Major Newport Hotel Opens During Complex Travel Period

Major Newport Hotel Opens During Complex Travel Period

The long-awaited Hammetts Hotel opens on Friday in Newport. The new hotel is located on America’s Cup Avenue at Commercial Wharf.

For Rhode Island reference, Hammetts is located in the center of the city where summer concerts and comedy events used to be held on the water. 

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For decades, developers have been working to add another a premium hotel to the area and now after two years of construction, the new 84-room hotel will open during a global pandemic.

More Rooms -- During Complex Time

The developers -- Colin Kane, co-owner of Hammetts Hotel; Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality Group; and Sam Bradner, co-owner of Hammetts Hotel -- will officially unveil the property.

The hotel will face the same challenges that the rest of Newport’s hospitality industry faces, including state restrictions, consumers worried about travel, and an economic recession.

The new property and Newport may benefit significantly from a significant increase in regional travel, however. 

In May, Discover Newport President and CEO Evan Smith told GoLocal that he believes it will take “one to two years” for the tourism industry in Rhode Island to come back from the coronavirus crisis -- but that regional travel will lead the way first. 

“We predict that regional travel will be the first one to come back. People aren’t going to take long vacations this summer, I think people are going to travel within 200-400 miles,” said Smith. “We’re thinking from a marketing and promotion standpoint is to market in our backyard and have everybody in Rhode Island enjoy their state."

“I think it’s going to take us a year or two years to recover from where we are now,” said Smith, but added that there is one advantage for Rhode Islanders.

“This is going to be a great time for Rhode Islanders to have Rhode Island for themselves,” said Smith. 

Main Street Hospitality’s Hammetts

The amenities of Hammetts include a private deck for guests, a full-service waterfront restaurant, a fitness center, flexible gathering spaces, and valet parking with seasonal rates.

Summer rates starting at $300 per night.

The restaurant will open in August. "Giusto" will feature an outdoor bar and expansive patio overlooking the Newport Marina, a private dining room, and semi-open kitchen. Helmed by Chef Kevin O’Donnell, the cuisine will focus on regional Italian dishes with Rhode Island touches, including menu items from local farms and purveyors to support the community. The bar program will offer a mix of classic and freestyle cocktails, beer from local breweries, and a predominantly Italian wine list with featured natural selections.

The Sarah Langley Gallery at Hammetts Hotel, named for the owner of Hammetts Wharf from 1893 to 1906, also opens to the public on June 26. Purposefully established to engage both hotel guests and the Newport community in artistic conversations, visitors will have an opportunity to connect with artists, curators and gallerists.

Inspired by work connected to Newport and the Northeast region, the gallery will also host partnerships with regional art and academic institutions. Exhibitions will be curated by a gallery committee and are scheduled to change seasonally throughout the year. Future plans for community events include gallery opening receptions, artist talks, and more.

The gallery’s opening exhibit features works by young artists at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County. Titled “This is Our Town,” the children use art to depict their hometown perspectives. The eclectic collection of artwork ranges from iconic landmarks like the Cliff Walk and Narragansett Bay, while other artists captured the diversity of the city’s North End, illustrated Newport’s “red tide” of seaweed, or caricatured middle school classmates. Together, the paintings represent the juxtaposition of grit and glamour in the “City by the Sea.”

“It is an honor to showcase artwork from young, local artists as the debut exhibition in the Sarah Langley Gallery, and a testament to the importance of the local community to Hammetts Hotel,” said Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality. “All proceeds from sales of any of the pieces on exhibit will go directly to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County.”

According to the developers, Guest rooms and public spaces have been carefully curated, featuring artists with strong ties to Newport. Eustis worked closely with Kristen Coates, a Newport gallerist, artist and art advisor, to engage the artists and curate the collections. Featured artists include William Heydt, Nicholas Lima, Onne van der Wal, Mark Sweeney, Rob Migliaccio, Christian Harder and Maaike Bernstrom.