Luxury Experience - Luxurious Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island, USA - Photo by Luxury Experience

When it comes to luxury lifestyles, Newport, Rhode Island, is truly a luxury experience with its gilded age mansions, luxury hotels, culture, tennis, fresh from the sea cuisine, polo, colonial homes, yachting and boating. Conveniently located 34 miles (55 km) from Providence, 71 miles (114 km) from Boston, 180 miles (290 km) from New York, 277 miles (446 km) from Philadelphia, and 408 miles (657 miles) from Washington, D.C., Newport is perfect for a weekend getaway.

Having experienced Newport many times during the summer months, and longing for a quick weekend getaway, I decided to experience this charming and historical city in late January 2010 when the temperatures hovered in the single digits and the teens (Fahrenheit) with strong winds coming off the harbor, yet despite the cold, I loved Newport in the off-season. Save for the occasional sighting of lobstermen out on the water braving the cold, the boats docked at the marinas were nestled under protective shrink-wrap blankets eagerly waiting for summer to arrive, many of the shops were closed for the season, and also missing were the summer crowds. I felt as if Edward and I had Newport all to ourselves to savor and enjoy, along with the locals and other winter visitors.

Newport, settled in 1639, offers visitors much to explore historically speaking, and we stayed at the Mill Street Inn, which as the name suggests, was a prominent mill during the 1850s and was used up until the 1980s when it was purchased and transformed into a luxury hotel, which opened in 1986 proving that old spaces can be creatively adapted for contemporary use.

Although the brick exterior reflects the historic architecture of the building, the interior features contemporary décor and provides guests with modern comforts including complimentary wireless Internet, flat screen televisions, and luxury amenities.

The Mill Street Inn features 23 well-appointed suites and our spacious two-room suite consisted of a large bedroom and separate living room that provided us with a welcome oasis from which to explore Newport. We also enjoyed the complimentary Continental breakfast to start our day, as well as the complimentary parking. Nestled among colonial houses, the Mill Street Inn is on the National Register of Historic Places, is conveniently located in the Historic Hill section of Newport, and is a short stroll from Bowen's Wharf and other attractions.

Mill Street Inn
75 Mill Street
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
United States
Toll-Free:    +1-800-392-1316 (USA & Canada)
Telephone: +1-401-849-9500
Fax:             +1-401-848-5131
Email:          This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.MillStreetInn.com

Bowen's Wharf - Newport, Rhode Island, USA - Photo by Luxury Experience

We had dinner at Fluke Wine, Bar & Kitchen where Chef Neil Manacle is the talent in the kitchen whose focus is on relaxed modern American cuisine. Located in the heart of historic Bowen's Wharf, the restaurant is housed in a pretty wood shingle building and provides guests with harbor views. The restaurant, owned by the personable Jeff and Geremie Callaghan, opened in 2007 and has been charming its guests ever since with its inspired cocktails using fresh juices, and its fresh farm and ocean to table cuisine.

A few of the highlights of our dinner included Cornmeal Crusted Calamari over Roasted Pineapple Green Chile Salsa, which was calamari that was lightly dusted and cooked to crispy golden perfection and presented on a bed of roasted pineapple with a hint of spice from the chile the Roasted Beet Salad with Toasted Pistachio Crema was gorgeous, an artistic presentation of thinly sliced alternating red and yellow beets topped with crème fraiche, chopped pistachios, and micro beet greens; and the Shellfish Pan Roast with Scallops, Clams, Mussels, Shrimp, and Grilled Bread was reason enough to drive to Newport.

Fluke Wine, Bar & Kitchen is open during the winter Thursday through Sunday from 5:00 pm, and is open nightly during the summer from 5:00 pm. Reservations are recommended.

Read about Fluke Wine, Bar & Kitchen in the Restaurants section and in the Chefs' Recipes section where Chef Neil Manacle shares his recipe for Grilled Lamb T Bones with Fried Hummus, Dates, Figs, and Apricots.

