Weekend Getaways at Repurposed Hotels: The Attwater

THE ATTWATER
22 Liberty St, Newport, RI
theattwater.com; (800) 392-3717
Distance by car: 3 hours

Twenty-something Rob Blood and his wife, Leigh, just “wanted to spend time together,” according to Rob, explaining their foray into hotel ownership, which eventually led them to renovate a former Bavarian restaurant and notorious sailor bar into a beautiful B&B.
ROOM: The Bloods hired Boston-based Rachel Reider Interiors to capture the playful, modern aura of boaty Newport. Beds are pillow-top; barn doors slide open to small, retro black-and-white tile bathrooms; and each room features an iPad that acts as both a hotel directory and temporary perk for guests.
BOARD: The Café offers baked goods all day. For dinner, go to Tallulah on Thames for modern, fresh, local cuisine; Pour Judgment Bar & Grill for excellent burgers; or Muse by Jonathan Cartwright at the Vanderbilt Grace hotel.
ONLY HERE: Parking in downtown Newport can be a nightmare, but The Attwater has its own parking lot—and it’s free.
WHILE HERE: Learn about “hooch” smuggling during Prohibition on the swift Rum Runner II, a newly restored, 1929 Elco Motor Yachts craft, aka a “bootlegger.” Ninety-minute tours of Narragansett Bay and Newport Harbor leave four times a day in the fall from Bannister’s Wharf ($28 per person).
JUST THE FACTS: Rooms range from $209 to $479.
 

The decor of the rooms at The Attwater is often nautically inspired.