Newport, RI (May 28, 2020) – Centrally located on America’s Cup at Commercial Wharf, the newly built Hammetts Hotel welcomes travelers to the waterfront of Newport, RI, this summer. The 84-room boutique hotel has a distinctive presence in the heart of downtown Newport, providing guests with a sense of belonging immediately upon arrival and stunning views of the harbor and adjacent Newport Marina.
“The spirit of the hotel is a nod to Newport’s historic mercantile wharves in a modern context,” said Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality. “It is designed to welcome visitors and community with vibrant social spaces and stylishly comfortable guest rooms that convey a sense of arriving to ‘your place’ in Newport. It has been a privilege to be part of the project.”
Upon arrival, guests enter through double doors into the expansive lobby lounge. Sun-drenched with floor to ceiling windows, the space welcomes visitors with abundant seating artfully arranged for individuals to linger and small groups to socialize. The Murray and Sullivan rooms add equally inviting flexible meeting space of up to 800 square feet overlooking the Hammetts Hotel courtyard with doors that open up to the 9,000 square foot deck, but also offer privacy as needed. Rain’s Room is an elegant guest lounge at Hammetts that honors Lorraine Kane (Rain), the remarkable matriarch of the Kane family, developers and owners of Hammetts, who passed away in 2019. A commissioned portrait of Rain by Nicholas Lima will hang in Rain’s Room.
Designed by Union Studio Architecture & Community in Providence, RI, the top two floors of the hotel house forty-two guest rooms per level ranging in size up to 560 square feet for suites. Room categories include: Queen Twin Room, King Room, The Maritime Suite, The Commerce Suite, The Exchange Suite, and The Mercantile Suite.
With interiors by international design firm DiLeonardo, the guest rooms draw from Newport’s seafaring heritage with a fresh color palette of grays, crisp whites, unfinished woods, and pops of reds and navy. Adding an industrial chic style are antiqued black iron sconces, polished nickel pendant lamps, and touches of wood to accent the room décor. Statement headboards are upholstered in dark navy fabrics then framed with black iron and distressed leather straps. The beds are Serta Presidential Line outfitted with luxury Mascioni linens. Wood sliding pocket doors provide access to private bathrooms with sleek subway tiled walls, luxury wooden plank vinyl floors, and contrasting black matte fixture finishes. The walk-in showers feature Lockwood New York organic hand-crafted bath products.
“As a new hotel in pre-opening phase, we are implementing the highest standards of both operational and cleanliness procedures which will lay the groundwork for consistent safeguards to ensure the health and safety of both guests and employees,” said general manager Randi Milewski. “We look forward to welcoming the community and travelers to ‘their place’ in Newport.”
The restaurant Giusto at Hammetts Hotel is scheduled to open this summer. Chef Kevin O’Donnell, a Rhode Island native, returns home after working in Boston as a chef and partner at SRV, which won numerous accolades including a nomination from The James Beard Foundation for Best New Restaurant in the USA. Giusto will be open seven days a week and features a private dining room, semi-open kitchen and an outdoor bar. The cuisine will focus on regional Italian dishes with playful Rhode Island touches. To complement the food, the bar program will offer a mix of classic and freestyle cocktails, beer from local breweries, and a predominantly Italian wine list with plenty of natural selections. The restaurant is partnering with local farms and producers to support as many small businesses in the area as possible.
Amenities of Hammetts Hotel include a private deck for guests to enjoy, a full-service waterfront restaurant, fitness center, flexible gathering spaces, and valet parking with seasonal rates. Summer rates starting at $300 per night; winter deals as low as $104 per night. For additional information and reservations, please visit www.hammettshotel.com.