Fluke Wine, Bar & Kitchen
41 Bowen's Wharf
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
United States
Telephone: +1-401-849-7778
www.FlukeWineBar.com

In the morning after a delicious complimentary continental breakfast at the Mill Street Inn, Edward and I went to explore what I can best describe as "America's castles," the gilded age mansions of Newport. The Newport coastline with its breathtaking ocean views and close proximity to New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, was a siren for the wealthy during the heyday of decadence, the gilded age, when those that had extreme wealth were expected to flaunt it, and did. Building grand style mansions that would rival those of royalty in Europe, America's wealthy set their imprint firmly in Newport, The Berkshires in Massachusetts, and Dutchess County New York where they would spend their summers in what they referred to as their "cottages" with a subtle nod to the humble houses that once occupied the land where they built their mansions. Whether you are interested in architecture, interior design, art, or landscape design, a visit to the gilded age mansions will definitely make a lasting impression. There are 11 historic Newport mansions open to the public, although only 3 of them are open during the winter, The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms.

As we started off to experience Newport we came upon the Old Stone Mill that is located just minutes from the Mill Street Inn in Touro Park. The structure is surrounded in mystery as to its beginnings that range from being constructed by Norsemen, to it being built as a windmill in the 17th century by the first governor of Rhode Island, Benedict Arnold, the great-grandfather of General Benedict Arnold of Revolutionary War fame; I guess you will have to come see for yourself and decide.

We began by visiting The Breakers, which is the largest of the Newport mansions and was built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II (1843 - 1899) over the course of 2 years between 1893-1895. The acclaimed architect, Richard Morris Hunt, (1827 - 1895) who designed the Newport mansions Marble House, Ochre Court, and Griswold House, the base of the Statue of Liberty, and other impressive landmarks, designed the palatial 70-room Italian-Renaissance palazzo which occupies 1-acre of land on the 13.1 acre property nestled along the fabled Cliff Walk and the Atlantic Ocean.

To provide insight into the Vanderbilt fortune, it is important to note that Cornelius Vanderbilt II was the son of William Henry Vanderbilt and the grandson of Cornelius (The Commodore) Vanderbilt (1794 - 1877) who established the family's coffers via steamships and railroads. Cornelius Vanderbilt II was married to Alice Claypool Gwynne Vanderbilt and had 7 children. Their daughter Countess Gladys Vanderbilt Széchenyi (1886-1965) inherited The Breakers upon her mother's death in 1934. The Preservation Society purchased the property in 1972.

Entering the property through the ornate black wrought iron gates embellished with the Vanderbilt crest of acorns and oak leaves and first glimpsing The Breakers was breathtaking, although it did not prepare me for the opulence of the 138,300 square foot interior furnished with the finest European treasures.

A few of the many highlights of the mansion include the Great Hall which measures a spectacular 50 ft x 50 ft x 50 ft and features an abundance of 22k gold leaf; the Grand Staircase with its ornately carved marble, wood and wrought iron railing, and dramatic red carpet; and the Grand Staircase Alcove with a fountain featuring 2 stylized dolphins which symbolize hospitality.

The Dining Room has been referred to as "the most significant room in the Western world" and features a painting on the ceiling by French artist, Paul-Jacques-Aimé Baudry, 22k gold embellishments, rose alabaster columns, Baccarat crystal chandeliers, and a table that could seat 34 guests. The family crest of acorns and oak leaves which signify strength and longevity are seen throughout the house.

The Billiards Room has an intricate mosaic on the ceiling featuring shells and stylized dolphins, Italian Cipollino marble walls, mosaic floor with acorn pattern, sculptured wood doors, a jockey scale chair, large billiards table in the center of the room, and bottle green velvet sofas and chairs.

