Easy Fall Getaway: Rhode Island Coast

The Rhode Island Coast surprised me. It probably shouldn’t have. I grew up in New England where you can discern the differences between summer towns by their white picket fences and clapboard ship captain’s houses, gingerbread cottages, ice cream flavors, rosa rugosa and beach plum bushes—and the way the wind blows in from the southwest. From Edgartown to Gay Head, Nantucket to Osterville, Duxbury to Marblehead, Sagaponack to Shelter Island, I have listened to the crashing and lapping of the sea and bicycled the patchwork of cobblestone streets, brick sidewalks and sandy paths, past giant periwinkle hydrangeas and charming shingled “cottages.” (I once got whiplash on a motor boat that hit the shallow sands on the wrong side of a marker at sunset in Chatham while staying in one.) I also grew up sailing the coasts of Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut. And I have toured some of the glorious mansions of Newport to catch a glimpse of a bygone era. But perhaps because Rhode Island is only 37 miles wide and 48 miles long, somehow, I had managed to skirt around most of the long, fingerling-shaped peninsulas of the Ocean State. In a way, it seems fitting that I have traveled to all of these other places in order to finally find my way to the quieter enclaves of Watch Hill and Weekapaug and their many charms (no matter the season). Here’s where to stay and what to see and do to make the most of both.

Lay of the Land

Choosing which hotel to make your base in the area depends what you’re after: The Ocean House, a Relais & Châteaux property in Watch Hill, sets the bar high; from June to September, its 49 guestrooms, 20 Signature Suites and eight cottage residences—with sky-blue walls, navy and neutral Scalamandré floral and striped fabrics—are not easy to come by, thanks to the hotel’s location, classic appeal and creature comforts. It’s impossible to miss the enormous fresh butter-yellow Ocean House, built in 1868 as a Stick Style summer hotel at One Bluff Avenue in Watch Hill: a Victorian grande dame, with its gabled roofs, towers and a wraparound verandah that’s one of its best assets. At night, guests dress for dinner and this glorious building fairly glows in its own halo and its crow’s nest and widow’s walk high above it all. By day, the bold yellow building stands tall against the sky and sea and the massive croquet lawn, a carpet of green, a flag flying high overhead: the great American hotel is still here. In an epic $140-million, seven-year-long renovation that began in 2003, the entire building was taken down and rebuilt from scratch, a project overseen by owner Chuck Royce (a bowtie-wearing hedge fund founder from Greenwich, who is known as a kind of mayor-figure for all things Watch Hill), his wife and book author Deborah, and architect Jefferson B. Riley. They ensured that more than 5,000 architectural elements were preserved from the original building and reused in the restoration, including the Palladian windows, the reception desk and the fireplace, which was remade stone by stone.

The hotel is set apart from the town of Watch Hill and dominates amid the mansions that share the same shore, including Taylor Swift’s “High Watch,” formerly known as Holiday House, which she famously memorialized on her 2020 album Folklore with the song “The Last Great American Dynasty.” (The song offers a back story of philanthropist Rebekah Harkness, wife of the heir to the Standard Oil Fortune and is the perfect anthem for the town). Watch Hill, as the song notes, is for certain, a place where old houses (or hotels) have stories full of characters—and character to boot. Guests staying in Signature Suites or cottages are invited to dine in the Club room and deck, plus have access to a private area at the beach, based on availability. Sitting in the lobby sipping a cappuccino or a cup of tea or a cocktail, you can listen to the piano player and imagine what it might have been like a century ago. In rooms and suites, historical tinted photos from the 1930s and 40s (or earlier) tell stories of a time where guests strolled these beaches in full dress, with straw hats, parasols and boaters, on holiday from New York and Boston. Throughout the hotel the Royces’ extensive art collection, featuring European artists, marine art and a collection of more than 50 pieces by Ludwig Bemelmans, including original illustrations from his famous Madeline children’s books, are on display.

Ocean House is a good choice for couples or girlfriend groups looking for a little extra pampering, two restaurants to choose from (including the standout, Coast, with a separate tasting menu), as well as the 12,000-square-foot spa (it’s best to book treatments well in advance) and wine and cooking classes. There’s also an indoor pool, squash courts, yoga and fitness, if you intend to stay active. And in spring, summer or fall, guests wanting time on the beach are still rewarded with the salt air, crashing waves just a short walk away and spectacular views overlooking the grassy dunes to the sea. 

A few miles away, on the bay side, the Weekapaug Inn, overlooking Quonnie Pond, was rebuilt after the 1938 hurricane by the Buffum family, whose original idea was to create an inn as an extension of their own home. Like the Ocean House, the hotel fell into disrepair and was acquired by Chuck Royce and ​​Lang Wheeler, founder of the investment firm Numerics, who restored it and reopened the property in 2012 as a Relais & Châteaux. The hotel is the friendly and more diminutive, casually stylish sister property to the grand dame Ocean House. It has 31 rooms and the three Fenway suites, set apart from the main building, which feature large private terraces that are ideal for entertaining groups, and come with complimentary wet bars and kitchens. Guests can make use of bikes during their stay and are encouraged to explore the area on walks and boating and fishing expeditions. The resort also has an easygoing and attentive staff, including affable naturalist, Teddy Beahm, who leads nature walks, birding and star-gazing excursions and just about any activity you can dream up. Beyond the pond-side pool, there is also a well-equipped gym, and while the inn doesn’t have a spa, guests can book treatments at the Ocean House. To help reduce the inn’s carbon footprint, a state-of-the-art geothermal heating and cooling system has been installed, along with channeling wastewater for irrigation, composting food to repurpose it back into the soil for local farmers, eliminating single-use plastics and monthly beach cleanups which support The Weekapaug Foundation for Conservation and the Audubon Society of Rhode Island.

Who It’s Right For

What to Do

Cooking & Wine

cooking classes at the Ocean House’s Center for Wine & Culinary Arts. Offerings include (seasonally appropriate or private) classes with expert chefs on oysters, pasta, and all things farm-to-table and head-to-tail, with a focus on fresh local produce. The hotel has extensive offerings for oenophiles with regular wine tastings led by the resort’s sommeliers, featuring Napa Valley wines; private tastings, classes or visits to local vineyards can also be arranged (with spots to know including Saltwater Farm and Jonathan Edwards Winery in Stonington, or Langworthy Farm Winery and Tapped Apple Winery & Cidery, both in Westerly). 

Art & Lectures

Dining In or Out

Hiking, Birding & More