Grand waterfront mansions straight out of the Gilded Age? Check. A nautical heritage that draws the world’s greatest sailing and yachting enthusiasts? Check. Geography so dramatic it has set the scene for several famous films? Check.
Anyone looking for a uniquely New England experience will find it in Rhode Island’s treasure by the sea, and around every turn nowadays, there’s also something new or improved in store for visitors and groups.
“While many places have become very homogeneous, we are still very much a destination that promotes its uniqueness and authenticity,” says Evan Smith, president and CEO of Discover Newport. “It’s the uniqueness of our geography, our history and our venues.”
The diversity of venues and experiences is what sets Newport apart for meetings, according to Smith.
“Our venues are one of our strengths for meetings when you consider all of the wonderful off-site functions and activities that can happen in places like the Newport Mansions, where you can do off-site dinners, soirees and theme parties, or on classic yachts or at Fort Adams, the largest colonial fort on the American East Coast and an awesome venue for functions and theme parties.”
Traditions Restored
The destination has long been a favorite for attendees seeking these types of distinctive New England experiences, yet Newport is always improving upon its riches.
“A lot of people have been to Newport and love it, but when we consider ways to keep bringing them back, it’s with projects like the renovation of the International Tennis Hall of Fame Museum,” Smith says.
The venue, a historic icon of Newport, just spent nearly $4 million on a renovation, which made its museum more consumer-friendly, contemporary and interactive.
“It just reopened and it looks spectacular,” Smith says. “What a special place to have evening cocktail parties, dinners and tennis competitions for meeting groups—creating a mini Wimbledon on the grass courts.”
Meanwhile, Newport just unveiled the Audrain Automobile Museum, housed in a completely renovated space originally constructed in 1903. Featuring a collection of more than 112 of the rarest vehicles in history, which are showcased in changing exhibits based on themes, the venue provides a remarkable backdrop for events.
Smith says the museum is a welcome addition in a destination that has been losing some of its treasured, event-ready cultural institutions to private sales. The list includes Hammersmith Farm, which went from being an attraction to being a private home again; Beechwood Mansion, which was open to the public before Larry Ellison bought it and turned it into a private home; and Belcourt Castle, which was purchased by Carolyn Rafaelian, founder of Alex and Ani jewelry line (although she and her partner, Joe Triangelo, are restoring it to its former glory, and have said they plan to reopen it to the public for tours and special events).
Latest Lures
“Since we’ve had some of our famous museums go private on us, we’ve been very concerned with what we are doing to reinvent ourselves,” Smith says. “And so the number of on-water options has grown significantly, along with walking tours and other tours.”
New options, all of which make for culturally rich group excursions, include lobster boat tours and movie tours aboard a 25-seat luxury coach, which will have movie screens showing clips of films set in Newport (The Great Gatsby and Amistad, among numerous others) in between famous filming stops. New walking tours are also on the agenda.
“We’re blessed with a lot of walking tours,” Smith says. “We still have our colonial and graveyard tours, which are very popular, but new this year are some food tours where you go to unique restaurants, learn about their philosophy and specialty and sample the food. If you asked me the one thing that has changed in Newport the most in the last five years, my answer would be the dining scene—it has just become unbelievable.”
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Deliciously Diverse
One emerging area that is experiencing an influx of new restaurants and other establishments is Broadway, which was the original gateway into Newport. It fell into disrepair for a time and is now experiencing a renaissance.
“We have a lot of people now fully committed to serving the freshest, farm-to-table food and unique cuisine,” Smith says. “The Broadway food scene, for example, is extraordinary.”
Broadway connects to Washington Square, the original cultural center of the city, and Smith says the Opera House Theater on Washington Square is being restored.
“It’s great to see it all emerging with new energy, new sidewalks and landscaping, and new restaurants,” Smith says. “So something old is becoming something new again.”
Outside of town, there are plenty of culinary offerings as well, including Newport Vineyards in Middletown, which just finished a renovation and opened Brix restaurant, and the town of Bristol, a hot spot for dining, according to Smith.
“Bristol is one of the prettiest towns in Rhode Island, and for a town of Bristol’s size, it has amazing restaurants per capita,” Smith says. “So people love to go up there for lunch or dinner and have an outing—same with Jamestown. In Bristol, DeWolf Tavern [attached to Bristol Harbor Inn] is one of many fabulous restaurants.”
Smith says attendees heading to Bristol can also check out Colt State Park, Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum, and Herreshoff Marine Museum and America’s Cup Hall of Fame.
Hotels Transformed
Back in Newport, the theme of reinvention continues on the lodging scene.
Newport Marriott just finished a $35 million renovation that included all 320 guest rooms and suites, common areas and function space. Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel and Spa just completed a $9 million renovation that included enhancements to the property’s 257 guest rooms and suites, as well as the lobby and public areas.
“Most properties are really on the top of their game right now—very spiffed up and looking sharp,” Smith says.
Newport Marriott and Hyatt Regency are the two largest meetings properties in town, followed by the Hotel Viking and Newport Harbor Hotel.
“Hotel Viking has 220 guest rooms and great meeting space,” Smith says. “While the Marriott and Hyatt are contemporary hotels, the Hotel Viking is a classic Newport landmark that has a lot of character.”
Meanwhile, Smith says Newport Harbor Hotel, with 133 guest rooms, is smaller but its location is one of the best in town, with the harbor on one side and downtown, with all of its retail stores, on the other.
Newport’s ideal group size is 300, although if groups are split between two or three properties, the destination can handle 400 to 600 attendees.
Smaller groups can head to one of Newport’s many stylish boutique properties, the newest of which is Gilded, a Lark Hotels addition with 17 designer rooms. Smith says other top boutique offerings include Castle Hill Inn, Vanderbilt Grace, Francis Malbone House and The Attwater.
Groups in the 2,000- to 4,000-attendee range can gather at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.
“One of the trends we see is that attendees convening in Providence want to see Newport,” Smith says. “We’re 45 minutes away, so they come here pre- or post-convention, many times with their spouse, and stay for a couple of days for a great New England experience—the Cliff Walk, the Newport Mansions, food, biking, walking tours, harbor tours. The more authentic experiences they have of Newport, the more they are going to say, ‘What a really unique American city.’ And that’s exactly what we are.”
LORI TENNY is a former Meetings Focus editor who loves Rhode Island's stuffed quahogs, or "stuffies."