The Morning Room, where ladies would come to pay a social call to Mrs. Vanderbilt, features an octagon on the ceiling with an allegory of the four seasons written in French, a John Singer Sargent painting of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, and most importantly, pure platinum leaf wall panels that were built in Paris, disassembled, and brought to Newport.

Each room is grander than the next, and other notable details of the house include the stained glass skylight by John LaFarge (1835 - 1910), and Flemish tapestry of 1610. The Breakers must be experienced to truly appreciate the decadent style that marked the Gilded Age.

The Breakers is open daily. The house opens at 10:00 am and the last tour of the day is at 4:00 pm. Tours are offered every 15 - 20 minutes. The house and grounds close at 5:00 pm. Admission is charged. Please check their website for prices and combination tickets.

The Breakers
44 Ochre Point Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
United States
www.NewportMansions.org

Our next visit was to another Vanderbilt mansion, Marble House, designed for William Kissam Vanderbilt (1849 - 1920), the son of William Henry Vanderbilt, and the brother of Cornelius Vanderbilt II (The Breakers), and Frederick William Vanderbilt (who built a 54-room mansion in Hyde Park, New York, which we had also visited).

Marble House, designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, was built between 1888 and 1892 and is another testament to the opulence of the period utilizing 500,000 cubic square feet of marble in its design, cost a reported $11 million to construct and was a gift from William K. Vanderbilt to his wife, Alva Erskine Smith Vanderbilt for her 39^th birthday. The inspiration for Marble House was the Petit Trianon at Versailles, France and the façade features American Tuckahoe marble from New York, which glints in the sunlight and in the moonlight, and Italian marble in the interior.

William and Alva (1853 - 1933) married in 1875, had 3 children, Consuelo Vanderbilt (who married Charles Spencer-Churchill, the 9^th Duke of Marlborough), William Kissam Vanderbilt II, and Harald Stirling Vanderbilt, and were divorced in 1895. Alva married Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont in 1896 and moved to his 60-room mansion Belcort located at 657 Bellevue Avenue. Oliver died in 1908 and Alva became involved in the women's suffragette movement. She reopened Marble House and held a famous suffragette open house there in 1909 working towards Votes for Women.

A few of the many highlights include the Great Hall with its marble staircase featuring a boy blowing a conch at the base of the steps, ornate black wrought iron and gold railing embellished with gold helmets with ram's heads, as well as acorns and clusters of oak leaves, which are the Vanderbilt family crest, and the dramatic ceiling painted to resemble the sky with clouds and angels, and an intricate gold chandelier.

Also interesting was the Gold Room with its gold walls, 2 life-size bronze figures holding crystal and bronze sconces on the massive marble fireplace, and a gold piano; and the Living Room which features red silk walls, a large-scale marble fireplace carved with people poised on balconies, and 4 gothic style stained glass windows. An interesting note about the windows is that when Marble House was sold to Mr. Frederick H. Prince in 1932, he removed the 13^th and 14^th century stained glass windows and replaced them with clear glass so that he could have ocean views; when the Preservation Society acquired the house in 1963, reproductions of the original stained glass windows were designed to return the room to how it looked during Alva's ownership.

Alva Vanderbilt was a formidable Newport hostess and Marble House boasted an Escoffier-trained French chef. The Dining Room features red marble walls, tapestry hung over the massive fireplace, painted ceiling, gold embellishments throughout, and a table with bronze side chairs that weighed 100 pounds each and required the assistance of a footman to seat guests. Alva, described as, "redheaded, flamboyant, and fiery," was an American born in Mobile, Alabama to a cotton broker who relocated his family to France where they lived for a period of time before returning to the United States. Alva required that her children have lunch with her every day in the dining room where they spoke only French.

Also interesting is the bedroom for Consuelo who was 15 years of age when the family moved to Marble House, and is dominated by a dark wood massive four-poster bed with a red and gold tester, red fabric walls, coffered wood ceiling, lace vanity with toiletries and tri-fold gold mirror, and ocean views; and the 1125 square foot Chinese Tea House, built in 1914 and located on the edge of the estate next to the Cliff Walk was also a highlight of our visit to Marble House.

