Different and fun at the center of Nye Beach
This is a great little place to spend a few days escaping from the stress of life. It's not like any other hotel on the coast. This independently-owned hotel has a whimsical library theme, and each room (there are only about 20) is themed after an author, from Shakespeare circa 1600 to JK Rowling today. Everything is unique; no two rooms have the same colors, furniture, or lighting - it's all designed to take you into the world of the individual author.
Every single member of the staff was extremely nice, responsive with anything you needed, and knowledgeable about the area. The owners of the hotel work the front desk in person, seem to genuinely enjoy getting to know their guests, and are happy to explain how things work and how to find your way around the building, as well as recommend places to eat or drink in the neighborhood.
The hotel is well-cared for and clean throughout, but it is an old building, dating from 1912 (and it has always been a hotel). The stairs are steep and the ceilings are low. There are dings and dents and here and there a little peeling paint. But you will mostly notice the humorous works of art, the literary references, the vintage furnishing, the windows in public spaces on all levels overlooking the ocean, the comfy sitting areas inside and outside of the building, and the cozy library occupying part of the third floor and the attic containing many hundreds of books that you're welcome to sit down and read.
And in fact that is what many guests do. People find a sitting spot, switch on a lamp, pick up a book, read, and even catnap the day away in the library space. There's not much else to do in the hotel itself. There is no television, no wi-fi, no landlines, no DVD players - rooms are comfortable, but they are quiet quarters for sleeping, reading, or watching the ocean (which is visible to some extent from nearly all of the rooms, although only 3 face the ocean directly). Each room is also stocked with books by the author it's named for.
This being a 100+ year old hotel, the rooms are not large (with the exception of the 3 oceanfront rooms, which are very popular - book those far in advance if you want one), but they make the most of the space that's available. But each room is uniquely furnished, taking you into the world of each author's most popular works. I stayed in the F Scott Fitzgerald room, at the NE corner of the building, which had 3 windows and was a little larger than average. From there I had a good view of the ocean, the coastline, and the whole Nye Beach neighborhood. It was very quiet and I slept perfectly well.
You can't beat the location of this hotel. It's right in the center of Nye Beach, easy walking distance to coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and art shops. The hotel is directly on the ocean, and steps leading to the beach can be found practically right outside the hotel door. It is however, a lot of steps. A whole lot of steps. But it's worth it because it leads right to the center of Newport's best beach. And you can leave your car in the parking lot.
There is a restaurant on the lowest floor (i.e., a daylight basement that has perfect ocean views). The hotel includes breakfast with your room rate, which is served here, but you can also purchase a very nice dinner in the same facility. The rather structured and upscale dinner arrangement is somewhat incongruous with the informal vibe of the rest of the hotel, but if you're looking for a fine dining experience at least one night while you're in Newport, this is it. Allow plenty of time for dinner; this is not a rushed experience, but the service is spectacular and the food is excellent. You'll need to make reservations for dinner, but this time of year (March) you can usually make them same day.
There were very few negatives. Any building this age has its maintenance challenges, and the floors tend to creak and groan, the windows have seen better days, carpets look worn, the mattress was not the newest, the heating system in the library noisy. This is not a luxury property, nor does it have a lot of the amenities people take for granted with major chain hotels. No swimming pool, no fitness facility, no wi-fi, no room service. It's an early 1900s structure that does not hide its wrinkles under makeup. If you have difficulty getting around, you'll find the steep stairways and narrow passages and doors daunting. There are 5 or 6 hotel rooms on the main floor that largely enable you to avoid steps, but there are no elevators or ramps in the building.
While lots of classic authors are represented (Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Herman Melville, JRR Tolkien etc), there are relatively few contemporary ones or authors that younger generations relate to, and the clientele (when I was there) was predominantly a 55+ crowd. Some selective updating might be in order to capture the interest of a new generation of literati.
But for a quiet getaway and an out-of-the-ordinary experience this place is definitely worth trying. Oh, and in the JK Rowling room, there is of course a stuffed 3-headed dog.
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