4 R.I. hotels recognized in Forbes Travel Guide star awards

THE OCEAN HOUSE was one of 13 hotels in the world that received a 5-star rating for its hotel, restaurant and spa program by the Forbes Travel Guide in 2018. COURTESY THE OCEAN HOUSE
THE OCEAN HOUSE was one of 13 hotels in the world that received a 5-star rating for its hotel, restaurant and spa program by the Forbes Travel Guide in 2018. / COURTESY THE OCEAN HOUSE

PROVIDENCE – The Ocean House in Westerly was one of 13 properties in the world recognized by Forbes Travel Guide as a five-star hotel, restaurant and spa, the publication announced Tuesday.

The accolades were awarded to hotels and their restaurants and spas for the travel guide’s 2018 Star Awards.

Ocean House was awarded the guide’s highest honors for its restaurant, Coast, and its spa, OH! Spa. No other hotel spa awards were designated in Rhode Island. The highlights of the review include a changing spa menu that rewards the repeat visitor as well as its water views.

Coast was highlighted for its farm-to-table nature. Forbes Travel Guide wrote, “Farm-to-table never seemed so fresh as it does at Coast. … The menu here changes daily to reflect the season and is comprised of ingredients based on what the restaurant’s food forager and chef de cuisine Jennifer Backman bring into the kitchen from local farms and harvests in New England.”

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Of the Ocean House as a hotel, Forbes Travel Guide wrote, “Walking into the hotel will conjure up images found in history books: This is the place where parasols, top hats and trunk luggage once graced the lawns, and where championship croquet and moonlight walks on the beach took place daily.”

Both the Castle Hill Inn in Newport and the Weekapaug Inn in Westerly were awarded with 4 stars for hotels in the 2018 star awards. Both hotels were recognized for their coastal charm.

The Castle Hill Inn was highlighted for its 40-acre private peninsula, its “stately, beautifully appointed 19th-century mansion” and its amenities such as bike trails and gourmet breakfast.

The Dining Room at Castle Hill Inn was also awarded 4 stars in the hotel restaurant awards, the only other hotel restaurant in the state to be recognized by Forbes with a star award. The restaurant was noted for its picturesque locations around the 19th century mansion and its changing farm-to-table philosophy.

The Weekapaug Inn, a sister property of Ocean House, was described as “rustic, but retains the same Old World allure with its laid back ambiance,” as the Ocean House.

The Chanler at Cliff Walk and its restaurant Spiced Pear in Newport were both honored with a recommended award, highlighting the hotel’s panoramic views and proximity to the Ocean Walk. Spiced Pear was also noted to have “a custom-made Bonnet stove that is one of only a handful seen in the United States.”

Hotels were rated by “incognito inspectors [that] evaluate properties based on up to 900 objective standards,” for the awards.

In 2018, Forbes Travel Guide recognized 1,609 winners, including:

  • 199 five-star, 513 four-star and 309 recommended hotels.
  • 64 five-star, 171 four-star and 83 recommended restaurants.
  • 60 five-star and 210 four-star spas.

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