Marble House is open daily. The house opens at 10:00 am and the last tour of the day is at 4:00 pm. Tours are offered every 15 - 20 minutes. The house and grounds close at 5:00 pm. Admission is charged. Please check their website for prices and combination tickets.

Marble House
596 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
United States
www.NewportMansions.org

Driving through historic Newport we came upon St. Mary's Church that was founded in 1828 and is the oldest parish in the Diocese of Providence. The Church was consecrated in 1884, and is where President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Lee Bouvier were married on September 12, 1953.

Another Interesting church is the Trinity Episcopal Church of Newport that dates to 1726, and is a distinct landmark with its tall white spire. Newport is an eclectic mélange of architecture of colonial, Victorian, gilded age, and contemporary.

An interesting way to see Newport is via the Trolley service, though with the cold winds upon us, we opted to drive ourselves, but on our next trip this will be our mode of transportation to experience Newport.

Regardless if you are traveling by foot, Trolley, or car keep your eyes open as there is so much to see and experience in Newport.

Our last guided tour was at The Elms, a 48-room, 60,000 square foot mansion set on 13-acres of land and completed in 1901 for Mr. Edward Julius Berwind (1848 - 1936) and his wife, Herminie of Philadelphia and New York. Designed by noted Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer, The Elms was inspired by the Chateau d'Asnieres (1750) outside Paris and features an impressive double staircase.

Upon his wife's death in 1922, Edward asked his sister, Julia, to act as his hostess at The Elms, and since Edward and his wife had no heirs, when Edward died, Julia inherited The Elms. Julia, who was unmarried and also had no heirs, bequeathed The Elms to her nephew who sold the house and 90% of its contents. The Elms was slated for destruction when the Newport Preservation Society saved it from the wrecking ball, and 50% of the original contents of the house has now been returned.

The house was built to showcase the Berwind's extensive collections of art, tapestries, jade, Sevres porcelain; as well as for lavish entertaining, and when the Berwinds would hold outdoor parties, red carpets would be placed over the walkways to protect the ladies delicate shoes.

Highlights of the mansion include the Library with its dark wood and red silk walls, massive fireplace with cherubs with garlands; the Dining Room features an 18^th century painting on the ceiling by Dutch artist Jacob de Witt, which was original to the house, Louis XIV style Aubusson tapestry featuring 4 swans representing the swans on the lake of Malmaison, and 18^th century Venetian art; and the Ballroom, the largest room in the mansion, which measures 41' x 49' x 19', has curved corners, a gold Steinway piano circa 1900, and Baccarat crystal chandeliers.

Also of interest was the informal Dining Room or Breakfast Room which features 3 black and gold Chinese lacquer panels from the 1680s and a 4^th reproduced in France in 1901. Chinoiserie was very popular during this period, and this is one of the few surviving rooms of Chinoiserie in America; and the Conservatory modeled after a French l'orangerie, which features rouge royale marble, a fountain with horses, mermaid, and merman; marble sculptures, and palm trees. It is here that Miss Julia Berwind played bridge almost every afternoon, often engaging the butler to act as the fourth player when required.

Mrs. Berwind's Bedroom features a half-tester over the bed, gold watered silk walls, a pretty white marble fireplace inset with gold garlands, and floral plasterwork encircling the ceiling; unlike his wife's larger brightly lit corner room, Mr. Berwind's Bedroom is a small, dark room with red silk walls, with a half tester draped with red and black silk over the bed; the Rose Bedroom features furniture original to the house with a half-tester over the pretty and feminine bed; the inlaid marble table on the second floor is exquisite and incorporates 20 types of marble and semi-precious stones and weighs 2.5 tons; and there are French tapestries from the 1700s, and Flemish tapestries from the 1500s.

