

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Back at The Attwater, the bed was AMAZING! We stayed in a deluxe king room and the large bed was just the right firmness for a great sleep. In fact, we’re both early risers, especially my better half, and we slept until almost 9! I would say most of that was due to the comfort level and not the celebrating the night before haha.

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We got ready for the day and went downstairs for some breakfast bites! I loved the PB&J oats and he was a fan of the melon and cinnamon bread. Since they were small plates, you can decide how hungry you are and there was a nice variety even though we were catching the tail end.

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Reluctantly, it was time to leave, but checkout was a breeze. All of the staff I interacted with was the ideal mix of available and friendly, without being obtrusive. We felt like we had the place to ourselves which was so special. Things like that do matter! We both would love to go back, especially in the warmer weather (we could make use of the large outdoor seating area off of the second floor then too)!

Before heading back to Boston (only 1.5 hour drive away), we went to brunch at The Grill at Forty 1 North. Wow, what a view for a meal! Located on the water, with loads of windows, we could truly enjoy the epic view without the cruel winter winds blowing. We both ordered the unique yellowfin tuna club, which included basically all of my favorites– tuna, avocado, perfectly cooked bacon, brioche bread– and ASR said it was the best club he’s ever had. I agree!

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 After a little more exploring down Thames Street, it was time to say goodbye to the one of a kind city of Newport. I have been there several times over the years, but this was my first overnight stay believe it or not! Thank you times a million to Lark Hotels, who made this birthday trip possible. While they hosted us, all opinions are my own and I am genuinely a big believer in their properties. They are boutique hotels with character who clearly take into account the area they are located in.

ASR and I have previously stayed (not sponsored) at The Hotel Portsmouth, another Lark Hotels location, the past three years and plan to go back again in February. We are now more positive than ever that we would like to visit all 18 (19 by Spring 2017) properties; all but two of them are in New England so it seems pretty doable. Two down, the rest to go!

Have you ever been to Newport? What are your favorite spots?