Travel

Check out Newport Harbor Island Resort, debuting this spring after a $50 million renovation

The resort will reopen on April 15.

By Kristi Palma

February 29, 2024

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A sprawling resort on Newport’s Goat Island will open this spring after a $50 million renovation.

Newport Harbor Island Resort, the former Gurney’s Newport Resort & Marina, will reopen on April 15 with reimagined rooms and suites, restaurants, a contemporary spa, and a 22-slip marina. It is billed as “a quintessential New England coastal destination.”

The 10-acre waterside resort, a former torpedo factory, has 257 rooms and 18 suites. It was purchased by Pebblebrook Hotel Trust in 2022 for $174 million and is operated by Davidson Resorts. It is the only resort on Goat Island.

“We welcome travelers to join us as we unfurl the sails of Newport Harbor Island Resort’s new era, a haven where the beauty and history of our reimagined resort spark endless marvels and memories with every season, welcoming families, couples, and friends to create lasting memories,” said David Smiley, general manager of Newport Harbor Island Resort, in a statement.

The resort partnered with Dawson Design Associates, which has offices in England and Seattle, for the renovation.

Guests will stay in expansive guest rooms with “stunning” water views.

“Understated but elevated, the guest rooms and suites tout stunning water views – many of which also feature private outdoor spaces – and are adorned with natural color palettes and organic materials to achieve a look and feel of effortless elegance,” wrote the team.

The hotel features art commissioned from local artists throughout. What’s more, the resort’s soft goods were handcrafted by various New England weavers’ guilds, another local touch, “to help create a sense of place that harkens back to the region’s storied road to independence,” wrote the team.

The resort’s signature restaurant, 1639, is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and boasts two outdoor decks overlooking Narragansett Bay and an inside dining room with views of Newport Harbor. The menu will feature local, organic food and signature dishes.

Popular outdoor hotspot The Pineapple Club, with its panoramic Narragansett Bay views, will bring a new menu, live music, expanded cabana seating with an adults-only section, extended service to the marina deck and dockside, and new pop-up programming.

For those sailing to the property, the marina accommodates boats up to 240 feet long and marina guests will receive full resort privileges. The marina is open May 1 to Oct. 31.

Guests of the resort can enjoy a seasonal saltwater outdoor pool and a heated indoor pool.

The Firepits is an outdoor area where visitors can relax on couches before fire pits and enjoy light bites and hand-crafted drinks.

“This one-of-a-kind outdoor dining experience on Goat Island offers breathtaking sunset views and front-row seats to the best of Newport Harbor Island life,” according to the resort’s website.

Other inside spaces include The Bakery, an artisanal coffee shop in the resort’s lobby where folks can grab coffee drinks and freshly baked pastries, salads, and sandwiches to go, a 24-hour fitness center, meeting spaces and ballrooms, and a contemporary spa.

The Spa at Newport Harbor Island Resort, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sea, was done over in lavender, periwinkle, and celery green, to evoke “a sense of calm,” according to the team, and will offer a curated menu of services such as massages, facials, nails, and more.

Visitors seeking island adventures can get complimentary bikes, inflatable paddleboards and kayaks on a first-come, first-served basis. They can also check out a historic lighthouse on the island’s northern tip, the 1842 Newport Harbor Light.

Goat Island, a small island in Narragansett Bay, is connected to Easton’s Point neighborhood, part of the Newport Historic District, by a causeway bridge. Resort guests can visit downtown Newport by walking over the causeway or riding a complimentary shuttle from the resort.

Newport Harbor Island Resort rates vary by season and start at $459 per night.

Earlier this month, OpenTable named two Newport restaurants — Chanterelle and White Horse Tavern — among the most romantic restaurants in the U.S. in 2024, and last month Tripadvisor named Newport among the 15 most trending destinations in the U.S.