The Elms, like the other Newport mansions, was occupied only during the months of July and August, had a French chef and a French pastry chef, and interesting to note, was that Mrs. Berwind had a budget of $350,000 to run the household for the summer, a fact which provides great insight into this period.

The Elms
367 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
United States
www.NewportMansions.org

Chateau Sur-Mer, a stone villa that was built in 1852 and was Newport's first palatial summer mansion featuring high Victorian architecture.

Astors' Beechwood, this mansion has been transformed into a theater where professional actors recreate life during the Victorian Era as Astor family members, friends, and domestic staff that provides a glimpse into America's history.

Rosecliff, built in 1902 for a Nevada silver heiress, has a history of hosting extravagant parties and it has been used for several Hollywood movies.

Continuing our drive down the mansion lined Bellevue Avenue we visited the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, which is a must for tennis fans. The museum captures the history from the early days of tennis to up to the minute competitions through videos, extensive clothing and equipment displays, trophies, and player biographies.

What I found to be particularly interesting was the history of the talented Sutton Sisters from California: Ethel, Florence, Violet, and Mary. Ethel and Florence Sutton achieved the ranked of #2 in the US, and Mary Sutton Bundy, born in 1886, was the first American to win at Wimbledon in 1905.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum is open daily from 9:30 am until 5:00 pm. Admission is charged. Adults: $11, Seniors, Military, Students with ID: $9, Children (16 and under): Free, Audio Tour: $5, Grounds Pass Only: $3. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum
194 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
United States
Telephone: +1-401-849-3990
www.TennisFame.com

Art is an important part of Newport culture, and the Newport Art Museum located in the historic Griswold House built by noted architect, Richard Morris Hunt, for John N.A. Griswold in 1862, is a treasure. The American Stick Style house has been home to the Newport Art Museum and the Newport Art Association since 1916.

In addition to its excellent collection of art from Newport and southern New England artists, the museum has a Winter Lecture Series held on Saturday afternoons followed by Tea Receptions, as well as interesting programs held throughout the year. During our visit, there was a lecture by Stephen Houston, and a wonderful charcoal exhibition by artist Brenda Levasseur entitled, Windows to the Soul, with the highlight, Windows to the Soul, 2007, depicting the eyes of an older man.

Also of interest was the leaded opalescent window by American artist, John LaFarge (1835-1910), entitled Trompe L'Oeil Curtain Window, 1882-1884, whose grand-scale skylight we had seen at The Breakers.

The Newport Art Museum is open from November 1 until April 30 from Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm, Sunday from noon until 4:00 pm, and is closed on Monday. The museum is open from May 1 until October 31, from Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm, Sunday from noon until 5:00 pm, and is closed on Monday. The museum is closed on July 4^th, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Admission is charged: Adults: $10, Seniors (65+): $8, Students with valid ID: $6, Military personnel with valid ID: $6, and Children 5 and under: Free.

Newport Art Museum
78 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
United States
Telephone:      +1-401-848-8200
Email:              This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.NewportArtMuseum.org

We also visited the Old Quarter and the Newport Historical Society's Museum and Shop at the Brick Market housed in a circa 1762 building. The museum provided us with a view of the early history of Newport, and one of the many interesting things that we learned was that Caswell-Massey Apothecary was founded in Newport in 1752.

The Newport Historical Society's Museum and Shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am until6:00 pm, and Sunday from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. There is a suggested donation of $4 for Adults and $2 for Children over 5 years.

Newport Historical Society's Museum and Shop
127 Thames Street
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
United States
Telephone: +1-401-841-8770
www.NewportHistorical.org

Although the weather was cold, we braved the temperatures and browsed among the shops of Bowen's Wharf, stopped at the Fish Market to see the fishermen's catch of the day, and admired the boats and the harbor scenery. Newport, Rhode Island is a city steeped in history, charm, culture, and luxury, and is waiting to be explored in any season.