WESTERLY – The Ocean House resort once again has been given international accolades as the gold standard of travel and hospitality after being named to the 2023 Gold List, an annual curation of the best hotels in the world released by the media company and travel magazine Condé Nast.
Located in Watch Hill, the five-star luxury resort first made the list in 2018. The annual list is assembled by a team of editors spanning seven cities and three continents.
Built in 1868 soon after the Civil War, the original 159-room hotel, a summertime mainstay for elite travelers, was in operation for more than a century before closing in 2003 due to fire hazards. The building was demolished in 2005, and a replica of the hotel was constructed in 2010 and included numerous luxury suites.
Now owned and managed by Ocean House Collection, the company founded by Charles and Deborah Royce, Ocean House is the first and only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five-Star hotel in Rhode Island.
In a review of her visit last spring accompanying the list’s release, Conde Nast executive editor Erin Floria called Ocean House a “grand dame.”
“This enormous yellow mansion towering like a watchman above a sand-swept Rhode Island shoreline occupied space in my mind long before I visited,” she wrote. “Ocean House has remained resolutely committed to a version of hospitality that simply makes people feel good.”
Like all the luxury destinations on the list, Floria acknowledges that top-notch amenities and scenery often come with a hefty price tag. Room rates can range from a few hundred dollars to many thousands per night, depending on the room and the season.
However, the resort is open year-round and holds multiple events throughout the year accessible to the public.
The resort features 49 rooms and 18 “Signature Suites,” award-winning restaurants, pool, and spa. Guests can access a private beach that provides views of Montauk, N.Y., and Block Island.
But according to Floria, the experience is worth the money, “assuming you can get a room.”
“Staying at Ocean House feels special and effortless, which is a slam-dunk formula for a vacation you want to repeat year after year,” she wrote.
(Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com)
