Well, Providence is a city so it's not a "harbor feel" either.
Newport has some good hotel deals off season (after Labor Day) season so if you can manage it, I would still put it at the top of the list. Parts are beachy, parts are more busy with tourists shopping eating and siteseeing

The nicest beach areas in Rhode Island are in places that don't have a lot of lodging options. The whole "South County" area is very beachy to me , but there are only a few b&bs (not on the water) and some house rentals. There are some motels on Misquamicut beach (I haven't stayed there)

Narragansett is another very upscale coastal area (on the bay, not the ocean)that you might consider, but it is much more congested than the places along the Atlantic coast. A few different beach options,but I don;t think any have lodging right on the water.

Warwick to me is the least appealing but there are so many reasonably priced hotels in the area because of the nearby airport. I do stay there pretty often but just use the hotel as a place to sleep while I spend the whole day elsewhere.

Wickford is a nice little town to spend some time in (but no beaches, just a river) and Bristol on the other side of the bay has a "harbor feel" along with some interesting sites to visit and good restaurants.

Thanks for the reply. Very helpful!

I like Watch Hill, both harbor and beach, with an old carousel.

I agree with the comments so far. In southern New England, other than a bit on Nantucket Sound (Cape Cod and the islands), there's not really any tradition of beachfront lodging.

Warwick is known for the airport, office parks and light industry; it does have a lot of hotels. Providence has become a very nice city to visit, but it's an industrial-era city, not a beach destination - I wouldn't even call it anything close to a "harbor feel"! New London, likewise, is known for things other than beaches, namely the Coast Guard, Navy, ferry to Long Island, Connecticut College... though it probably rates as harbor feel at least. (Industrial harbor, that is.)

Newport is a great town in which to spend a couple of days and has options if the weather turns inclement. The central commercial district has a classic harbor feel, with a large marina and a lot of references to the Americas Cup races; the beaches are a short distance away. We've had good luck getting off-season rates at the historic Hotel Viking. Plus, Newport is on the tip of an island on which there is also the less picturesque but much more reasonably priced Middletown and Portsmouth - look for chain hotels there and it will be a short drive into Newport's central district or out to the beaches.

You might also look at Stonington, CT, a quaint New England coastal town, or some of the towns just west of there. Maybe Madison? (I can't speak firsthand about any of them except Stonington.)

And there's always the Massachusetts south coast. Westport has a large state beach, Horseneck, though most lodging is at the other end of town. Northeast of New Bedford, you could look into the towns between NB and the Cape, such as Fairhaven, Mattapoisett and Marion. Plus, it's not that far a drive from where your husband will be working to the Cape itself - especially any of the towns on the "triceps side" of the arm of the Cape, from Falmouth to Chatham. That may be your best bet for a beachy getaway!

Watch Hill has a nice beach and the Ocean House Hotel is beautiful, but a bit pricey. There are other places in the area that might do. In New England October is beautiful at the beach, but not for swimming or other in the water activities unless you are very hardy.

If you are looking for a nice weekend on the coast, then go for it. I like Cape Cod in October as there is still plenty open, the beaches are beautiful, National Seashore is a can't miss and crowds are missing.

Thanks for the replies. We stayed in cape Cod last year. Got our fill of the cape.
I found this in Misquamicut beach:
pvinn.com

Exactly what I'm looking for. I'll take a look at Stonington too.
Thanks all!

you know this is not really in a town, right?

What do you mean?

Misquamicut is a long strip of beach, part of it a state park. Running along behind it are the usual sort of shore eateries, bars and dubious motels. By October, many of these will be closing or already closed, those that are left catering to the surf casters prowling the beaches after striped bass.

The Ocean House is magnificent, but priced like Le Sirenuse in Positano. Watch Hill will also be closing up.

Watch Hill is beautiful, but will also be closing up.

I think your best bets, as mentioned above, are Newport and Stonington Borough. The Inn at Stonington gets good reviews. http://www.innatstonington.com/index.html

While you would have water views there, it's not on an ocean beach.

Extra sentence, later recast, at no charge.

Highly recommend Inn at Stonington, beautiful rooms, lovely breakfasts, quaint town on tne water.
Newport should also be high on your list, Cliff Walk, Ocean Drive..many lodging options in all price ranges.

I meant that I was under the impression you wanted a town atmosphere, walkable, things to do. Misquamacut is as Fra says above, just a strip of closed up beach stuff in October, no sense of place, no charm. ANd true, Watch Hill will be pretty shut odwn then too.

May I ask if you visited the whole cape and what you dodn't like about it?

You could try Sakonnet Point, Little Compton. Lodging is probably pricey, though:
www.stonehouse1854.com/

There are nice driving roads (beautiful in the fall) as well as wineries and a brewery nearby:

http://www.coastalwinetrail.com/

It is much more of a rural coastal town, complete with farmstands, hiking trails and a lighthouse. Not much village walking-around area, other than nearbly Tiverton Four Corners:
www.tivertonfourcorners.com/

To save a little in lodging $$, you could stay in Middletown/Portsmouth, as mentioned above.

Sakonnet, Little Compton and Tiverton are all pretty villages, but not what the OP is asking for with "We would like the beach feel." If she does end up interested in these towns, I'd stay in a b&b there. If a hotel chain is preferable, stay in one off the interstate in Westport or Dartmouth, MA - much easier access to these RI towns than staying over the bridge in Portsmouth or Middletown.

Sakonnet has a vineyard that was recently purchased by the Alex & Ani company. Better wines from Westport's vineyard, Westport Rivers - especially the whites. The best thing in Tiverton Four Corners is the award-winning ice cream at Gray's, though some of the other shops are cute, and Provender makes good sandwiches...

anikany, what is it about the Cape that you got your fill of? And what are you looking for in New England in October in terms of "beach feel"? Learning more about these comments will help us help you find the best place.

Thanks for the replies. I'll look into all the suggestions.
My husband and I loved the Cape and loved where we stayed. We went to Martha's Vineyard. We rode our motorcycles to Provincetown. We had lunch and dinner on the beach. It was great. Just been there done that and want to go someplace new.
The cape is a little further away than some of the other places we can go to too. Getting into the cape can take some time as well.

We want to see what is close to where he will be working that has a nice beach town feel. So that when I visit him we can scoot to the ocean. We like being by the ocean.

Rivers are nice but we live on the Erie Canal. We see a river everyday

We love harbor towns but want to find a spot that feels more like a beach town.

Looking for a hotel / motel. Does not have to be fancy. (Not into B&B's.) If the hotel has a restaurant even better.

I'm not sure it matters that the town would be closed down as long as we could drive around and see the ocean. Being together is the main objective. Seeing the ocean from our hotel/ motel balcony is a high priority.

Others things to do all pluses but not mandatory.

Vineyards are not a priority. We are close to the Fingerlakes and have done many wine tours.

I'll look at those suggestion today.
Thanks everyone.

The pvinn you looked up in Misquamicut will fill the bill for what you are looking for and it is a short pleasant ride from there to explore Watch Hill, Stonington and Mystic. If you want night life, Foxwoods is about 20 minutes away and Mohegan Sun a half hour.