5 Best Hotels in Rhode Island, USA

Ideally situated adjacent to DeWolf Tavern and just steps from the East Bay Bike Path, this waterfront boutique hotel has fresh, nautical styling and sunny guest rooms. Some overlook Narragansett Bay, and several have gas fireplaces, kitchenettes, or even full kitchens for extended stays.

The city's beloved landmark since 1922, the former Providence Biltmore revels in nostalgia for its flapper heyday, but it has refreshed appeal for tourists thanks to a chic and studious makeover, with welcome additions like new restaurants and a spa. Designed by New York City architects Warren and Wetmore (of Grand Central Terminal fame) and still sporting its magnificent original chandeliers, its rooftop neon BILTMORE sign, added in 1979, remains a tribute to the hotel's storied past.

The only hotel on Providence's East Side is uniquely situated at India Point, across the street from the waterfront park of the same name and with the entrance ramp for the East Bay Bike Path right out the back. The recent opening of Narragansett Brewery's tasting room next door adds some much-needed drinking, dining, and nightlife options, and the hotel is within walking distance to the landing for the seasonal Providence-Newport Ferry and (via a footbridge) the shops and restaurants of Wickenden Street and the Fox Point neighborhood. Rooms are about what you'd expect at a mid-level chain hotel, but some do have nice views of the park and Narragansett Bay.

With whimsically sumptuous decor styled by celebrity fashion designer Randolph Duke, this early-19th-century farmhouse inn and restaurant has 21st-century Instagrammability. Located in the village of Shelter Harbor, 5 miles from downtown Westerly, it was first established in 1911 as part of a music colony. The 22 rooms are in the main building and a converted barn; some rooms have en-suite fireplaces. The third-floor Ascend Spa is a soothing retreat that can be enjoyed solo or with a partner, and guests have access to a nearby private beach and an outdoor tennis court. The Farmhouse Kitchen + Bar serves dinner Wednesday--Sunday.

Massive Victorian hotels once lined the sea wall in Narragansett Pier: the Shore House isn't quite that grand, but the 31-room hotel's decor does nod to the past, and the circa 1891 building has been extensively remodeled with a fresh coastal interior design. Some rooms have oceanfront balconies; some have water views. The ground-floor Sea Craft restaurant has a raw bar and serves lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch.